By Namrata Zakaria /Moscow
A major movement in the global fashion industry has just taken place that will find little mention in the western media. The BRICS+ Fashion Summit wrapped up in Moscow last week, where industry leaders from more than 50 countries signed a memorandum to form a new association that will fuel the world’s emerging economies.
BRICS International Fashion Federation is possibly the biggest move to shift the fashion industry’s centre of gravity from Europe and the US to the faster developing newer markets. This would promote more international cooperation, include new economies, increase efficiency, create new opportunities, improve sustainability and allow for a more global perspective in the fashion and retail business. The memorandum on the creation of the BRICS International Fashion Federation was signed in Moscow by the heads of fashion weeks, CEOs of fashion and textile associations, heads of educational institutions from India, South Africa, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ghana, Tanzania, Jordan and several other countries. The BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and, since 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The signing followed the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, which took place in Moscow from October 3 to 5, and was attended by over 100 countries.
Says Sunil Sethi, chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India: “The fashion industry is mainly led by a handful of global brands, so it is necessary that the emerging markets have a platform to raise their voice. The call for such an alliance is long overdue. Brands, designers and fashion markets face common challenges―from supply chain disruptions to environmental concerns―that can be addressed more effectively through joint action.”
BRICS+ markets, especially India and China, have long played key roles in the global textile and garment industry, but have historically been treated either as suppliers of labour or new areas of profit generation. Seldom have their talent or ideas been incorporated into Euro- or US-centric fashion and trade. The vast participation in BRICS+ this year signalled the need for the world to update and diversify itself.
Fashion statement: Nitin Bal Chauhan’s show at the Moscow Fashion Week | Strajin Igor
A comparison by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2024 of the G7 and BRICS shows that GDP in the purchasing power of the two groups has already converged. For example, in 2007, the purchasing power of the G7 group was 37.4 per cent of the world’s GDP while that of BRICS was 23.4 per cent. In 2022, the G7 nations’ purchasing power stood at 30.3 per cent of the world’s GDP while that of the BRICS countries was already higher at 31.5 per cent.
This year’s IMF World Economic Outlook report (released in April), showcasing the Real GDP Growth Forecast of 2024 shows the G7 nations trailing, with the highest GDP among them belonging to the US at 2.7 per cent. In contrast, the GDP growth rate of several BRICS countries is higher than the US, including Egypt, Russia, Iran and the UAE. India’s is highest at 6.8 per cent and Ethiopia follows at 6.2 per cent.
The textile and fashion industry is a major branch of the global economy. Additionally, BRICS has taken a stronger grip on the energy markets since five new members joined the alliance. With Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the BRICS+ bloc accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global oil production and 30 per cent of this is natural gas. India and China are also major oil importers. This is important as it allows the BRICS+ nations to negotiate oil prices with the western countries better. Further, the trade turnover in the top five BRICS countries grew by 56 per cent between 2017 and 2022 to reach $422 billion. Western sanctions on Russia, for example, have redirected the country’s trade to India and China. When Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, Putin remarked that almost 90 per cent of Russia’s trade with China is done in rubles and yuan, leading to de-dollarisation as a global trend.
The BRICS-IFF strengthens and expands the network of fashion organisations worldwide. It promotes local talent, advocates environmental and cultural concerns, and facilitates information and education. Participating countries can access new technologies, preserve cultural identities and support traditional crafts.
“We are committed to providing these visionaries with a global platform and local events to ensure that their creative work is celebrated globally,” reads the official communique of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit. “Our goal is to promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices, striving to implement transparent methodologies that will significantly reduce the fashion industry’s carbon footprint. Slow fashion, characterised by mindful consumption and production, will be at the heart of the BRICS-IFF agenda as we strive to reduce the environmental impact of fashion.”
The fashion summit led to the Moscow Fashion Week, which saw the participation of several designers from the BRICS+ countries like Nitin Bal Chauhan from India, Maison Revolta from Brazil, Kensun from China, Angelo Estera from the UAE, and Eve Valverde from Costa Rica.
“This gave me a chance to work with a great production team,” Chauhan tells us. “All the talent, from hair and makeup to choreographers, photographers, models and lighting engineers are world class. We also received more than 300 requests from fashion bloggers, models, stylists, enthusiasts and clients to attend the show. It is assuring to find customers who get our vibe. Like every fashion marker globally, it is essential to be consistent and show collections for a few seasons in order to create awareness among buyers and develop a fan base. We have met a few buyers and are looking forward to closing in on some stores in the coming season.”
Among the business discussions at the summit were topics of great relevance such as ‘Fashion as Cultural Diplomacy’, ‘Creative Capital: The Role of Creative Industries in Regional Economic Development’, ‘Retail Transformations: From Clothing Stores to Cultural Spaces’, and ‘Cloud Wardrobe’. During the session on ‘Fashion as Cultural Diplomacy’, Stephen Manzini, founder of Soweto Fashion Week, said: “It is crucial to establish a lasting presence in each other’s countries―this could take the form of a fashion exhibition or a multi-brand store. This would allow consumers to explore new brands, try on different styles, and engage with them directly. We want Russians to open stores in South Africa to promote their products in our market, while we will pursue similar opportunities in Russia.”
The ‘From Factory to Runway: Industry on Trend’ talk saw Akashdeep Singh, president of Indian Business Council in Russia, speak in fluent Russian of his two-country enterprise. As chairman and MD of Vulkan-A, he lives and works in both countries. “I want to restore faith in cooperation and mutual assistance for bilateral development. Russia and India have been historically friendly, it is time to pay attention to the huge potential of our cooperation,” he said. A big advocate of Indian textiles, he aims to teach Russia about India’s strengths. “Unfortunately, fast fashion has taken over Russian megacities, and the poorly developed light industry has made sewing clothes a pastime for the wealthy. In India, however, this has not lost its strength. For all important holidays, costumes are sewn individually, fabrics are given to each other as something necessary, which is commensurate with other household gifts that are familiar to us,” he said.
In the session on ‘Cloud Wardrobe’, French stylist and consultant Audrey Taillee remarked: “Trends are now so fluid and adapting. Fashion is not about trends anymore, it is about getting to know who you are selling to. In this manner, the trends of the west cannot apply to the entire world. Everyone is not wearing the same thing in different parts of the world. People now buy for the experience.” She also added that AI could never replace a creative soul. “AI can make your life faster, but it cannot replace a designer,” she said. “Fashion is about sensitivity, about the human soul. AI cannot give you a [Steve] McQueen. What it does that is of great importance is that it aids in e-commerce, and makes the world an open market. It gives opportunities to less visible designers. Technology makes the world a smaller place. But fashion is a human experience, it is pain and it is happiness.”