Soft armour, mythical figures and ripped jeans – Hungarian brands showcased at Milan Fashion Week

Seven Hungarian designers presented their collections at Milan Fashion Week, which took place from 21 to 27 February. The participants of the international mentoring program of the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency (Magyar Divat és Design Ügynöség-MDDÜ) and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) presented their Autumn-Winter 2023/2024 collections at the Fashion Week, MTI reports, according to a statement by the MDDÜ.

The designers of Unreal Industries, Pinetime Clothing and Zsigmond presented their fresh creations at the Fashion Hub, a space focused on supporting emerging brands and designers, at the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti. The brands Abodi, Cukovy, Kata Szegedi and THEFOUR presented their latest pieces at the collective fashion show of Budapest Select.

According to the brand's website, Cukovy created "soft armour" for metropolitan women, while Abodi brought to life figures from Transylvanian mythology. Kata Szegedi's sets used fabric cut into strips – not just for the clothes, but to wrap the models' faces as well, while THEFOUR presented designs in line with the brand's signature urban, futuristic style.

The Hungarian Design and Fashion Agency created the umbrella brand Budapest Select with the purpose of promoting Hungarian brands abroad. It also functions as a shop and webshop – with more than seventy brands' designs being available in the latter. What criteria are used to decide which brands can participate in foreign events is not known, but the most important players in the Hungarian fashion industry, such as Abodi, Kata Szegedi and THEFOUR, are regularly part of the Budapest Select line-up at Milan Fashion Week.

According to a statement from the MDDÜ, this year was the first time that the Milanese public could also see the work of Hungarian designers in independent venues outside the Fashion Hub.

The Budapest Select show on 23 February was attended by nearly 400 visitors, including fashion journalists from Vogue International, Vanity Fair and Elle Italia, as well as Sara Maino, founding director of Vogue Talents.

"Season after season, we see how intensely international appearances contribute to developing the work of Hungarian designers. Not only do these events provide inspiration and professional feedback to the brands, but they also have a major sales-promoting role," the release quotes Zsófia Bata-Jakab, CEO of MDDÜ, as saying.

This year was the ninth time that Hungarian designers had the opportunity to present their work to an international audience at Milan Fashion Week. According to the MDDÜ's statement, the international recognition is also demonstrated by the fact that this year's Budapest Select collective show was held in one of the most prominent venues of the fashion week, where the most prestigious global brands such as Armani and Moschino have also showcased their work before.

The Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency was established by the state in 2018 with the goal of organizing the Hungarian design and fashion scene, mediating between designers and industry players, mentoring local designers and creating the Hungarian fashion strategy, which was adopted by the government last year. The agency is run by Zsófia Bata-Jakab, a friend and former classmate of Ráhel Orbán, the Prime Minister's daughter. Bata-Jakab was 25 when she joined the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ), a company that is considered to be associated with Ráhel Orbán, where she was asked to create the Hungarian fashion industry strategy. She was then appointed CEO of the MDDÜ, which operates under the auspices of the Hungarian Toursim Agency.