Fashion is increasingly becoming more than what we wear. Across Africa, it is becoming a vehicle for cultural storytelling, entrepreneurship, international trade and a new generation of creative collaboration.
That conversation moves to Moscow this month as the BRICS+ Fashion Summit returns from 28–30 September 2026, bringing fashion leaders from Africa together with industry players from fast-growing economies across Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
For South Africa, the Summit puts local fashion business firmly into a broader Global South conversation.
From Soweto to Moscow
South Africa will be represented by Stephen Manzini, CEO of Soweto Fashion Week and the South African Fashion Association, alongside Colleen Eitzen, co-founder of major retailer The Space.
Their participation is significant because the conversation is not simply about putting African designers on an international runway. It is about what happens after the spotlight moves on: trade, distribution, partnerships, investment and access to new markets.
For a South African fashion industry navigating a competitive local market, those connections could prove particularly meaningful.
Manzini describes the Summit as a communication platform where African creatives can share their stories and design philosophies while connecting with partners across the Global South.
Building an African fashion network
One of the most interesting developments linked to the Summit is happening beyond the runway.
Fashion leaders from across Africa have increasingly recognised that the continent’s fashion weeks have often operated independently, limiting opportunities for designer exchanges, cross-border business and shared industry resources.
A meeting hosted by Kenya Fashion Council and Nairobi Fashion Week Director Brian James Kihindas brought fashion-week organisers from East, West, Southern and North Africa around the same table.
That conversation has since evolved into an active network focused on practical issues including production standards, attracting buyers, sponsorship and event logistics suited to African markets.
The bigger idea is simple: African fashion does not necessarily need to compete market by market when collaboration could create greater collective reach.
Turning creativity into business
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit also highlights fashion’s economic potential.
Previous African participation has already opened conversations around international expansion. Botswana-based House of Ditso is exploring a presence in Russia and the CIS markets, while MTC Windhoek Fashion Week is discussing a potential designer exchange programme with Moscow Fashion Week.
For South African businesses, these examples point towards an important shift: international fashion opportunities are not limited to luxury houses or established global labels.
Independent designers, retailers, fashion-week platforms and manufacturers can potentially use international networks to explore new customers and commercial relationships.
More than one week of fashion
The Summit takes place alongside Moscow Fashion Week, running from 26 September to 1 October 2026.
The programme is expected to feature more than 70 runway shows involving brands from more than ten countries, creating another platform for emerging fashion voices to connect with an international audience.
For African fashion, the bigger story is therefore not simply Moscow.
It is the possibility of building stronger bridges between African creative industries and markets beyond the continent—while keeping African identity, craftsmanship and business ambition at the centre of the conversation.
