The BRICS+ Fashion Summit was recently held in Moscow at the Zaryadye Concert Hall, attracting thousands of visitors. The event brought together heads of fashion associations, designers, executives, and professors from educational institutions, as well as other industry experts from 65 countries. The participating countries represented 33% of the world’s total.
The Summit featured a business program involving more than 250 speakers from Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and the CIS, with a total of 42 sessions. The key highlights included two plenary discussions: “Fashion 360°. Development of Related Industries” and “Protectionism or Free Trade: Should National Clothing Markets Be Protected?”
At the Regional session with a topic on Asia Cultural Identity, Ali Charisma, Advisory Board & Event Director at Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC), stated that the BRICS+ Fashion Summit serves as a “highly important communication platform for emerging countries by creating space for dialogue, visibility, and collaboration among fashion stakeholders across diverse cultural and economic backgrounds. It allows designers, brands, and institutions from emerging markets to share their narratives, showcase their craftsmanship, and connect directly with global audiences, media, and buyers. The summit not only helps amplify the creative voices of these countries but also encourages mutual learning, business partnerships, and strategic alliances. As a result, it strengthens the global positioning of emerging economies in the fashion industry and fosters a more balanced and inclusive fashion ecosystem.”
A major cultural highlight of the Summit was the exhibition “Native Motifs”. The showcase featured collections of more than 70 looks from 13 Russian cities. The exhibition brought together traditional costumes from the Russian North, Central Russia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, the Urals, as well as attire of the indigenous peoples of the North, Yakutia, Tuva, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan, and Old Believers.
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit runway program presented designers and brands from 10 countries: Armenia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, India, Spain, China, the USA, Turkey, and South Africa. In addition, the Summit hosted a four-day Fashion Intensive Course at Zaryadye, tailored for students, designers, buyers, and stylists.
