Experts from Africa, Asia, Europe and South America discussed the use of artificial intelligence in the creative process, investment in the creative industries, the role of fashion in positioning cities, the prospects for production technologies, changing consumer behavior and value-based marketing across 11 sessions. Separate discussions explored Russia’s cultural heritage, high-tech materials, local brand scouting and other areas shaping the industry’s development.
 
Fashion as a Symbolic Capital
The first day’s plenary session, “Fashion as a City’s Symbolic Capital,” explored how the fashion industry contributes to the development and international positioning of cities. Experts concluded that symbolic capital is shaped by an entire ecosystem in which local materials and cultural heritage, designers, retail and cultural spaces, and the urban environment interact. At the same time, fashion can address both economic and image-building objectives, translating the cultural identity of a city and country into a contemporary language and communicating it to audiences abroad.
“We want Moscow to become a meeting place where designers from around the world can come together and exchange experience. Today, urban infrastructure is becoming an important part of this process: shows are held in museums and open-air city venues, while fashion itself is becoming integrated into the capital’s cultural and social life. For the city, it is both a tool for developing the industry and part of the events economy,” said Aizel Trudel, entrepreneur and trustee of the Fashion Fund.
 
“My main task as a designer representing Russia and Moscow to the world is to show not only Russian style and kokoshniks, but also the dynamism of the city, to reflect the cultural identity and language of our multifaceted country,” explained Irena Soprano, founder and designer of Solangel, who created a dress for Miranda Priestly’s character in The Devil Wears Prada 2.
 
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Artificial Intelligence and Human Creativity
 
Artificial intelligence was one of the central themes of the first day. At the session “Artificial Intelligence in the Creative Process: Tool, or Co-Author?”, speakers agreed that the technology can help with research, prototyping and accelerating individual stages of development, but does not replace human vision, experience, taste or professional judgement.
 
“AI can help in the design process, but it cannot understand how a model feels or whether an embroidery belongs in a particular place. AI is more of an assistant because it has no emotions, feelings or experience, and the final decision always remains with the person,” said Kanika Goyal, founder and creative director of KGL (India).
 
