Riga Fashion Week 2023

As part of the Baltic countries, and making good use of their proximity to showcase not only their talent but their neighbouring countries' talent as well, Riga Fashion Week took place between April 18th and April 21st, 4 days when we got to discover the spirit and craft of more than fifteen brands on an edition where sustainability, diversity, and love towards women and their bodies were truly made evident in each and every aspect. With venues located in various parts of Latvia where we could get to know different faces and charms of one of the most magical and unique European capitals with its hundreds of buildings and art nouveau monuments, the brands exhibited their collections in front of a large number of people, making it clear that the interest in this discipline is only growing in Latvia, of course, thanks to initiatives such as this fashion week.

The first day of shows took place in the recently inaugurated Zunda Towers, a modern skyscraper that has become one of the tallest buildings in the country. With the landscape of the capital as a backdrop, which varied on each catwalk thanks to the sunset that advanced with the hours and gave the space a different vibe at each show, several brands presented their proposals for the coming season. The firm One Wolf took denim as the main focus in a collection that pays tribute to the eleven years they have been working with this fabric, highlighting its versatility and timelessness. The contrast and the colourful note of the day were provided by the Lithuanian brand Mild Power and the Estonian brand Diana Arno, with two different versions of femininity. The first one, where tulle and different shades of pink build wide but fluid volumes, and the second one, much more sharp and structural, with reinterpretations of the trench coat in various styles, garments, and materials.

Lingerie brand Amoralle was in charge of opening the second day's events, welcoming us to their elegant yet cosy shop where they not only showcased looks in a variety of bodies that they consider the history and the flagship of the brand but also presented a digital fashion show as well as an immersive virtual reality experience, adding to the augmented reality trend that is so appealing to the industry. In the large and comfortable Hanzas Perons space, which hosted most of the shows over the last 2 days, Iveta Vecmane's collections were presented, where classic elegance, new-look style, leather details, and flowers walked the stage to the rhythm of the live guitarist who harmonised the catwalk.

On the closing day, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at the designs of Anna Led, which were part of the different collections presented on the catwalk of the department store Stockmann the day prior, with a small and intimate fashion show in their shop located in the Mediterranean Bergs Bazaar. Polish brand with a strong focus on sustainability Ania Szczygiel and the traditional but colourful Moel Bosh from Uzbekistan were part of the last day, whose final touch was given by perhaps the most daring, youthful, and irreverent brand of the edition, Volga Vintage. Based mainly on a styling work where the looks are formed by vintage garments that inherently portray a Y2K aesthetic, it set the fun, loud, and theatrical bar for a week where the cultural encounter was lived beyond the catwalks and where tradition and modernity, sustainability and diversity, and the talent of a region that has so much to offer were exalted.