AW26/27

Riga Fashion Week will take place in the Latvian capital from April 14 to 18. This season, the event will become a platform for several international debuts. For the first time, three brands will present their collections in the official program: Hannes Rüütel (Estonia), Paul Williams Atelier (United Kingdom / Nigeria), and A.Cont (Spain). The main shows of the season will take place at two venues — the modern office complex Verde and the cultural space Hanzas Perons.

In total, 18 designers will participate in the Riga Fashion Week program. In addition to the debutants, runway shows will also be presented by two designers from Lithuania — Laura Daili and Lilija Klim-Larionova — as well as designers from Latvia: Natālija Jansone, Iveta Vecmane, Una Bērziņa, Baé, Katya Katya, Verens, Anna Kruz, Studio MX, and Sviests by Sergey Hatanzeisky. Separate presentations in different formats will be held by Treimane Studio (Latvia), Novaliss (Spain), Annaelizabete.Fashion, and Lyuiize (Latvia) at the Latvian Design Stories / Butterman space.

Among the season’s debutants is British-African designer Paul Williams, founder of the brand Paul Williams Atelier. For him, participation in Riga Fashion Week carries special significance: the show in Riga is connected with the designer’s personal story and his desire to present his creative journey to a new audience.

“For me, participating in Riga Fashion Week is an important milestone in a rather long professional journey. The brand Paul Williams Atelier emerged from my personal experience of moving between different cultures and searching for a sense of home. Relocating from Nigeria to the United Kingdom had a strong influence on my work. The collection I will present in Riga reflects this experience — themes of adaptation, identity, and the inner strength people find when they have to rebuild their lives. It is important for me to share this story on an international platform and to show that fashion can convey memories, movement, and personal experience,” the designer shared.

Another debuting brand’s founder, designer Hannes Rüütel, also spoke about his expectations for participating in Riga Fashion Week.

“I chose Riga Fashion Week because it offers the opportunity to become part of a regional yet globally open fashion community. For the Hannes Rüütel brand, it is an important platform where strong designer identity and an author’s approach are appreciated. What I look forward to most is the moment when the garments come to life on the runway and the atmosphere of the show can truly be felt,” the designer noted.

Among the new participants this season is also the Spanish brand A.Cont, which will present its collection “Sinapsis” on the RFW runway. The concept of the collection explores the theme of human connections and the parallels between artistic thinking and neuroscience. The work uses materials in their natural state, including raw mohair manually transformed into strips and felted surfaces, as well as spun mohair and cotton. Some elements are made from silicone shaped using catalysts.

Thus, the upcoming season of Riga Fashion Week will bring together designers from different countries on one runway, presenting new names and a variety of creative approaches to contemporary fashion. The shows will take place at two venues — the Verde office complex and the cultural space Hanzas Perons — where guests of the fashion week will be able to explore the collections of the season’s participants.

The main partners of Riga Fashion Week are Livland, the State Culture Capital Foundation, the Riga City Council, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and Live Riga.

Follow Riga Fashion Week news on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and on the official website: www.rfw.lv

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