European fashion has long been considered the locomotive of the global industry. According to Eurostat, the turnover of Europe’s textile and fashion sector exceeded €200 billion in 2023, employing over 1.7 million people. The Apparel market in the United Kingdom is projected to generate a revenue of US$88.86bn in 2025, with fashion being the leading ecommerce market in the UK, accounting for 29% of online sales.
According to Statista, the United Kingdom’s apparel market is now experiencing a surge in demand for sustainable and ethically produced clothing. Many emerging economies have long focused on sustainable production, aiming to reduce waste and overconsumption. This emphasizes the important role of emerging markets and their unique experiences in addressing the challenges facing the fashion industry today.
In this evolving global landscape, Moscow has become a unifying hub for the emerging global fashion, hosting two international events that bring together representatives from Asia, Africa, Latin America, as well as Europe and the US: the BRICS+ Fashion Summit and Moscow Fashion Week.
Moscow Fashion Week
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit gathered over 250 participants from 65 countries, including organizers of European fashion weeks. The focus was on sustainable production, digitalization, and AI integration, signalling that new centres of influence are created, where emerging markets offer their own scenarios for the industry’s development.
“Events such as the BRICS+ Fashion Summit serve as unique platforms where fashion becomes not only an industry but also a cultural dialogue. They bring together designers, brands, clusters, and institutions from different countries, enabling them to learn from each other and build bridges through creativity,’ stated Sladjana Milojevic, Managing Director of the Fashion Apparel Cluster Serbia and a delegate at the Summit.
“The Summit unites diverse cultures, enabling brands from various countries to present their unique narratives and traditions, promoting cultural appreciation and collaboration. It also opens opportunities for cross-border partnerships, where designers, brands, and industries learn from each other, create joint collections, and develop innovative business models. By facilitating dialogues around sustainability, heritage preservation, and technological advancement, such events as the BRICS+ Fashion Summit actively strengthen international relationships and cooperation” added Jay Ishak, Co-Founder and CEO of MyFashionChamber.
Moscow Fashion Week, held in parallel with the Summit, has become the largest platform for emerging names. This fall, more than 350 brands were featured. The event included participation from 22 international designers from Armenia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, India, Spain, Italy, China, Ivory Coast, USA, Turkey, Switzerland, and South Africa. Spanish designer Duly Romero showcased a collection playing with transparent fabrics and asymmetric silhouettes, while American brands Pia Lindsay Studio and Bibiré International presented a collective show, featuring stunning eveningwear. These examples illustrate that today, Moscow has become a venue where Europe and the USA meet Asia and Latin America.
Russian brands also drew inspiration from national heritage: Solangel presented a modern interpretation of Slavic cultural code using innovative design solutions. The main idea is combining traditional crafts with contemporary crystal-inlay techniques, which have become the brand’s signature. Hatsibana drew inspiration from contemporary art and caucasian elements, incorporating asymmetric cuts and graphic prints and using striking colour combinations of chocolate, olive, and gold.
Today, Moscow cements its status as an important fashion hub. Cooperation with emerging countries through such platforms as BRICS+ Fashion Summit allows local designers to integrate into a global network and gain new ideas.
