The world of fashion witnessed a remarkable gathering as the BRICS+ Fashion Summit brought together industry professionals from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, South-Eastern Asia, and the CIS. Held from November 28 to December 2, the Summit in Moscow became the point of convergence for fashion and diverse cultures, paving the way for a more inclusive and interconnected industry. Notable highlights of the Summit include:

Business Program

The summit’s extensive Business Program featured over 40 sessions with more than 200 speakers from different parts of the world. They delved into crucial industry topics such as collaboration, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Over 60 delegations from different countries took part in the Summit and South Africa was one of them. Such esteemed speakers as Stephen Manzini, Founder and CEO of Soweto Fashion Week, Gregg Maragelis, Head of Cape Town College of Fashion Design participated in the sessions ‘Fashion Weeks. Promoting brands locally and globally’ (Stephen Manzini), ‘Learning in style. Contemporary methods of education’ and ‘Staff in trend. Skills required for a fashion business operator’ (Gregg Maragelis).  One of the leading South African designers, David Tlale, has also taken part in the business program, in the ‘Growth hormone. How to become a fast-growing brand?’ session. 

B2B Showroom

The B2B showroom was a professional venue for fostering new connections between buyers, designers, and industry experts. This expansive space hosted 130 brands and designers from Argentina, Russia, India, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa among others, attracting buyers from China, India, Mexico, Russia and other countries. South Africa was presented in the showroom by David Tlale. 

Fashion Intensive Course 

The Fashion intensive course was a special educational platform organized within the Summit. Fashion students and emerging designers had an opportunity to learn from 37 lecturers from esteemed universities and international fashion institutions. The list included professors and experts from Brazil, China, India, Argentina, Russia, Colombia, Turkey, South Africa and Nigeria among others. One of the esteemed representatives from South Africa was Gregg Maragelis who delivered a lecture on ‘Traditions and cultural codes in modern fashion design. Successful cases and interviews with designers’.

Fashion Shows

The true highlights of the summit were the Fashion Shows, where designers could showcase their collections to the international audience. The lineup of Fashion Shows was nothing short of impressive, boasting renowned names such as SADAELS from Argentina, Arzu Kaprol from Turkey, 陳宇CHNNYU from China, Lucas Leão from Brazil, FDCI presents: riteshkumar, KHANIJO, Naushad Ali, and Shruti Sancheti from India. This diverse array of designers provided an unparalleled platform for cultural exchange and celebrated the rich tapestry of global fashion. South Africa was represented by David Tlale’s runway show.

World Fashion Shorts

World Fashion Shorts appeared as an immersive multimedia installation that combines fashion, cinema, and video art. It featured a curated collection of vibrant short films that have received accolades at international fashion film festivals. This emerging genre has seen significant growth worldwide in recent years. The selection for World Fashion Shorts encompasses films from diverse regions such as South Africa, North America, Europe, Central, and Southeast Asia. Together, they offered a captivating glimpse into the vast array of cultures and expanded our understanding of fashion.  

The BRICS+ Fashion Summit has emerged as a highly influential occasion in the realm of fashion, drawing in fashion industry representatives from different corners of the globe. The Summit encompassed a variety of activities where fashion professionals including designers, buyers, presidents of Fashion Weeks, and journalists from various regions including Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the CIS countries gathered to discuss current issues in the fashion industry. Demonstrating the city’s flourishing fashion industry, this event once again confirmed Moscow’s status as a trendsetting fashion hub. 

The BRICS+ Fashion Summit was attended by 205 guests from 62 countries, including Azerbaijan, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Vietnam, Ghana, Guyana, Guatemala, Georgia, Egypt, Zimbabwe, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, Canada, Kenya, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Netherlands, UAE, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, Uzbekistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Ethiopia, South Africa and South Korea.