Hungarian designers made a hit at the Milano Fashion Week for the ninth time

After the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, Hungarian designers proved their worth in Italy as well; this time, seven brands got the opportunity to present their 2023/24 collections at the Milano Fashion Week. The participants of the joint mentoring programme of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA) and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) debuted at different locations. Renowned representatives of the international profession and the press also appeared at the event considered among the four biggest fashion weeks so Hungarian brands had an exclusive opportunity to enter the international markets.

The participants of the joint international mentoring programme of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA) and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) – ABODI, CUKOVY, KATA SZEGEDI, UNREAL INDUSTRIES, PINETIME CLOTHING, THEFOUR and ZSIGMOND – presented the pieces of their 2023/24 autumn-winter collections between the 21^st and the 27^th of February at the Milan Fashion Week. 

“It was a great opportunity that Hungarian designers could introduce themselves for the ninth time in front of an international broad audience at the Milano Fashion Week. We are proud that interest in Hungarian fashion’s diversity and creativity increases season by season. The international recognition is proven by the fact that the Budapest Select collective show was placed in an imposing location, one of the most frequented venues of the fashion week, where the most famous brands such as Armani or Moschino have also presented.”– emphasised Anita Forintos-Szűcs. The HFDA’s Deputy General Managing Director added: “Owing to the event, Hungarian brands gained intensive visibility again which helps their sales incentivisation, building networks, and, as for long-term goals, contributes to connecting the domestic fashion industry to the international flow.”

As part of the mentoring programme, UNREAL INDUSTRIES, PINETIME CLOTHING, and ZSIGMOND presented their new collections among the walls of the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, on the 21^st of February 2023, in the Fashion Hub, which focused on supporting emerging brands and designers throughout the fashion week. ABODI, CUKOVY, KATA SZEGEDI and THE FOUR unveiled their newest collections on the 23^rd of February 2023 as part of the Budapest Select collective fashion show at one of the accentuated venues of the Milano Fashion Week. This year, the international mentoring programme has reached an important milestone; it was the first time domestic designers’ fashion shows appeared outside the Fashion Hub’s venue providing a safe space in the previous seasons. 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 attention growing year by year around the Budapest Select umbrella brand at the Italian fashion week.

The interest in Hungarian brands was shown at different venues of the Milan Fashion Week. Numerous buyers, including Tessabit and the Sapzio 38 showroom, visited the Fashion Hub and the Budapest Select collective fashion show as well, with 400 people visiting the latter on-site, but those interested could also watch the CNMI’s live online broadcast. The fashion journalists of Vogue International, Vanity Fair, and Elle Italia, and Sara Maino, founder and leader of Vogue Talents also viewed the show. Carlo Capasa, the President of CNMI, examined the domestically designed pieces in the backstage as well. Thus, the Hungarian performances were positively received by the international public, with much appreciative feedback for our country's talents from both expert participants and the international press.

“We see how intensively international appearances develop domestic fashion designers’ work season by season. Brands do not only get inspiration and professional feedback but these events also have a serious sales incentivising role as well. The Italian fashion week and similar international appearances contribute to strengthening Hungary’s regional fashion industry position and building the country’s image.” – underlined Zsófia Jakab, the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency’s CEO, on the strategic role of debuting in Milan.

At the Milano Fashion Week, the Hungarian brands marched under the HFDA’s Budapest Select umbrella brand again. With the unified appearance, the Agency aims to offer a more intensive total effect to the Hungarian products, so that they will leave a stronger impression on professionals visiting the event. The Budapest Select umbrella brand proved its worth again, just like in the last seasons: it made designers’ works easily identifiable and attractive by emphasising the strengths of Hungarian contemporary fashion.

About the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency was founded in 2018 to support every actor in the fashion and design industry in an efficient and structured way, following predetermined strategic pillars: professional coordination, enhancing Hungarian brands’ availability and trade opportunities, educational development and manufacturing development. To realise its goals, the HFDA organises domestic events each year, such as the region’s major fashion event, the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, or the 360 Design Budapest exhibition, which has received international awards. Besides, they provide Hungarian creators opportunities for participation and debuting at international professional events such as the Milano Fashion Week. Strategic cooperation with professional organisations, increasing export, and supporting Hungarian brands’ professional development with mentoring programmes are among their accentuated goals.

Milano Fashion Week

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency acts as a coordinating centre for sharing information and knowledge, as well as for the exploration and realisation of opportunities for cooperation among the different players in the industry. An important part of its role in the industry is fashion diplomacy, which aims to develop professional relationships and strategic partnerships with fashion centres in other countries. The agency signed an agreement with the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana in 2018, which enables the Chamber of Italian Fashion to provide support for Hungarian fashion to evolve and enter the international market as a strategic partner. Under the parties' jointly launched International Mentoring Programme, a number of brands can debut at the Milan Fashion Week each season under the Budapest Select umbrella brand, created by the Agency, allowing designers to get more exposure through consistent communication while maintaining their own brand identity when presented abroad.