In just three seasons, Bucharest Fashion Week has achieved remarkable success. What could its rise on the fashion map mean not only for Romania and Eastern Europe, but also for our Adriatic region?
Petar TrbovićOctober 30, 2025
When I first travelled to the Romanian capital earlier this year for their Fashion Week, my usual pre-trip research kept leading me to one recurring phrase: “Little Paris.” The flattering nickname referred primarily to the city’s beauty – which, as I learned, was often shaped by the very same French architects who gave Paris its signature look. Now I’ve gone back! And after the recently concluded third edition of MBBFW Bucharest Fashion Week, it seems to me that this nickname might soon just as well apply in the context of fashion.
Bucharest feels like it could become the new Copenhagen. This fresh type of creative energy, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit, strongly reminds me of the Danish capital in the years when it was building its reputation as the most exciting emerging fashion destination after the big four (NY, London, Milan, and Paris). With its central position in Eastern Europe, Bucharest is truly becoming a hub for established designers as well as emerging talent, cultural institutions, and industry leaders – not just locally, but from across the region and beyond.
This season marked a significant milestone for the event, as the Council of Fashion Designers of Romania became a member of the European Fashion Alliance (EFA). The EFA unites the leading national fashion organizations, including the Italian Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the French Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, and the British Fashion Council, giving Bucharest Fashion Week a strong international presence and relevance.
I can’t help but wonder – how did they achieve this in just three seasons?! The answer, surprisingly, is simple: a clear vision and a precise strategy, when combined with the knowledge and ambition of the people behind it, inevitably produce results. The organizers and main “architects” of it all, Roxana Voluseniuc and Mario Antico, don’t hide that less than two years ago they started with just a few notes on paper and a big hope to do more for Romanian fashion. Don’t be mistaken into thinking that a vision alone is enough – once you experience the event and all its accompanying programs, it becomes strikingly clear how much effort, willpower, and desire were invested, as well as the financial support of sponsors who chose to back the organizers’ vision. The results quickly became more than evident.
Mario Antico i Roxana Voluseniuc
The stunning National Museum of Art of Romania once again hosted numerous shows featuring the country’s most renowned fashion names, emerging talents who are set to shape the future of Romanian fashion, as well as numerous guest designers from across the region.
What fascinates me most about Romanian designers is their strong sense of pride in their heritage and traditions – a pride they neither shy away from nor imitate, but rather decode and reinterpret in countless ways, creating work that is authentic, original, and modern, without a trace of archaic sentimentality. This was particularly evident on the very first day of the event, when collections from the young generation of designers debuted as part of the newly established Next Generation platform. The well-deserved winner was designer Mara Popa, who enriches her exceptional knowledge of construction and sculptural modeling with elements of traditional embroidery and lacework. As her prize, Bucharest Fashion Week will support her continued education and training at the prestigious Italian fashion university, Polimoda!
Reinterpreted ethnic elements appeared in many other collections as well. Borbala combines them into an eclectic ethno-cartoon-pop patchwork, while Rxquette incorporates lace and embroidery into monochromatic minimalist forms. Guest designer from Moldova, Vidrascu, contrasts traditional embroidery with the fluidity of silk silhouettes, with tiny bells hidden in the garments charmingly jingling to the rhythm of the models’ steps. The playful, barefoot trompe-l’oeil show by Rafaela Pestritu captured the true gypsy spirit of freedom in a thoroughly modern way. The brand Ami Amalia weaves its fairytale-like pieces in Transylvania from the finest yarns, and this year, the collection was perfectly extended with silk motifs and prints inspired by folk stories and legends.
On the other hand, minimalist and color-reduced collections, with a focus on exploring form and silhouette, seem to occupy both Romanian and visiting regional designers the most. Katea, Storojuc, Diana Milkanova, and Medeea precisely construct a new, exciting take on classicism, while Carmen Secareanu and Lado Bokuchava deconstruct fundamental structures only to reconstruct them into new forms.
Last but certainly not least!
Gudu, the brand of designer Lashe Mdinaradze, founded in Kyiv, is an intriguing exploration of black – its shapes, textures, meanings, and messages. On one hand, there is a complex and meticulous construction; on the other, a theatrical manipulation of forms – both clearly rooted in the designer’s background as a graduate costume designer for opera and theater. In fashion, these elements intertwine brilliantly and skillfully, giving each piece a contemporary expression aimed at the modern, sophisticated, and boldly confident woman. Dramatically sculpted taffeta on one side, sharply constructed fabrics and leather on the other – even when styled with adidas Superstar sneakers – felt progressive and powerful, evoking the iconic Japanese design school.
I recently encountered the Moldovan brand OK Kino in their capital, Chișinău, where they hosted an intimate presentation of their collection in their atelier- this time, we were able to see it on the runway in Bucharest. Their aesthetic could be described as deeply considered minimalism, where the final simplicity is preceded by a fascinating process of research – a complex and profoundly inspired search for inspiration – culminating in incredibly precise execution that transforms the process into timeless pieces that transcend seasons and trends.
Bucharest Fashion Week commendably demonstrates an understanding of the industry and the system, which often leaves small brands or creatives to fend for themselves after the shows. To address this crucial issue, the organizer went a step further: after the runway shows, each designer was given a suite at the luxurious Corinthia Hotel to transform into their own showroom, where interested parties could drop by for a re-see of the collections and place orders. A key aspect of this story is that the Bucharest shows were attended by international buyers from numerous concept stores, ranging from Milan, Vienna, and Dubai to Tokyo, and even Paris’s Galeries Lafayette. The opportunity for brands to gain not only media exposure but also international placement is of crucial importance as an integral part of any fashion week.
The search for inspiration, new talent, and innovation – a pursuit that fashion constantly craves – has gradually been moving beyond the major fashion capitals to new emerging fashion hubs around the world. One such hub is undoubtedly forming in Bucharest, and I can’t help but dream that, in the near future, our very best designers will have the opportunity to join this fantastic project, a venture of great international significance for all of Eastern Europe, and for our Adriatic region as well.
