From April 14 to 18, Latvia’s capital will host the key fashion industry event of the Baltic region — Riga Fashion Week (RFW). The program will bring together runway shows by leading designers, exhibitions, educational initiatives, and a series of related events dedicated to fashion, design, and contemporary culture. Over the course of five days, Riga will become a central platform for professionals and a wider audience interested in fashion and visual culture, fostering knowledge exchange, industry development, and strengthening international connections.
The opening of Riga Fashion Week will take place at the Benjamin House, where a ceremonial reception for invited guests will mark the official start of the week. As part of the opening, stylists who have worked on recent shows and photographers responsible for key RFW imagery will also be honored.
The main shows of the season will be held at two venues — the modern office complex Verde and the cultural space Hanzas Perons. A total of 18 designers will participate in the main RFW shows. Latvian brands include Anna Kruz, BAÉ by Katya Shehurina, Iveta Vecmane, Katya Katya, Natalija Jansone, Studio MX, Sviests by Sergey Hatanzeisky, Una Berzina, and Verens. International participants include Hannes Rüütel (Estonia), Laura Daili and Lilija Klim-Larionova (Lithuania), Paul Williams Atelier (UK/Nigeria), and A.Cont (Spain/Peru). The Latvian Design Stories / Butterman space will host presentations by Novaliss (Spain/Latvia), Annaelizabete.Fashion, and Lyuiize (Latvia).
A dedicated sustainability-focused program will take place at the Treimane Studio pop-up space (2 Krisjana Barona Street). On April 15, it will feature a presentation of the brand’s eco-collection, followed by an evening party open to the public. On April 16, the venue will host hands-on workshops on creating decorative accessories and bags, available by prior registration.
Sustainability will also be the focus of a panel discussion titled “Sustainable Fashion: a Niche or the Future?”, led by Patrick Kirkils, co-founder of the sustainable fashion community Bourzma. The discussion will address responsible production, material choices, and the role of green practices in the development of contemporary fashion. Participation is available by prior registration.
This season’s cultural program includes several exhibitions. At the Ola Foundation, the fashion photography exhibition “Asnate Smeltere. Continuity” presents a multilayered narrative about the creative career of the renowned model, designer, and founder of a fashion salon, Asnate Smeltere, as well as the magazine Rīgas Modes and the Riga Fashion House, which—despite existing behind the Iron Curtain—was a true center of creativity. Tickets are available to the public by prior registration. Meanwhile, the Latvian National Museum of Art will host the exhibition “From Art Deco to the Present Day. Design and Craftsmanship in France”, exploring the layered heritage of European and French design and craftsmanship, as well as the process of creating the exhibition. International journalists will also have a unique opportunity to preview the exhibition “Celebrity Wardrobes”, which will open to the public at the Riga Fashion Museum at the end of April.
On the final day of Fashion Week, April 18, Latvian designers will offer special activities and promotions in their boutiques and showrooms. Details will be published on RFW’s official social media pages.
Parties, an integral part of Riga Fashion Week, will take place this season at Tribe Riga City Centre and Pullman Riga Old Town. After the final show, guests are invited to a collaborative event with Sviests by Sergey Hatanzeisky, continuing until morning at the official Riga Fashion Week club, Coyote Fly, located in the ExPorto complex on the banks of the Daugava River. The week will conclude with a closed event and model awards ceremony at ICON Cocktail & Hookah Lounge, also in the ExPorto complex.
The main partners of Riga Fashion Week include Livland, the State Culture Capital Foundation, the Riga City Council, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and Live Riga.
Follow Riga Fashion Week updates on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and the official website: www.rfw.lv.
