The 14th Budapest Central European Fashion Week Exceeded All Our Expectations

Success means something different to everyone, but one thing is certain: our 14th edition event attracted a record number of fashion enthusiasts, with over 5000 visitors attending the SS25 season shows, and the Fashion Hub programs were at full capacity. Countless people work behind the scenes to ensure that when models take the stage in clothes from Hungarian or regional designers, everything is perfect. This year, with record attendance, more domestic and international designers than ever before, and events spanning all over Budapest, everything went smoothly. I can confidently say that I am very proud of my Team!

Well-known local brands also exhibited their collections on the runway in the catwalk shows, Budapest Central European Fashion Week showcases and presentations and the New Generation and Young Talents categories introduced their #youngdesigners to a broad audience. The shows of #international brands and acknowledged domestic designers amazed the guests, with some shows receiving standing ovations from the audience. We broadcasted the shows on the event’s official Facebook page live, with views exceeding 34 thousand.

We have always aspired for Budapest to come alive during #BCEFW, just like the major fashion capitals. This year, we have come a step closer to this goal with a side event series featuring nearly 40 venues. Over the weekend, programs, fashion shows, presentations, and the popular Fashion Hub held at Millenáris complemented the events. This season, a record number of partners took the opportunity to organise a side event, owing to which, in different locations in Budapest and Nyíregyháza, those interested could participate in exhibition openings, guided tours, panel discussions, and professional dialogues with fashion and creative industry professionals, to mention a few.

A diverse range of self-organised shows and presentations enriched the weekend program, featuring the most popular local brands and regional designers. These grand-scale shows attracted over 3,500 visitors. The side events attracted more visitors than ever before, and the varied presentations and workshops provided opportunities for exploring related artistic fields. It is fantastic to see the event bring the diversity and endless opportunities of the creative industry closer to people. We hope that the number of these events will increase every year, as they contribute to the revitalization of the whole of Budapest, and this is an important aim for us.

We also strive to strengthen our regional central role year by year: this year, eight Serbian, one Moroccan, two Slovenian, three Polish, four Slovakian, one Bosnian-Herzegovinian and four Ukrainian designers were featured in the BCEFW program. It is also an important step since we want more and more international brands to consider us an important debuting opportunity, a hub where they can reach those interested in fashion and the profession with their appearance.?

While we are very pleased with the high level of interest in Hungarian designers, this bigger visibility also allowed us to introduce important topics into the professional dialogue, such as sustainability efforts and professional collaborations. Regional brands debuted in record numbers, and long-term agreements with the Slovak Fashion Council, Ljubljana Fashion Week, Belgrade Fashion Week, and Ukrainian Fashion Week also contributed to this success. We see the future in similar collaborations, in line with our objective for BCEFW to serve as a connecting bridge and a platform for professional partnerships.

Naturally, we also strengthen the professional aspect by addressing important topics such as environmental consciousness. The #Conscious Fashion Initiative found on the BCEFW’s website preceded the event’s efforts to incentivise more conscious practices. As part of this, the Conscious by BCEFW category was created, with brands that live up to the standards regarding sustainable business operations based on the decision of the Advisory Board. Through a partnership with MOHU MOL Waste Management Ltd. and Millenáris, we placed a textile collection container on-site for the duration of the event’s weekend to promote #recycling and encourage #sustainable thinking among visitors and local residents. Nearly 400 kg of used clothing was collected during the campaign.

This year, we were also joined by major influencers from the global fashion arena. Editors of ELLE Poland and ELLE Ukraine, journalists from NSS, Vogue Italia, Vogue Adria, and 10 Magazine US, Gili Biegun and Shay Zanco, influencers, and Despi Naka street-style photographer also participated in the event. The audience could encounter Pat Domingo not only at the shows; the acknowledged street-style photographer held different programs in the Fashion Hub.

Thank you to the team for their tireless work, and congratulations to the Hungarian brands for their achievements. I can promise we will do our utmost to achieve similar successes together in the next season.