Presentation of Virág Kerényi’s collection
Over 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), revealed the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA).
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 able to participate in over 50 accompanying events throughout Budapest. 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 (MOME) held theirs on the university campus as part of the 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.
“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 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 HFDA.
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.
Models in the backstage. Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
Presentation of Tomcsanyi’s collection. Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
The Budapest fashion week not only presents the collections of leading designers to visitors and professionals, but also serves as a meeting point where fashion enthusiasts and industry players can meet and build relationships through a variety of venues and programs.
One of the strategic goals of HFDA is to strengthen the prestige of creative industries, that was also emphasized at BCEFW.
Thanks to collaborations with universities and vocational training institutions, over 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.
Presentation of Richard Demeter’s collection. Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
Sustainability also played an important role 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, which was completely filled on site, in cooperation with MOHU Mol Waste Management Ltd. and Millenáris.
Models backstage. Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
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 Theater, 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, 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.
Related article
Record Number of Visitors at Region’s Biggest Fashion Event
In addition to Hungarian fashion brands, collections from Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Romanian, and Polish brands were also showcased.Continue reading
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
