Moscow Fashion Week, which continued from August 28 to September 2, 2025, transcended the traditional runway, transforming into a vibrant canvas for artistic and theatrical expression. The event, amplified by the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, was a dynamic showcase of global and local talent. Designers embraced a narrative-driven approach, using their collections to tell stories inspired by literature, art, and performance.

Fashion as fine art

The runway became a moving gallery for designers who drew inspiration directly from the world of fine art and literature.

Alexander Arutyunov's collection was a deeply personal, almost literary, reflection on time and memory, created entirely from the brand's archival fabrics. He sought to "stop the flow of the new" and look inward, making each garment a tangible piece of an intimate, nostalgic archive.

Meanwhile, Alena Assi drew directly from classic Russian literature, with a collection inspired by Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago. Her designs captured the refined beauty and hidden drama of early 20th-century Russia, pairing flowing fabrics with richer textures.

Other designers translated visual art into wearable poetry. Hatsibana's collection was a tribute to the painting "Amazon" by Ruslan Shameelev, translating its bold lines and symbolism of female strength into geometric shapes and graphic prints.

Unke from Tver presented "Metaimpressionism," a collection that reflected emotions and atmosphere in wearable art, featuring paint-splattered puffers and sculptural gowns that looked like they had been lifted from a canvas.

Khayam Khanukaev's collection, "The Muse," created a dreamscape of delicate chiffons and organzas, forming the image of a woman as a "fragile flower," while Polone paid homage to the Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov, weaving traditional crafts like Gorodets embroidery and Vologda lace into a modern collection inspired by his fairytale paintings.

Runway as performance

Beyond the garments themselves, several designers used the runway as a stage for a full-fledged theatrical experience. The Gapanovich show, "Anticipation of the Ball," opened with a captivating dance performance, setting a dynamic tone before shifting into a collection that seamlessly blended traditional coats with balletcore-inspired tutus and pointe-shoe footwear.

Maison Suzanna Bars presented a truly dramatic show named "Voland," weaving a narrative through a mix of silk, lace, and fur. The Phata-Morgana Project at Bolotnaya Square treated the runway itself as an art installation, covering it in velvet to celebrate pure creative energy and symbolism.

These collections collectively demonstrated that fashion can be a powerful medium for storytelling, capable of evoking complex emotions and narratives. By merging artistry with design, these creators showed that the most compelling fashion is that which has something to say, whether it's a personal memory, a piece of folklore, or a grand theatrical vision.