When I received the invitation to the BRICS Fashion Summit and Moscow Fashion Week this year, the language barrier worried me more than the cold I expected from Russia but through gestures and smiles, I was welcomed to the city of style, romance and rich architectural history. This made Marie Claire Nigeria’s second time in attendance and the impact of this event on fashion’s future was not lost on me.
I arrived in Moscow late in the afternoon on the 3rd day of October but only after the 4-hour immigration process was I able to experience the cold Moscow air and its warm people. It was a little chilly when I landed and when I stepped out of the airport, the cold felt like a harsher harmattan, the season in Nigeria characterised by dry, cold mornings and very hot and humid afternoons. But here, even the afternoons were chilly; the wind felt like a really cold air-conditioner.
A comfortable welcome
My experience started a day late, as I missed the official first day of the BRICS fashion summit because of my ordeal at immigration. On the evening I arrived, I was grateful to kick my feet up, even if it was for a few minutes at the Metropol Hotel before going for dinner at the BIRDS restaurant, on the 84th floor of the Oko Tower. This was a feat for my jet-lagged and acrophobic self but nothing could kill the excitement of meeting fashion forward individuals, especially from other African countries as I draw inspiration from the conversations and runways in Moscow.
The Moscow Fashion Week, held right after the BRICS fashion summit, was a perfect fusion of cultures, style and ambition telling deep stories from representatives of all the countries present. There was Marie-France, founder of the Congo Fashion Week and who spoke passionately about her political ambitions and how she married those ambitions with her love for fashion. Nafisa, a Sudanese designer and Dawson, organiser of South Sudan’s fashion week, despite the separation between both countries stood side-by-side joyfully referring individuals to their designs on display at the Heritage exhibition.
One of the first things that struck me was that the people of Moscow adorned themselves in stylish attires in neutral colours of grey, black, beige and brown. The layers were present, to ward off the chilly post-autumn and early winter air.
Day 1: New cultures and a performance runway
The BRICS fashion summit was held at the Zaryadye, a building with multiple halls housing different conversations simultaneously. I wish I could attend them all. On my first day, I dressed in an unreleased 2-piece set by my good friend and Lagos-based designer, Opara James of OBoy Lagos. It was the perfect garment for the cold weather but it was funny to explain at all the establishments that I visited that I wasn’t wearing an outer coat. In Moscow, as with other countries with different weather, outerwear is only worn, well, outside. Almost every establishment has a coat room to hang up your outerwear until you need to retrieve it.
@bunieofthebuj They love is out here. #moscow #moscowcity #fyp
“This is a shirt not a jacket”, I said to the concierge at breakfast that morning, “it’s part of the look”. Despite the confusion with my fashion choices, I seemed to have impressed more people than I offended because as the day progressed, I and my auburn Afro became mini-celebrities, getting compliments at every turn. What a confidence boost!
The best part of my night had to be the display from Russian designer, Ianis Chamalidy. This story would be incomplete if I didn’t mention the stunning performance of this runway. I was transfixed from start to finish and after the closing montage, my heart yearned for more. Thank you Ianis, for whetting my appetite with such a delightful display of genius.
Day 2: Super Casual Saturdays
I had been taking car rides since I arrived in Moscow and as someone who often managed to avoid traffic in my home city of Lagos, spending time in traffic in another city didn’t sit well with me. So on my second day, the 5th of October, I wore my walking boots and my casual fit of custom jorts from my best friend, Maro, whose brand Wome by Maro, upcycles denim pieces. I paired these with a simple blue shirt, layered for warmth. The look was too simple for my sensibilities, so I pulled a cape off the rack of yet another friend, Ugo, the designer genius behind the brand, 14zeroseven.
The Cape added an extra layer of warmth as I walked the cold streets to the first session of the day at the BRICS summit. I’m excited to share details from the most valuable conversations from the summit in a later article but I must say the conversation about designers getting formal education changed my outlook on the fashion industry.
Red September, fashion gives courage
After lunch, I enjoyed a tour of the Red September showroom where I learned about the designers’ experience with rebellion and cancel culture that invariably led to the creation of its clothing line full of deconstructed pieces and neon colours. On one hand, it reminded me how fashion is art and can be used as a tool for political discourse and activism. On another hand, I wondered how Russian talents are faring after the sanctions imposed on the country.
