Between March 24 and 28, Bucharest once again became the vibrant heart of fashion in Eastern Europe. The fourth edition of Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week brought together established designers, emerging voices, cultural institutions and industry leaders in a celebration of creativity, sustainability and innovation.
Organized under the aegis of the Council of Fashion Designers of Romania, the event reconfirmed its mission to position Bucharest as a regional hub for fashion and cultural dialogue. With Mercedes-Benz as the main strategic partner, the platform consolidated its presence within the European fashion circuit.
The first day of Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week FW26/27, dedicated to Next Generation, brought education, interdisciplinary dialogue and new talent to the forefront, bringing together key figures from the local and international scene. The conference “Let’s Talk Fashion and Beyond” welcomed as guests Massimiliano Giornetti (Director, Polimoda), Dalia Bologan (Creative & Culture MBA Director, ASE), Andrei Sendrea (Selection Director, Fashion Days), Maria Lucia Hohan (Designer), Paolo Giachi (Architect, founder of Giachi Design Milano), Anca Ghiorghiu (Group PR & Events Manager, NEPI Rockcastle) and Luca Rinaldi (Lawyer). The discussions covered essential themes from fashion education and brand building, to retail innovation and the legal framework of creative industries.
The programme also included applied experiences, such as the “First Steps to a Creative Business” workshop and Creative Lab sessions, where participants explored retail concept development, visual storytelling and the process of creating a fashion product in a real market context. The day concluded with Next Generation Party presented by IQOS, a moment dedicated to the new creative community, in an informal setting that connected education, industry and audience.
The Throne Room of the National Museum of Art of Romania became the stage for memorable presentations, signed by designers from across the region:
Alexandra Sipa – “Atât s-a putut” FW 26/27 A playful and experimental exploration of cultural identity and personal memory, the collection blends Romanian symbols, childhood memories and seasonal references, integrating sustainability through innovative techniques, such as the transformation of recycled cables into lace-like structures.
Ami Amalia – SS/27 A reflection on the transition from stagnation to growth, expressed through refined knitwear in natural fibres, where durability and fluidity meet in a slow and conscious creative process.
Carmen Secareanu – “Ceremonial” FW 26/27 The collection proposes ritual as a form of celebrating life, blending precious materials such as silk and velvet with influences from Indian culture, in a complex sensorial experience.
Diana Milkanova – FW 26/27 Focused on comfort, protection and confidence, the collection builds a coherent and versatile wardrobe for the contemporary woman, where minimalism becomes the expression of precision.
DUALITAE – “ANTHRACITE” FW 26/27 Inspired by urban architecture, the collection explores duality as a form of power, through clean lines, tactile contrasts and a palette dominated by greys and black.
ELITE – 00:01 AM FW 26/27 The collection explores the transformation of a new beginning, moving from black to white and reflecting an ever-evolving identity. Made in Romania, it redefines luxury through authenticity and is produced in limited editions, for those who see rarity as a perspective, not a possession.
GUDU – “Inside the Silhouette” FW 26/27 The silhouette becomes the central element, in a dialogue between the strong structure inspired by the 1980s and the fluidity of materials, resulting in pieces adaptable to everyday life.
J’AMEMME – “Présence” FW 26/27 A meditation on presence as a subtle force, the collection explores the relationship between body, form and space through architectural silhouettes and refined textures.
L. STOROJUC – “Axis” FW 26/27 Inspired by Parisian architecture, the collection investigates inner balance through contrasts between precise constructions and fluid materials.
M. MARQUISE – FW 2026/27 A dialogue between strength and delicacy, where sculptural silhouettes and luxurious materials create a controlled femininity, reinterpreted in a contemporary key.
MEDEEA – “Stay With Me. My Truth Will Hurt You” FW 26/27 An exploration of contemporary identity at the intersection of masculine rigour and feminine expressiveness, through deconstruction and architectural proportions.
MURMUR – FW 26/27 Reinterprets 19th-century silhouettes in a contemporary key, outlining a complex and self-assured femininity.
NUBU – FW 2026/27 Inspired by painting and the art of glass, the collection proposes organic and layered silhouettes, with fluid chromatic transitions and a deep connection with nature. This special moment was presented in collaboration with Budapest Central European Fashion Week.
OK KINO – Collection 08 FW 26/27 A poetic reflection on memory, inspired by “Casa Mare”, where objects become carriers of time and emotion, in a palette of whites and pale blue.
Rafaela Pestritu – “No Fence for Wild Roses” FW 26/27 A celebration of untamed femininity, through romantic silhouettes and layered textures that express freedom and strength.
RHEA COSTA – “Echoes” FW 26/27 Reinterprets eveningwear into a contemporary day-to-night wardrobe, where femininity becomes active and autonomous.
TTSWTRS – “Skin Couture” (New Evolution) FW 26/27 The body becomes narrative, through couture techniques and anatomical illusions that place the collection between reality and art.
VOL – “PLUME BRUTE” FW 26/27 A manifesto of freedom, inspired by the metaphor of feathers, exploring the balance between fragility and strength.
Another remarkable moment of the week was the “Indulgent Luxury” experience by KULTHO, which offered a refined and personal perspective on contemporary luxury. It blended fashion, fine jewellery and live performance in a multisensory showcase, redefining elegance as an intimate expression of identity. Luxury is thus viewed not as display, but as a conscious and personal choice.
BEYOND THE RUNWAY
Showroom & Buyers Experience
A central point of the professional dimension was the MBBFW Showroom, hosted at Corinthia Hotel Bucharest, where the FW26/27 collections were presented in a curated setting for the international retail industry. The presence of platforms such as Galeries Lafayette, Liberty London, Hankyu Department Store and Tomorrow Ltd created a direct bridge between designers and the global market, generating real distribution and collaboration opportunities.
Sightless Fashion
One of the most powerful conceptual moments was Sightless Fashion, a multisensory project created by glissando.pov in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. The experience redefined the perception of fashion beyond the visual, through a soundscape constructed from textures and materials, opening a dialogue about inclusion and accessibility, addressed to people with visual impairments.
Extended Experiences & Community Moments
Beyond the runway, the event activated the city through a series of complementary experiences: networking dinners, informal gatherings and parties that facilitated authentic connections between designers, buyers and industry professionals.
Influencer House functioned as a dynamic content hub, amplifying the event’s visibility in real time, while Archive Sale brought the public closer to designers through archival pieces, highlighting sustainability and the heritage of contemporary fashion.
The entire experience culminated with the closing party by IQOS, curated by The Brunch Affair, a moment that blended the raw energy of the backstage with the spectacle of a reinterpreted parade. Under the concept of The Backstage, guests were encouraged to become an active part of the experience, assuming their own role within the scenography. Less about the conventional and more about the authenticity of the creative process, this finale transformed the boundary between audience and performer into a fluid space, where personal expression became the central element.
