The 10th jubilee BCEFW was a success with almost 4 000 visitors

Over 2 000 people visited the central event of the Budapest Central European Fashion Week (BCEFW), celebrating its 10th jubilee this autumn, organised by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA) in the Museum of Fine Arts, where the fashion trends of the following spring/summer were displayed among impressive artworks. Altogether, 24 brands displayed their newest pieces on the runway. Besides Hungarians, two Polish and seven Ukrainian designers were represented at the Budapest fashion week. The stylistic panorama was very diverse; the audience saw collections from classic styles to streetwear brands, and almost 30 side events brightened the Budapest fashion scene all around the city, so overall, the event series hosted nearly 4 000 visitors. 

Fashion enthusiasts and fashion industry professionals could participate in almost 30 side events between the 29th of August and the 4th of September during the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, including roundtable discussions, workshops, fashion shows, and even a yoga class, and designers even offered unique discounts in their showrooms. The cherry on top of the one-week long, rich programme series was the weekend: more than 2 000 visitors lined up in front of the Museum of Fine Arts to take a look at the newest spring/summer trends. 

The BCEFW’s most awaited programme point each season is the two-day fashion show series, organised by a staff of almost 600 people this year. The picture was quite mixed: some designers imagined spring with traditional floral patterns and lively colours, and others already celebrated summer with models inspired by travels to the East. Elegant pieces were not lacking either; the audience could admire sequined suits and satin evening gowns. A vast interest surrounded the Ukrainian shows; at the same time, Polish designers also had great success. In the museum’s Renaissance hall, the visitors had the opportunity to purchase exhibited pieces by accessory designers between the shows.

Central Europe’s most prominent fashion muster attracted both Hungarian celebrities and foreign experts. Among the latter, editors of the Italian L’OFFICIEL, the British Forbes, the New York-based The Cut, and the Ukrainian VOGUE are worth mentioning. In the front row of the fashion shows sat such international influencers as the Indian Farhana Bodi or the French stylist who dresses world-famous celebrities, Loicka Grace. The event was realised before the big fashion weeks again, on purpose, so organisers welcomed buyers of the largest distributors among the guests, who viewed the collections, including Ukrainian brands’ newest models, as a result of the Ukrainian-Hungarian collaboration while still having their whole purchasing budgets.

“The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency joined the Support Ukrainian Fashion initiative created for helping Ukrainian designers. We have been partners with the organisers of the Kyiv fashion week for several years, and this year, they are celebrating an important anniversary: they have been organising the event in the Ukrainian capital for 25 years. But the Ukrainian fashion week is cancelled this year due to the war, so we offered Budapest as a venue to present the newest Ukrainian collections ahead of several other European fashion weeks,” – said Anita Forintos-Szűcs, Deputy CEO of the HFDA, about the cooperation.

The event’s online audience was also significant; those interested could watch the catwalk shows live on the Agency’s Facebook and TikTok platforms, the latter’s most viewed show attracted over 66 000 people to their mobile screens. BCEFW’s social media content reached over 600 000 users in two days.

One of the strategic goals of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency, which is four years old this year, is to turn Budapest into the region’s fashion capital as well as an attractive destination for travellers interested in fashion and design who specifically look for products from the Hungarian creative industries. An essential tool is the BCEFW, held for the 10th time this autumn, which has been supporting the increase of Hungarian and regional designers’ sales and visibility for ten seasons now. 

Besides the promotional and commercial aspects, the event served a good cause again this year; the HFDA offers the amount received from ticket sales, almost HUF 2.3 million, to the Hungarian Interchurch Aid, which will use the proceeds for their programme to help Ukrainians. 

The designers’ collections are now available on the BCEFW website!

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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, 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 fashion 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.

Budapest Central European Fashion Week

Since its foundation in 2018, the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency has organised the Budapest Central European Fashion Week twice a year, which counts as the main fashion event in the Central European region. For many years now, the event has been the number one meeting point between the broad audience, buyers, designers, influencers, and domestic and international media in the region. Hungarian fashion and design industry events increase the country’s tourist attraction and national economic growth, provide visibility for Hungarian brands, and may result in international orders. The Agency’s accentuated goal is to connect the Hungarian fashion and design industry to the global professional flow and, in the long run, turn Budapest into a regional centre, strengthening the country’s image.

Ukrainian Fashion Week

The Ukrainian Fashion Week was created in 1997 and is the first prêt-à-porter event in Central Europe. The UFW is held twice a year, at the beginning of February and the beginning of September, and is absolutely compliant with world standards for fashion weeks. In each season of the Ukrainian Fashion Week, 30–40 fashion shows are held and welcome about 12 000 guests; moreover, 150 Ukrainian and international press officers usually participate in the event. As an institution, its mission is to popularise Ukrainian designers all around the world.