Moscow hosts the Russian Creative Week, where leaders across cinema, media, advertising, animation and fashion share insights and explore new opportunities, including the law of creative entrepreneurship. This event highlights what matters most for a successful fashion brand when designing a government-supported program.
Logistics disruptions and fluctuating exchange rates now intersect with digital realities, as metaverses come alive and AI-generated collections take shape. A natural question arises: are physical fashion shows still essential when countless avenues exist for virtual expression and presentation?
Over the past three years, the brand Alena Akhmadullina has explored nearly every digital channel to engage its audience. It released several digital clothing capsules and introduced its own avatar, staged a virtual show to mark the brand’s twentieth anniversary, and continued to rely on traditional tools such as logbooks and photo shoots. Yet the most powerful results in terms of image, positioning and sales emerged from a Moscow Fashion Week show staged at the Zaryadye Park set. Friends and customers consistently describe it as the best show in years, and the designer agrees. The show proved to be the strongest instrument for advancing the brand, though this outcome aligns with long-standing experience for the team.
In the designer’s view, the runway remains one of the most critical tools for any label, the pinnacle of the collection process aligned with the brand’s schedule and operations.
The fashion show is the “language of fashion”: it conveys the collection concept and the brand identity through the chosen venue, scenery, direction, lighting, music, cast, and even seating. Every detail matters. In a 15- to 20-minute window, the aim is not only to present a handful of looks but to propel the brand forward, reaching audiences beyond those who will see the photos and videos later. The show invites observers into a private world and makes a lasting impression on attendees who experience the event in person or through live broadcasts.
During the post-quarantine period, questions surfaced about the necessity of live presentations since digital platforms proved capable of showcasing collections online. Advocates of digital fashion, including industry figures like Amber Slooten of The Fabricant, emphasize environmental considerations and the reduction of travel between fashion weeks. While acknowledging environmental concerns, many industry players argue that the essence of the fashion experience remains tied to offline magic: the energy of a full hall, the movement of fabric to the rhythm of music, the interplay of light and shadow, and the anticipatory thrill before the debut. These sensations translate to audiences far beyond the front row and help smaller brands compete with established luxury houses on an emotionally charged stage.
Beyond spectacle, fashion weeks and similar showcases perform a unifying function for the industry. They bring together designers, buyers, editors, stylists, influencers, brand owners, investors, and customers. In this dynamic exchange of energy, fashion’s magic takes shape, energizing everyone who works in the field.
The perspective shared reflects a personal view aligned with ongoing industry discourse and may differ from other editorial positions.