Hungarian brands can debut at a prestigious venue in Milan

The strategic agreement between the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) and the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA) concluded in 2018 has reached a new level. The Budapest Select collective fashion show now leaves the safe space of the Fashion Hub building; in addition, the audience can meet the Hungarian designers, debuting under the umbrella brand, twice in the February Milano Fashion Week’s official programme. Three brands, UNREAL INDUSTRIES, PINETIME CLOTHING, and ZSIGMOND will appear in the CNMI’s Fashion Hub in a presentation format. And on the catwalk, four Hungarian fashion designers – ABODI, CUKOVY, KATA SZEGEDI and THEFOUR – will exhibit their newest collections to the audience in the prestigious Scuola Militare Teulié’s historical building in a collective fashion show.

The strategic partnership signed in 2018 with the CNMI, then extended for another three years in 2021, aims to facilitate Hungarian fashion designers’ entrance to the international scene. A key part of the joint international mentoring programme is participation in the Milano Fashion Week, where the chosen mentees can debut in front of the international audience for the 9^th time between the 21^st and the 27^th of February 2023.

This year, Hungarian brands have reached an important milestone; this is the first time they will appear outside the Fashion Hub’s venue providing a safe space in the previous seasons. ABODI, CUKOVY, KATA SZEGEDI and THEFOUR will present their 2023/34 autumn-winter collections on Thursday, the 23^rd of February 2023, on the runway installed in the historical building of the Scuola Militare Teulié. The independent venue’s prestige strengthens the professional development of the mentored brands that are mature enough for the international market as well as proves the interest growing year by year around the Budapest Select umbrella brand at the Italian fashion week.

As part of the mentoring programme, other brands received an opportunity to display their newest pieces at the Italian fashion week in the form of a presentation. UNREAL INDUSTRIES, PINETIME CLOTHING, and ZSIGMOND will unveil their new collections on the 21^st of February 2023, in the Fashion Hub among the walls of the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti in Milan.

The collective and individual presentations will provide a possibility for the cream of the fashion world, editors, and buyers, to get to know the mentees’ works first-hand, who are appearing at the Italian fashion week under the Budapest Select umbrella brand again. The brand was created by the HFDA to consciously help domestic brands’ foreign expansion thus ensuring that designers can profit from the more unified communication created for the market while retaining their individual characteristics at similar international events. The interest in Budapest Select, which is felt from the very beginning, is growing year by year at prestigious events, boosted by strategic partnerships. The international appearances increase the national brand-building force of the fashion and creative industry while providing a significant competitive edge for brands which is seen in sales incentivisation as well.

During the international mentoring programme of the CNMI and the HFDA, designers can gain niche knowledge in product development, brand building, communication and management, which will help them to display their pieces in foreign showrooms as well by the end of the course.

You can watch the Milano Fashion Week’s events live on the CNMI’s website at this link.