3 Things We Learned When We Hit Fashion Week In Moscow

It’s always fashion week somewhere in the world...

It’s always fashion week somewhere in the world and for the latest instalment of the global style carousel Moscow played host to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia.

It was colder, kookier and a lot younger than the big four fashion capitals, but there were plenty of big talking points and new brands to note for the spring 2016 fashion season.

Here’s what we learned when we joined the Moscow frow…

There’s A Commitment To Backing New Design Talent Almost every designer on the schedule is a newbie (Mercedes-Benz are deliberately trying to sponsor and nurture new talent in different markets) which makes Moscow a great place to spot emerging designers. The new labels to watch? Alena Akhmadullina’s treated denim (above), Saint Tokyo’s grungy metallics (below) and Viva Vox’s dance-ready neon florals were best in show.

The Russians Love To Put On A Show Walking up and down the catwalk, in Russia, is so overrated. Models traced complicated trails around up and over the runway, but rarely straight down it. Between looks we were treated to performances from gymnasts at the Dimaneu show, while dancing flash mobs popped up in the main event showspace and marching guards flanked one finale ballgown down another designer's runway. Who doesn’t love a few fashion theatrics?

It’s Not All Fur Cossacks …In fact we saw no fur at all, but the fashion world’s interest in Eastern European textiles (we’re looking at you Vilshenko and Vita Kin) didn’t go unnoticed. Alena Akhmadullina paid tribute to the fabled Russian merchant, Sadko, while Tarik Ediz (whose show was presented by Mercedes Benz) delivered a collection bound to appeal to all the glamorous Russian IT girls.