The day ended on a sombre note, with me switching my cape for a bomber jacket determined to enjoy the evening with a bit less fame than my first day. I enjoyed seeing designers like Angelo Estera, Rogov and Yana Besfamilnaya on the runway whose energetic displays were the direct opposite of my wandering thoughts.
Day 3: A walk through history
The BRICS Fashion Summit ended on October 5th and so the new day started bright and early with an excursion to the Museum of Moscow. Dressed in my structured dress, once again, from OBoy Lagos and layered with a white shirt and a lace skirt underneath, I braved the cold Moscow wind to learn about the city’s rich history. The USSR and its 16 partner countries had an interesting relationship with one another and were very dedicated to showcasing the strength of this relationship in structures built to represent each country.
It was wonderful to see the structures maintained and some rebuilt to match the original structures that had existed for centuries. This is one culture I am looking forward to seeing more of in Nigeria.
The museum tour ended at the space museum and I was inspired by the feats of man, taking on space and daring to dream big but most especially by Anna Kikina, the only female cosmonaut in the Russian space station.
A news reporter tapped me on my shoulder and after complimenting my outfit asked me why I was listening with such rapt attention to the stories of history and space. I told her that “design, no matter where it is applied, are all parallels drawing from the same lines”. Just as I was inspired by designers on the runway, in the exhibition and at their showroom the speakers and the conversations about fashion, I was also inspired by the principles that built such great structures and the commitment to make history in a world beyond ours; space.
Fed like home
After our museum excursion, I enjoyed a delicious buffet at the Voshod restaurant located just beside the floating bridge, one of Moscow’s tourist attractions. The restaurant boasts a wide variety of comfort food like pulled beef, and rice- such a hard find on restaurant menus and deep-fried seafood. The food was one of my favourite experiences from my time in Moscow, a delightful pause before the runways in the evening.
Day 4: Emotional goodbyes and soft landings
At the start of the final day, I dressed in my jacket from Lioness by TF, layered with a black turtleneck and a white shirt over grey culottes, and polo boots. It was another day of walking and I was excited to explore the metro and learn more about the history of the city. The ancient stations each told a tale of ordinary people and I was especially inspired by the equal representation of women in Soviet history.
I ended my day of walking and hopping trains in the underground mall with a bowl of pho right before the fashion shows began.
For the fashion shows, I wore a sheer turtleneck top for an extra layer of warmth underneath an armless black silk dress by Jessica McClintock. For an extra oomph, I added the half-Obiageli from OBoy Lagos. The piece was made of luxurious layers of soft chiffon that had me feeling like I was wearing clouds. I made sure to match the butterfly accessories in my hair to the golden lining peeking through the black chiffon clouds.
A personal letter
Shatu 1997, the closing runway on this day was an emotional end to my time in Moscow. Her personal letter to every member of the audience, as well as the gift of a necklace from the collection, was a beacon of hope and encouragement for me. Although written in Russian, I was able to understand the contents of the letter after a man named Alexander who spoke good English and better Russian translated some parts of the letter to me. This particular bit struck me:
“…one constant thing remains, you are always the main character of your own story. I hope this letter finds you at just the right moment, offering you a piece of my love and a touch of inspiration.”
As I retired for the night, I kept revisiting the creative experience and the incredible people I met in my short time in Moscow, like Tshegofatso, the South African designer who makes urban wear from leather, in fascinating silhouettes or Elena, a delegate manager at the event who told me she wore colour on the final day because I inspired her to step out of her comfort zone.
Colleagues for days, friends forever
I couldn’t end my time in Moscow without special thanks to these delegate managers who worked with us and held our hands through each day to ensure we had a fulfilling experience. During these 4 days, I built a close friendship with Darla, who shares my love for BTS and K-pop music and wore the most flattering lipsticks; Katie, who had a monochrome outfit every day. I could always trust Elena to lead the way during the fashion shows and Vladislav, my personal manager with his upcoming rock band and vast knowledge of history, was kind enough to be our tour guide around the city.
Expect a deep dive into the many aspects of my experience in Moscow: including my favourite fashion shows, the thought-invoking conversations, and lessons from the summit that could help shape the future of Africa’s fashion industry.
