Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia relocates across new Venues

Online live streaming videos from four Russian cities will accompany shows from the country’s capital. Over 60 designers and fashion houses will show their new collections, and all the shows and presentations will be livestreamed through social media and via partner websites.

The October season of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia will proceed as planned between October, 19 and 23 at 8 Moscow-based venues simultaneously.

Due to the current safety measures implemented in the Russian capital, the organizing committee of the fashion week has decided to relocate this season’s shows from the traditional space of the Manege near the Red Square over to independent venues, focusing on live streaming to ensure the safety of the viewing audience. “Our objective is to prevent crowding and comply with every letter of the sanitary guidelines introduced because of the coronavirus infection spreading. Today, safety of our participants and guests is our number one priority. At some venues, we’re going to manage the process so not to change the spirit and efficiency of the event by the glove-mask mode,” says Alexander Shumsky, President of Russian Fashion Council and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia.

The upcoming season is going to be unique, with the MBFW Russia schedule including livestreamed shows from different cities and countries. This time, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia will include special shows by Russian designers, live from St. Petersburg, Sochi, Krasnodar, and Yakutsk. Moreover, a joint partner show by Indonesian designers livestreamed from Jakarta will take place during the event. Other streams on the schedule include fashion houses from Argentina, Peru, UK and USA.
Presentations of the new collections will be available for viewers from all over the world at various online platforms and media websites, as well as at VK – the major social network for Russia and CIS.

To support emerging talents during the pandemic and economic downturn, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia together with Fashion Fund have started a large-scale grant program focused on Russian designers. From over 50 entries to receive the grant, the Advisory board has chosen 13 grant recipients, and designers from Moscow and other Russian cities will be able to present their shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia without an entry fee.

The live portion of the Fashion Week will also be attended by designers from foreign countries – Chain (Argentina), Vivi Zubedi, Defika Hanum X Pala Nusantara/Shoes by UJ Yuna, Roemah Kebaya Vielga, Thiffa Qaisty, Agung Bali Collection X Bahalap, Adhy Alie (Indonesia); Annaiss Yucra (Peru); Linus Leonardsson x The Guestlist (UK), Chelsea Grays (USA) and many others.

With the new era of fashion weeks presenting new challenges, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia team continues to conquer the digital space, adapting many fashion collections to this new, accessible format. For the new season, the UK-based B2B digital platform BrandLab Fashion has crafted a virtual version of the traditional Pop-Up Shop showroom. Without leaving their home, visitors will be able to take an interactive 3D-tour and explore in full detail the collections presented by 16 Russian brands, as well as purchase garments and accessories directly from the designers. The virtual showroom, which will open along with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia on October 19, will include such brands as Amarin, Ola Ola, Maison Esve, Ría Studio, Not for sale, Leather Like Wood, Gerda 2 store, Dzhanelli Jewellery, Rcp4.5, General VI, Two Eagles, Lubovi, Blanc, Brevno, Vakproject and Yana Besfamilnaya.