2026/01/15
Designers from eight countries to attend the 17th Budapest Central European Fashion Week Budapest, 15 January 2026 – Budapest will be in the spotlight of the Central European fashion industry once again between 9 and 15 February 2026. The Budapest Central European Fashion Week showcases the latest innovations in contemporary fashion and the distinctive perspectives of Hungarian designers. The 17th edition of the event series will feature over 40 domestic and international designers from eight countries, alongside Hungary, presenting their Autumn/Winter 2026–2027 collections. Organised by Creative Hungary, the fashion week further strengthens its position as a determining professional forum in the region, building on talent management and regional professional collaboration. During the week, professional programmes and events await the public, with the main shows taking place between 13 and 15 February in the Apollo Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts.
The AW2627 season further expands the scope of BCEFW’s international collaborations, welcoming designers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Serbia, Armenia, Romania, and Ukraine. As a result, the work of 17 international and 24 Hungarian creators will be presented across a range of formats, supporting the national and international visibility of fashion brands.
“We are no longer following trends but transmitting the voice of the Central and Eastern European region – and we are increasingly shaping it ourselves. International collaborations create bridges between the countries in the region. While we provide a stage for designers from neighbouring countries in Budapest, our partners provide Hungarian creators with opportunities for market entry and sales. Accordingly, BCEFW is not only a seasonal event but a sustainable investment into a consciously cultivated ecosystem that simultaneously serves to elevate the prestige of the profession, strengthen international relations, and increase the competitiveness of the creative industry. The fashion industry has a strong export potential, while also affecting Hungarian economic stability as one of the largest employers,” said Zsófia Jakab, CEO of Creative Hungary, and Ministerial Commissioner for Creative Industry Development and Sectoral Coordination.
Through Budapest Central European Fashion Week, Creative Hungary (formerly the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency) highlights the city’s ambition to move beyond being a mere eye-catching stop on the fashion map, striving instead to establish itself as an international player with a clear strategy, solid infrastructure, and a long-term vision. In this way, alongside mature brands that have already proven their worth on the market, nurturing emerging designers is also treated as a central mission. The platform offers a strong development trajectory that enables creators to progress continuously towards professional visibility, brand building, and international presence.
Zsófia Jakab further added that Budapest Fashion Week has always been a stronghold of creativity and innovation in the region. “Our goal is not only to showcase the region’s fashion excellence, but also to ensure that the fashion industry remains at the forefront of cultural and economic change. Accordingly, talent management has a strategic importance, as evident in the AW2627 season’s programme structure: the collective shows, individual presentations, and fashion shows build on each other to create an opportunity for professional advancement, while providing targeted attention to well-established brands as well as the most promising players of the next generation. Supporting them is an investment in our creative future. They are the lifeblood of the industry, and they treat sustainability not as an obligation but as a fundamental principle. For this reason, we created the NEW GENERATION INDIVIDUAL SHOW category, providing an individual debut possibility for young brands who have already moved beyond collective formats and are ready to realise their own visions,” highlighted the CEO of Creative Hungary.
The season’s main shows will take place between 13 and 15 February 2026. The Friday programme will be hosted by Apollo Gallery, creating an ideal environment with its contemporary, experimental character for the presentation of the new generation’s fresh, innovative collections. The Saturday and Sunday shows will continue at the Museum of Fine Arts, where the meeting of the iconic cultural space and contemporary fashion will provide a framework for the season’s highlighted presentations. The professional and educational accompanying programmes will take place on Saturday and Sunday within the Fashion Hub’s programme at the Museum of Fine Arts. Moreover, the Museum will also feature a showroom especially for resellers and distributors, where the brands can personally receive business inquiries following the presentations.
Each season, Budapest Central European Fashion Week strives to ensure that the fashion industry is visible not only on the runways but also within the city’s professional and cultural ecosystem. Over the course of the week-long programme, nearly fifty events will take place across various locations in Budapest, including lectures, discounted shopping opportunities, showroom openings, and professional forums that cover the entire value chain of the sector — from education and production to distribution and consumption. The initiative aims to bring the values of domestic brands to a broader professional and market audience, while also boosting demand for Hungarian designers’ products, thereby supporting the long-term economic growth of the creative industry.
Ticket sales for the general public start on 17 January 2026. The detailed BCEFW programme is available HERE.
Each season, during its campaign photoshoot, BCEFW creates a distinctive aesthetic world to showcase Hungarian fashion. The central theme of the AW2627 campaign is music, which not only serves as a mood element but also as a source of inspiration. In the campaign photos, the garments come to life in the presence of musical instruments and musicians, creating a visual environment where rhythm, dynamism, and emotional intensity speak the language of fashion. The venue of the photoshoot was the legendary Fészek Klub, an iconic meeting place for Hungarian art life for decades. The atmosphere of the special location provided an ideal backdrop for the narrative in which music and fashion mutually inspire each other. The campaign’s concept also reflects Hungarian musical heritage: some of its elements evoke the dramatic world of Ferenc Liszt and the experimental sounds of György Ligeti.
Budapest Central European Fashion Week
Since its founding in 2018, Creative Hungary (formerly the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency) has organised Budapest Central European Fashion Week twice a year, establishing it as the region’s premier fashion event. For many years, the event has been the number one meeting point between the broad audience, buyers, designers, influencers and domestic and international media in the region. Hungarian fashion and design industry events increase the country’s tourist attraction and national economic growth, provide visibility for Hungarian brands, and result in international orders.
Creative Hungary
Creative Hungary was founded in 2018 under the name Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency to support every actor in the fashion and design industries in an efficient and structured way, following predetermined strategic pillars: professional coordination, enhancing Hungarian brands’ availability and trade opportunities, educational development and manufacturing development. In line with global trends, the boundaries between individual creative industries have expanded in recent years, with collaborations between different fields playing an increasingly important role. As a reaction to industry and technological changes, the Organisation’s scope of activities expanded in 2025. Today, Creative Hungary is the highest-level coordinating organisation of the Hungarian creative industry, including the fashion and textile industries, furniture manufacturing and product design, offline and online game design, and the beauty and personal care industries. Its primary tasks include strategic cooperation with professional partners, increasing exports, and supporting Hungarian brands’ professional development with mentorship programmes. It organises domestic events each year, such as the region’s major fashion event, the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, Budapest Design Week, or the 360 Design Budapest exhibition, which has received international awards. Besides, it provides Hungarian creators opportunities for participation and debuting at international professional events such as the Milano Fashion Week and the Maison & Objet design fair.
Sajtóközlemény
DOCX
934 kB
Fotókredit: Dávid Ajkai
