Moldovan Brands Runway SS26 season took place in Chisinau for four days and brought together 19 designers from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. Unlike the classical format, the program was not concentrated in one location: shows and events were held in different city venues – from MEDIACOR and PLAI gallery to showrooms, industrial spaces and the railway station. This format allowed to integrate the event into the urban environment and expand its context.
From trends to individual approach
Content-wise, the focus shifted from the demonstration of trends to the individual approach of designers. The focus was on the materials, construction and personal narratives behind the collections. As a result, the shows were perceived not as a set of individual outfits, but as consistent statements united by a common logic of thoughtful design.
Diabolica opened the season with the collection “Adaptation”. The scenography immediately set the tone for the whole program: in the center of the catwalk was placed a transparent capsule with the designer inside. This image was perceived as a metaphor for a person isolated in an environment overloaded with the effects of pollution.
The fashion show was structured as a sequential performance. Models with emphasized rigid, almost aggressive plasticity of movement appeared on the catwalk. Their images – with elements of mutation and deformation – referred to the theme of human transformation under the influence of environmental factors. The interaction with the viewer was built through direct visual contact, enhancing the effect of involvement.
A more structured approach is demonstrated by the PATRU brand, which considers upcycling not as a stylistic device, but as the basis of the production process. The project is centered on working with already existing materials: DOFAMIN Concept Space archives and Holy Chic resale platform assortment. This creates a closed model in which the availability of materials directly determines the final product.
Each product is created as a unique object and cannot be replicated due to the nature of the original materials, which cannot be reproduced in an identical form. The project is developed under the leadership of creative director Natalia Mitereva and Evgenia Gruzdeva – creator of DOFAMIN and Holy Chic – and is realized through a network of local ateliers where traditional techniques such as embroidery are adapted to modern design.
In terms of business model, the brand has shown quite a high level of control over the product. Each piece is accompanied by a “passport” that specifies the origin of the materials and the production stages, ensuring transparency and traceability. Collections are produced in limited editions and presented exclusively in DOFAMIN Concept Space, which allows controlling distribution and brand positioning.
Rethinking the past
SANNÀT brand presented the project “Avant-garde Child” in the format of a two-part presentation-performance. The format itself became part of the concept: the movement between the spaces reflected the transition from archival memory to its modern reading.
The collection is based on the visual culture of post-Soviet Moldova in the 1990s. However, it is not about reproducing the past, but about reinterpreting it. Familiar codes – silhouettes, prints, materials – are transformed, forming a new visual language through repetition, inheritance and personal interpretation.
The collection is organized around an intergenerational lineage and structured through three images: mother, sister and the designer herself. Through this system, it explores how ideas of femininity are formed in childhood and persist into adulthood. At the center is a transitional state in which personal experiences become part of a larger cultural context.
The silhouettes are based on recognizable shapes – pencil skirts, accentuated shoulders – but they are intentionally transformed. The materials reinforce the effect of time: knitwear, contrasting textures and elements referring to sportswear create a sense of “archivalism”. Prints reminiscent of everyday motifs – tiles or polka dots – balance between recognizability and abstraction.
As a result, SANNÀT offers not a nostalgic statement, but an analysis of the formation of visual identity.
From concept to product
The SS26 Moldovan Brands Runway season showed that the local fashion industry is entering a new stage of development. If earlier the key task was to create a platform and attract attention to Moldovan designers, today the emphasis is shifted to the quality of the product and the sustainability of brands.
One of the key results of the season was the formation of more clearly structured design approaches. The presented collections demonstrate not disparate ideas, but consistent work with form, material and identity. This indicates a transition from the experimental stage to a more mature one, where not only the concept is important, but also its realization in the product.
Separately, it is worth noting the change in approach to local color. Traditional elements are no longer used as a decorative tool and become part of a modern design system. This forms a sustainable identity, understandable and in demand outside the domestic market.
The key outcome of the season is a shift from an idea to a system in which design, production and positioning begin to work as one.
