Moscow Fashion Week, which concluded on October 1, delivered impressive results this season: over six days, it brought together more than 350 designers from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America, reinforcing Moscow’s position as a global hub for emerging fashion. Independent brands from Russia, China, India, Sri Lanka, the US, Türkiye, Spain, the UK, Kenya, Nicaragua and other countries presented their collections to an international audience of industry professionals, attracting strong interest from buyers, media and fashion experts worldwide. The show by Kenyan brand KikoRomeo, presented as part of a partnership between Nairobi Fashion Week and Moscow Fashion Week, was also very well received.

Kenyan brand KikoRomeo presented its collection, in which artisanal techniques informed the patterns and textures of the fabrics. Motifs of the Turkana people of north-western Kenya featured in geometric batik patterns and hand-painted designs on linen. Cotton was woven on handlooms, while stamped batik patterns were applied to brown fabric made from handmade yarn before dyeing. Men’s and women’s garments, all made in Kenya, were finished with hand-carved coconut-shell buttons. “Every new opportunity opens another world. Our brand is very artistic and we know Moscow has a very strong art scene. We hope to find lots of synergy,” says Iona McCreath, founder of KikoRomeo.

Iona McCreath links the brand’s international growth to its artistic approach: “Our core purpose has always been to use art and fashion as a universal language to bring people together and build understanding across cultures. We are thrilled to bring our heritage, material intelligence, and story-driven craft to an expanding international audience.”

The international program at Moscow Fashion Week was particularly strong and diverse this season. Among the participants was designer Kanika Goyal with her KGL brand, whose designs are worn by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Deepika Padukone. She is also featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. As part of an agreement with the Fashion Design Council of India, she presented her Arc Echo collection, featuring braided denim and mosaic knitwear. European participants included British brand Black Crown Label, which presented long dresses with kimono-inspired silhouettes, wide belts and theatrical hems.

A focus on heritage and artisanal techniques linked the Kenyan collection with several standout Russian shows. Russian fashion house Slava Zaitsev presented a couture collection combining natural silk and damask brocade with Vologda and Yelets lace and hand embroidery. Russian brand Gapanovich incorporated renowned Yelets lace into its collections. Fashion house Alexandra Serova, whose gowns are chosen by celebrities for red-carpet appearances and the Met Gala, dedicated its Krasnaya Moskva collection to the history of the legendary Russian fragrance Krasnaya Moskva, combining hand embroidery with floral motifs.



Several other Moscow Fashion Week participants explored the connection between fashion and painting. Russian brand Sol Selivanova Olga drew inspiration from paintings by Russian artists, translating their mood into fringe and shimmering threads. The Kiri brand turned to the aesthetics of the 1950s: large flowers bloomed across a skirt and corset made from textured fabric reminiscent of an antique tapestry, as if they had stepped out of an old painting, while feather-trimmed trousers added lightness and theatricality to the looks.

South Africa’s fashion industry has been following Russian runway shows for several seasons. The partnership between Soweto Fashion Week and Moscow Fashion Week has enabled South African designers to showcase their collections in Russia in previous seasons. Stephen Manzini, Founder & CEO of Soweto Fashion Week and President of the South African Fashion Association, sees a strong affinity between designers in the two countries: “I think both Johannesburg and Moscow share a strong sense of identity. Designers in both cities are driven by passion – they tell stories through fabric, culture, and emotion. There's also this hunger to be seen, to redefine how the world perceives fashion from our regions.”

Stephen Manzini also spoke about the results of the collaboration with Moscow Fashion Week: “Moscow showed me how powerful international collaboration can be. Our engagement with Moscow Fashion Week has created opportunities for South African designers to access a new market and build relationships within the Russian fashion industry. The biggest lesson is that meaningful partnerships can come from unexpected places.”