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Fashion industry experts, distributors, editors and photographers from 15 countries attended the shows of the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, held at the Apollo Gallery and Millenáris between September 1 and 7.
More than seventy Hungarian and thirty Central European designers presented their spring-summer 2026 collections to the audience of the 16th Budapest Central European Fashion Week (BCEFW), the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (MMDÜ) told MTI on Tuesday.
Fashion industry experts, distributors, and editors and photographers from renowned fashion and lifestyle magazines from fifteen countries attended the shows held at the Apollo Gallery and Millenáris between September 1 and 7. Approximately 7,000 visitors were also able to participate in more than 50 accompanying events throughout Budapest.
Young talents at Budapest Central European Fashion Week
A special feature of this season was that graduates of Budapest Metropolitan University held their diploma collection show at the National Museum, while students of Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design held theirs on the university campus as part of Fashion Week.
After the sold-out university shows, the collective and graduation collection shows of regional designers at the Apollo Gallery were followed by a joint show of the latest generation of Hungarian talents. The catwalk was framed by paintings by Áron Baráth, initiating a dialogue between fashion and contemporary art.
In addition to the leading brands of the Hungarian fashion scene, designers from Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic also took part in the weekend fashion shows held at Millenáris.
Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
The important role of the fashion industry
"Our primary goal is to provide an increasingly broad and colorful picture of the region's fashion world from season to season. In this way, we direct focused international attention to domestic players, which contributes to their increased visibility, the expansion of their business relationships, and the growth of their sales. The fashion industry is one of the most dynamically developing sectors of the Hungarian economy: in 2023, there were 7,420 mostly rural SMEs operating in the field of textile, clothing, leather, and leather product manufacturing, with 80 percent of the sector's revenue coming from exports. Supporting the creative industry therefore represents an investment in jobs, exports, and the country's image," said Zsófia Jakab, Ministerial Commissioner for Creative Industry Development and Sector Coordination and CEO of MDDÜ, in the announcement.
She added that it is particularly important that Dora Fung, editor-in-chief of 10Magazine USA, has joined the BCEFW's international advisory board this year, which will further strengthen professional standards and international visibility.
Networking and sustainability
Fashion Week not only presents the collections of prominent designers to visitors and industry professionals, but also serves as a meeting place where fashion enthusiasts and industry players can meet and network through a variety of venues and programs. Celebrities also appeared on the catwalk: Evelin Nagy attended several shows on Saturday, Barbara Somossy walked the runway in Merő clothing, and Csinszka opened the Borbala show as a singer. The Unreal Industries collection was presented by boxers, the NUBU show was made exciting by 14 dancers from the Szeged Contemporary Ballet, and Katti Zoób's show featured special guests Krisztina Maróy, editor-in-chief, Gábor Módos, photographer, and numerous models, including Enikő Sütő, Adrienn Mahelszki, Eszter Csákvári-Sarnyai, Adrienn Nádor, Ági Aipli, Szilvia Strich, and Mari Háfra.
One of the strategic goals of MDDÜ is to strengthen the prestige of creative industries, which was also emphasized at BCEFW. Thanks to collaborations with universities and vocational training institutions, more than 30 educational institutions and nearly 250 students and representatives were able to attend the presentations this year, gaining first-hand experience of how the creative industry works.
Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
Sustainability played an important role again this season. Several events in the program drew attention to issues of environmental awareness and recycling in the industry, such as the shoe and textile collection container set up in collaboration with MOHU Mol Waste Management Ltd. and Millenáris, which was completely filled on site.
In addition to the programs for the public, a number of fashion industry events took place during these days, focusing on knowledge transfer and industry dialogue. At the Fashion Hub held at the National Dance Theatre, Ryan Thomas Roth, a leading figure in the international beauty industry, talked about the connections between personal stories and global trends, while models Evelyn Nagy, models Márta Varr and Laura Tóth talked about their careers, and perfumer Zsolt Zólyomi gave a presentation on the art of fragrances. In the experience area, the audience could see presentations by eight designers, along with the offerings of Hungarian accessory and beauty brands.
Source: MTI.hu
Photos: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