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The session “Facing the Future. Is the Fashion Industry Ready for Global Transformation?” explored how technology, consumer experience and the very structure of the fashion industry are changing simultaneously. Speakers agreed that technology is expanding the opportunities available to brands, allowing smaller companies, among other things, to work with analytics, promotion and digital channels without large teams. At the same time, algorithms do not replace identity or creative decision-making, while recommendations can not only broaden choice but also narrow it when they are based exclusively on a user’s established preferences.
“Artificial intelligence is a very powerful tool, but we need to be careful about how we use it. If everyone ultimately uses the same method, we risk losing the identity and soul of brands,” said Sergio Puig, Director of the Mediterranea Fashion Week Valencia (Spain).
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Particular attention on the first day was given to how digital technologies are changing the customer journey itself. At “Smart Shopping. How Brands Can Navigate the Revolution in Consumer Behavior”, experts concluded that technology is shifting shopping from searching for individual products towards personalised scenarios in which recommendations, content and purchasing are brought together in a single user experience. At the same time, the effectiveness of a digital tool depends not on the technology itself, but on how precisely it addresses a particular consumer need.
“The consumer journey in fashion e-commerce is becoming increasingly digital, while content is turning into one of the key tools in product selection. Shoppers often come to a platform without a clear understanding of what exactly they want to buy, so the brand’s task is to help them define their need and offer a suitable solution,” said Huu Nguyen Canh, Head of Fashion at the Vietnam Design Association.
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Investment and the Sustainability of Fashion Businesses
The economic side of the industry’s transformation was the focus of “Investments in the Creative Industries. Can Fashion Compete with Startups?” The discussion highlighted that the investment appeal of a fashion project depends not only on the strength of its idea and creativity, but also on having a viable business model capable of generating revenue and maintaining customer interest over the long term. At the same time, the specifics of fashion require consideration of characteristics that are more difficult to capture through standard financial metrics.
According to Ilya Nafeev, CEO of Dva Myacha, fashion projects develop most successfully when they attract investors who clearly understand the specifics of the industry.
Another challenge was highlighted by Javiera Granja, General Coordinator of Nicaragua Diseña, a platform established 15 years ago with the support of the Nicaraguan government to develop the country’s local fashion, art and design industries and promote them in international markets: “To attract investment to the fashion industry, it is important not only to have talent and creativity, but also strategic planning that allows existing resources to be brought together.”
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A New Production Reality
Another area of discussion was the technological transformation of production. At the session “Manufacturing Technologies. What Will Change in the Next 5 Years?”, participants concluded that the main changes will be driven by the digitalisation of data, logistics and production processes, as well as the development of new technical skills. At the same time, automation does not exclude completely human labour: the specific characteristics of materials and production operations continue to make professional expertise essential.
“After the COVID-19 pandemic, customer demands accelerated dramatically. Thanks to AI and process automation, end-to-end delivery times have been reduced from six months to one month, and in some cases to two weeks. But despite the major technological leap, not much will change in the production base over the next five years. Fabrics and materials used in the fashion industry are highly specific and are still poorly suited to robotic production,” said Cem Altan, member of the Executive Committee of the International Apparel Federation (Turkey).
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The technological shift affects not only production methods but the materials themselves. The session “High-Tech Materials. Can Pragmatism Be Emotionally Appealing?” focused on new fabrics and fibres, synthetic materials and other technological solutions. Experts stressed that technological sophistication alone does not guarantee a material’s market appeal: for an innovation to reach the market, it needs to combine functionality, emotional appeal, design and economic efficiency.
An important factor is also a material’s ability to create a new consumer experience through its tactile properties, appearance, scent, sustainability or additional functions. “Emotion comes into play – the desire to own this material, to feel part of these trends,” explained Tatyana Malofeeva, Marketing Director at Bioteks.
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Values as Part of the Product
Another aspect of the relationship between brands and their audiences was discussed at “Value-Based Marketing. What Does Your Customer Believe In?” The session explored how companies can build communications around values without reducing them to formal manifestos, and how to balance brand identity, audience expectations and the cultural context of different markets. Speakers noted that values become part of a brand when they are expressed through the product itself, its accessibility, how it is made and sold, the emotions it evokes in consumers and the direct experience of interacting with the brand.
“There are so many contrived philosophies around us that have nothing to do with the brand itself or what it sells. Marketing is not always what you need to focus on first,” said Anfisa Khamitsevich, founder of Anfi.
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International expansion for local labels and the search for new designer talent were the focus of “Scouting Local Brands. Risks and Opportunities.” Experts discussed how the role of buyers is changing as the global fashion market becomes increasingly fragmented, and what tools can help local brands enter new markets. “Customers today are more focused on the product, not the price and not the brand. The race for brands is over,” said Konstantin Andrikopoulos, Commercial Director at BOSCO.
The discussion centred on professional visual literacy, consumer knowledge and analytics, as well as the need for infrastructure that enables designers to interact directly with buyers.
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Fashion as Cultural Memory
The relationship between fashion and cultural memory was at the heart of “Fashion as a Museum Artifact. What Do Leading Museums Select and Preserve?” The session explored the criteria museums use when selecting objects, the roles of designers, museums and private collectors, and the ability of fashion exhibitions to attract new audiences. Speakers concluded that an item’s museum value is determined not only by its artistic qualities, but also by its history, cultural context and conscious preservation.
“Fashion collections today are one of the main reasons why younger generations come to museums. Museums not only preserve our memory, but also help us make sense of our time and build a history,” said Thalyta Gomes Ferraz, Senior Advisor for Institutional Relations at the Brazilian Fashion Council.
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Concluding the cultural program of the first day, participants in “In Search of Inspiration: Russia’s 19th and 20th Century Cultural Heritage” discussed how historical heritage can be approached in contemporary fashion without reducing it to direct quotation or commercial merchandise. The focus was on reinterpreting historical codes, studying archives and art, and combining cultural identity with contemporary technologies and market demands.
“Today, audiences see everything associated with the 19th century as mere dust. If it is not reinterpreted, it will remain in a museum. But it is important to understand how to do this: the mediator between the past and the future must itself be talented,” said Elena Shanovich, Director of Brand Management at National Media Group.
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The first day of the Summit was marked not only by the Business Program but also by the opening of the “Khokhloma × Russian Designers” exhibition in the Zaryadye Concert Hall. The exhibition explores one of Russia’s most recognisable traditional arts and crafts and forms part of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit program dedicated, among other things, to cultural heritage and new ways of presenting it. The exhibition will be open in the Zaryadye Concert Hall throughout all three days of the Summit – September 28, 29 and 30. Visitors can explore the brand’s products and purchase items they like.
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The BRICS+ Fashion Summit is taking place alongside Moscow Fashion Week (September 26–October 1, Central Exhibition Hall ⁠'Manege'). Admission to all events is free, with advance registration required.
Strategic partner of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit is Sber.
 
General partner of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit is Wildberries.
 
Technology partner of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit is GigaChat neural network.
 
More content from the BRICS+ Fashion Summit is available on the event’s official Wibes account and under the hashtag #BRICSFashionSummit.
 
The event’s official photography service is the Rodchenko Moscow School of Photography and Multimedia.