From Paris to Mumbai: BRICS alliance wants to shift the centers of power in the fashion world

Business

BRICS International Fashion Federation Credits: BRICS Fashion Summit

Leading figures from the fashion industry of more than 50 countries signed an agreement to form an international fashion association consisting of regions making up the BRICS International Fashion Federation.

The BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and since 2024 Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have also joined.

The Memorandum on the Establishment of the BRICS International Fashion Federation was signed by the heads of fashion weeks, CEOs of fashion and textile associations and boards of educational institutions from India, South Africa, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ghana, Tanzania, Jordan, Ecuador, Paraguay, Kenya and many other countries such as Tunisia.

The signing followed the BRICS Fashion Summit, which took place in Moscow from 3 to 5 October 2024 and was attended by over 100 countries.

Shifting the fashion industry's centre of gravity

The aim? To change the centre of gravity of the fashion industry to promote emerging fashion by encouraging collaboration among the signatory nations. Sunil Sethi, chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India, said in a statement: "The fashion industry is mainly led by a handful of global brands, so it is necessary that the emerging markets have a platform to raise their voice."

"The call for such an alliance is long overdue," he added. "Brands, designers and fashion markets face common challenges - from supply chain disruptions to environmental concerns - that can be addressed more effectively through joint action."

Promoting new brands and more ecological responsibility

The declaration sets out key objectives: promoting local designers, advocating for environmentally friendly fashion, improving cultural relations and creating a common ground for emerging economies through information and education measures.

The participating countries want to promote new technologies, preserve cultural identities and support traditional crafts.

"We are committed to providing these visionaries with a global platform and local events to ensure their creative work is celebrated around the world," the statement said. "Our aim is to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly practices by striving to implement transparent methods that will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Slow fashion, characterised by thoughtful consumption and production, will be at the heart of the BRICS IFF agenda."

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.FR. It was translated to English using an AI tool called Genesis and edited by Rachel Douglass..

Brics

BRICS+ Fashion Summit