The fourth edition of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit is scheduled to take place in Moscow from Sept. 28 to 30, bringing together fashion industry leaders from Africa and other fast-growing economies.
The summit is among the accredited BRICS events. Last year’s edition attracted more than 15,000 attendees and delegates from more than 60 countries, according to the supplied event information.
This year’s program will include a broad group of African fashion industry representatives, reflecting the continent’s growing participation in the summit and its focus on cooperation among emerging markets.
South Africa will be represented by Stephen Manzini, CEO of Soweto Fashion Week and the South African Fashion Association, and Colleen Eitzen, co-founder of retailer The Space.
Other African participants include Susan Sabet, board member and secretary general of the Egyptian Fashion & Design Council and a BoF 500 member; Mahlet Teklemariam, founder of Hub of Africa Fashion Week and a BoF 500 member; Hind Joudar, founder and CEO of Maroc Fashion Week; Nana Addo Tamakloe of Accra Fashion Week; Brian James Kihindas of the Kenya Fashion Council; Mmantlha Sankoloba, CEO of the Botswana Exporters and Manufacturers Association; Kalistu Ramos Mukoroli, director of MTC Windhoek Fashion Week; Tery Carola, CEO of Seychelles Fashion Week; and Dawson Deng, co-founder and executive director of South Sudan Fashion Week.
The three-day summit is expected to provide African brands and manufacturers with opportunities to discuss business cooperation, build industry connections and exchange experience with participants from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
For South African fashion businesses, the summit also offers potential export opportunities and access to markets in other fast-growing economies.
Some African participants have already pursued business and industry partnerships following previous editions. Botswana-based House of Ditso is discussing a possible expansion into the Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States markets, while MTC Windhoek Fashion Week is in talks with Moscow Fashion Week over a possible designer exchange program.
Kihindas, who is director of Nairobi Fashion Week and represents the Kenya Fashion Council, also hosted a meeting in Moscow that brought together fashion week organisers from East, West, Southern and North Africa.
The meeting was aimed at addressing the limited cooperation between fashion industries across the continent, where designers and industry organisations have often focused on developing markets within their own countries.
It also created an opportunity to discuss cross-border trade, designer mobility and greater cooperation among African fashion week organisers.
“In Moscow, inspired by the broader BRICS framework of multilateral cooperation, we made a collective decision: To build a unified umbrella body for African fashion week conveners. What started as a pivotal meeting in Moscow has evolved into an active, everyday network driven by our dedicated digital community hub: conveners regularly exchange insights on production standards, buyer acquisition, sponsor engagement, and event logistics suited for African markets,” Kihindas said.
Manzini, who has previously attended the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, is also returning to Moscow for this year’s edition.
“The BRICS+ Fashion Summit is a critical communication platform for emerging countries, especially for Africa. It provides a rare space where our voices, stories, and design philosophies are seen and respected on equal footing. For African creatives, it’s a gateway to connect with like-minded partners from the Global South, share our cultural richness, and position fashion as both a creative and economic force,” Manzini said.
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit will coincide with a new season of Moscow Fashion Week, scheduled for Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 in Moscow.
The Moscow Fashion Week program is expected to feature more than 70 runway shows involving brands from more than 10 countries, including Türkiye, Sri Lanka, Spain and China.
