The recently concluded Riga Fashion Week celebrated dedication, perseverance, and continuity — along with an ever-present desire to push the boundaries of fashion.
Petar TrbovićNovember 8, 2025
If there’s anything that inspires me more than fashion, it’s travel. The excitement and joy I feel every time I board a plane to a new destination are almost impossible to put into words—and this trip was no exception. The Baltic countries had long been among the few corners of Europe I still hadn’t explored. I landed in Riga early in the morning, only to find out that my luggage had somehow gone missing in transit.
No matter, I thought to myself. I only have a few days of Fashion Week ahead—who needs clothes for that anyway? All I really wanted was to get lost as soon as possible among the cobbled, medieval streets of Riga’s Old Town.
Bathed in sunlight and unusually warm for this time of year, Riga revealed itself in such beauty that I forgot about everything else. If this story were written by my beloved colleague Tina Lončar—the ultimate vintage queen of street style (whom I usually end up holding a drink, umbrella, or something else for while she’s being photographed on our trips!)—she would, at this point, be describing in delicious detail the street style and looks of the locals in the Latvian capital. But not me! I was noticing fashion only out of the corner of my eye, completely captivated by the city’s charm as I wandered until nightfall. Everything—people included—seemed wrapped in the calm hues of an autumn palette, like a cozy blanket pulling you in. There’s something wonderful about not rushing straight from the plane to the front row, but instead taking the time to feel the spirit of the place where fashion is born and shaped. If the shows turn out to be even half as magical as Riga itself, I thought, it’ll be perfect.
Szczygiel
Riga Fashion Week is Latvia’s premier fashion event—and the largest one in the entire Baltic region. It’s been going strong for twenty years! What a beautiful milestone: two decades of love and dedication from founder Elena Strahova and her team, who have worked tirelessly to provide a platform for designers and creatives not only from Latvia but from across the region and beyond to gain international visibility.
This season, they said, was the season of debuts! Out of seventeen showcased collections, as many as twelve designers presented their work at Riga Fashion Week for the very first time. In addition to local talent, the event welcomed designers from Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Belgium, and Uzbekistan. When we talk about our own Adria region in the context of fashion, the Baltic model might serve as a brilliant example of how smaller regions can become stronger and more relevant through collaboration. Neighboring capitals, I learned, also host their own fashion weeks—but the cross-border designer showcases occupy such a significant part of the program that it genuinely surprised me. The result is a stylistically, culturally, and creatively inclusive community—one that continues to inspire.
Tribal Hotel
When it comes to the runway shows themselves, as with most smaller markets, many collections featured undeniably appealing designs—but there was also a noticeable tendency toward creating highly commercial pieces aimed at sales. In many cases, that essential spark of true fashion excitement, innovation, and creative thought—the very essence of what one hopes to see on a runway—was missing.
Still, three brands stood out, each presenting one of the most refined and mature collections of the season, entirely different from one another yet equally distinctive in their own way. A clear creative vision, enriched with imagination and a recognizable design language, resulted in collections that intrigued, provoked, and invited reflection—encouraging both questions and the search for answers.
Tribal Hotel, the brand founded by designer Simone Veilande in Riga, presented its collection in the form of a live presentation. While it was fascinating to experience the garments up close and explore their rich textures and intricate cuts, I couldn’t help but imagine how extraordinary these designs would look in motion—brought to life on the runway. The designer duo’s artistic background is palpable throughout their creative process, one guided by an uninhibited visual sensibility. As they explain, they allow themselves to explore freely and without constraint until the result feels aesthetically fulfilling. The final executions, often leaning toward the experimental, achieve a surprising sense of elegance once in synergy with the body—despite the unconventional combinations of traditional and high-tech fabrics, knits, oversized volumes, and seemingly incompatible textures.
Szczygiel is a brand whose name I probably still couldn’t pronounce correctly—but the collection remains vividly etched in my memory. Polish designer Ania Szczygiel, now based in the UK, creates fresh, youthful collections made entirely from recycled and deadstock fabrics, as well as second-hand garments that she reinterprets and transforms into her own designs. Because of this highly specific approach, her collections are naturally limited—production depends entirely on the availability of materials, making each piece unique by design. Deeply committed to the principles of sustainability, Szczygiel crafts collections that are as playfully artistic as they are effortlessly wearable.
Moel Bosh is an Uzbek brand that brings the traditional elements and craftsmanship of Central Asian dressmaking into a contemporary fashion context. While the silhouettes remain rooted in classic lines—almost with a Dior-like sophistication—the true excitement lies in the colors, patterns, intricate embroidery, and exquisite handwork that, to say the least, leave a striking impression. The distinctive traditional Uzbek motifs feel so fresh and relevant that I dare compare them to the painterly sensibility of Dries Van Noten, particularly in the way colors, prints, and textures are masterfully intertwined. This collection reaffirms that artisanal heritage remains an invaluable treasure for fashion today—one that must be preserved. As the designer herself explains, the collection is a celebration of origin and heritage, of femininity and inner strength.
