Dubai, Newszy / – From September 26 to October 1, 2026, Moscow will host Moscow Fashion Week, the largest event for emerging brands, that every year unites designers, buyers, influencers, and media professionals from across the globe. This season will feature more than 70 fashion shows. International participants include Miguel Llopis from Spain, Limak by Kamil from Sri Lanka, The Black Crown Label from the UK, a joint fashion show by Gökhan Yavaş and Murat Aytulum from Türkiye, as well as leading Russian brands Gapanovich, Masterpeace, Victoria Andreyanova and Vereja, alongside other prominent international names.
The Middle East is now one of the world’s most dynamic fashion retail markets, with the Gulf countries alone accounting for around $50 billion in annual fashion sales. At the same time, the region’s young, highly digital-savvy audience is increasingly drawn to brands with a strong local identity – and it is precisely these independent designers from different countries that Moscow Fashion Week helps nurture and bring to the international stage, introducing dozens of new standout names every season.
“More designers across the Middle East are thinking globally from the very beginning. They are creating collections that can compete internationally while staying true to their cultural identity. The challenge is rarely creativity or talent. It’s access to international buyers, media, investors, manufacturing partners, and global distribution networks,” says Shirene Rifai, Founder and CEO of Jordan Fashion Week, who will return to Moscow this autumn. According to her, this is exactly the role played by international events such as those held in Moscow: “This is where initiatives like Moscow Fashion Week play an important role. They provide designers with international exposure, valuable industry connections, media visibility, and opportunities to build relationships that can lead to long-term collaborations and new markets.”
Susan Sabet, Board Member and Secretary General of Egyptian Fashion and Design Council and a member of the prestigious BoF 500, shares this view: “Once ready to scale for export, participation at Moscow Fashion Week is a great opportunity as it opens access to one of Eurasia’s largest consumer markets and network of buyers, industry professionals and media. As established fashion markets become increasingly competitive, emerging fashion weeks provide an important gateway to new audiences and future growth.”
Moscow Fashion Week’s program traditionally extends beyond the runway, offering a range of participation formats. More than 100 emerging brands present their collections at the Pop-Up Shop, showcasing streetwear, everyday and evening collections. The schedule is also complemented by an international festival of fashion short films, where directors and brands from Argentina, Brazil, Russia, the United States, the Philippines, and other countries showcase their work.
The same days in Moscow will also see another major fashion event: from September 28 to 30, BRICS+ Fashion Summit, a business forum for the fashion industries of fast-growing economies, will take place. Its participants – manufacturers, retailers, investors, designers and heads of professional associations – will discuss how to take brands into new markets, where consumers and capital are heading, and what AI can bring to the industry. The MENA region will be represented at the forum by Shirene Rifai, Susan Sabet, Hind Joudar, Founder and CEO of Morocco Fashion Week, and others. Together, Moscow Fashion Week and BRICS+ Fashion Summit give the fashion industries of the Middle East direct access to new markets across Asia, Africa and Latin America.