Hungarian and polish designers present their newest collections at the Budapest Central European Fashion Week before the international fashion shows

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency organises the Budapest Central European Fashion Week again between the 31^st of January and the 6^th of February. This year, the Agency is preparing a really exclusive experience: it will present a limited selection of the newest collections of more than 30 Hungarian and polish designers at the BCEFW Pre-Fall Collection before the international fashion shows. This year’s three-day fashion show taking place at two venues will make it possible for the most significant buyers to see the next season’s pieces in Hungary first. During the fashion week, besides the fashion shows, numerous side events await those interested at different venues of Budapest. Furthermore, a unique virtual showroom will open its gates for those who prefer the digital shopping experience where they can buy contemporary designers’ seasonal pieces online during the event.

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency organises one of the Central European region’s most important fashion events, the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, twice a year. For the first time this year, it will be held before the fashion week season, between the 31^st of January and the 6^th of February 2022. The BCEFW provides an opportunity for 33 fashion brands to debut in front of Hungarian and international buyers, representatives of the fashion scene and the international media and those interested.

“We have made a strategic decision when we decided to organise the Budapest Central European Fashion Week nearly 1 month before the other international fashion shows. Our aim was to connect the Hungarian designers with the international fashion scene and to strenghten the international position of BCEFW. Thanks to the BCEFW Pre-Fall Collection shows, international buyers get to see the creations of the Hungarian and Polish designers already in the beginning of the season. This concept makes our sales objectives more reachable since buyers still have most of their budget. Altogether, 4000 guests visited BCEFW in autumn, from Europe, the Middle East, and America, just to mention a few. The designers had the chance to meet them personally, gaining important sales possibilities. This year, we are expecting a similarly diverse audience, which is an exceptional opportunity for the brands to gain cross-border popularity” – highlighted Zsófia Bata-Jakab, the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency’s CEO.

The catwalk shows presenting the 2022/23 autumn-winter collections can be viewed in the Royal Riding Hall building in Budapest on Friday and the Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday and Sunday. Each of the 19 Hungarian and two Polish designers will present ten looks. Moreover, the organisers pay special attention to diversity, inclusivity, and emphasising a positive body image.

During those days, the city of Budapest becomes a real fashion capital. In addition to the newest collections, international experts, buyers and press staff visiting Hungary can get to know two buildings of Hungary with a significant tourist attraction, and owing to the side events, the city centre of Budapest as well, which will offer almost 20 fashion-themed programmes for a whole week. As an accentuated side event, five Hungarian brands’ exhibitions can be viewed in Deák Palace on the Fashion Street, and seven in the Museum of Fine Arts, among which brands designing different accessories and jewellery. Besides the offline participation, you can follow the events and fashion shows online on BCEFW’s official Facebook page and TikTok channel.

The Agency offers further shopping experience in the digital world of the Metaverse with a virtually built-up showroom, where you can buy Hungarian designers’ seasonal pieces directly with only one click on the Budapest Select Concept Store website. From now on, creations will be available in the form of NFTs as well, which facilitates the virtual sales of designers’ works.

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency, regarding its communication and domestic events, aspires to make customers choose Hungarian designer products in the spirit of consciousness. Sustainability appears profoundly in the programmes of BCEFW as well, where more and more fashion brands use zero waste, patchwork, and other environmentally friendly methods for an ethical operation. As of last year, the Agency is once again offering the profit of ticket sales to the Hungarian Interchurch Aid to help those in need. Last year this amount was 2 million HUF.

As the industry’s collective advocacy and representative organisation, by regularly realising the BCEFW, the HFDA creates a platform for Hungarian and regional designers to show their collections and attract the attention of the profession and the press to Hungarian and Central European talents. In the long run, the event will facilitate Budapest becoming a regional fashion industry centre, which is one of the Agency’s primary goals.

You can find further information about the programmes on BCEFW’s website: https://bcefw.com/

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About the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency was established in 2018 with the goal of providing efficient and structured support to all players in the fashion and design industry along predefined strategic pillars, namely, professional coordination, improving the availability and commercial opportunities of Hungarian products, education development and production development. In order to achieve these objectives, the agency organises national events every year, such as the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, the region's key fashion event, and the international award-winning 360 Design Budapest exhibition. It also provides opportunities for Hungarian designers to exhibit and showcase their work at professional events abroad, such as Milan Fashion Week and the Maison&Objet design fair. The agency’s priorities include strategic cooperation with professional organisations, increasing exports and supporting the professional development of domestic brands through mentoring programmes.

Budapest Central European Fashion Week

Since its creation in 2018, the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency has been organising the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, the region's biggest fashion event, twice a year. For several years, this event has been the number one meeting point in the region for the general public, buyers, designers, influencers as well as domestic and international media. Hungarian fashion and design events contribute to increasing the tourist appeal and to the growth of the national economy of Hungary, provide visibility for Hungarian brands, and can also result in international orders. The agency’s main goal is to integrate the Hungarian fashion and design industry into the international professional network, and in the long run to transform Budapest into a regional centre, thereby strengthening the country's image.