Middle East Fashion Leaders to Attend BRICS+ Summit in Moscow

Dubai - Moscow is set to host a major event for the emerging fashion sector: the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, running from August 28 to 30. This year’s edition shines a spotlight on the Middle East, welcoming industry leaders and key figures behind some of the region’s largest fashion weeks. Delegates from the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Iraq, and Lebanon will present their latest projects and take part in important sessions and discussions.

Shirene Rifai, Founder and CEO of Jordan Fashion Week and a regular participant in the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, was recently named one of the Middle East’s top five fashion industry leaders by Forbes Middle East. With a strong background in luxury consulting, Rifai is a respected voice across the region’s fashion landscape.

“The 2024 edition, in particular, stood out for its deeper connections, stronger dialogue, and the sense of real community among participants. Many of the people I’ve met here have become true collaborators, and friends. Signing the BRICS International Fashion Federation in 2024 was a major milestone. I hope we can now move from inspiration to implementation facilitating actual exchanges, creating joint opportunities, and building a clear action plan for what needs to happen next,” said Rifai.

Another key voice at the Summit is Senan Kamel, Founder of Baghdad Fashion Week and head of the Baghdad Organization for Arts and Culture. For Iraq, a country where fashion is gaining momentum, Senan Kamel views the Summit as a vital platform to highlight the industry’s potential.

“For countries like Iraq, which remains a raw and untapped territory in the fashion industry, such summits highlight key investment opportunities and open doors for collaboration that can shape a new creative economy. These events help reshape global fashion narratives by including diverse and emerging voices,” he said.

Other notable attendees include Mohamad El Saghir, Founder of Doha Fashion Show, aimed at advancing Qatar’s and Middle Eastern fashion scene; Sarah Hermez, Founder of Creative Space Beirut; and François Schweitzer, General Merchandizing Manager of Etoile Group.

Known for elegance, refinement, and subtlety, Middle Eastern fashion qualities are now influencing global trends. The BRICS+ Fashion Summit offers a prime platform to showcase modest fashion to an international audience and demonstrate the increasing footprint of the Middle East in global fashion.

This year’s Summit will feature representatives from 65 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the USA. The business program, lectures, showroom, and runway events promise a diverse and dynamic lineup. Running alongside the Summit from August 28 to September 2, Moscow Fashion Week will host designers from 10 countries including India, China, the USA, Turkey, and Brazil.