More than 100 shows are to be held during the Moscow Fashion Weekbesides talks from some of the Russian fashion industry's biggest names.
Among the attendees are SlavaZaitsev, ValentinYudashkin, AlenaAkhmadullina and Julia Dalakian, as well as many newcomers.
The fashion week comes less than four months after wide-ranging sanctions were imposed on Russia, including hundreds of foreign companies pulling out of the country.
French conglomerate LVMH has temporarily closed 124 stores in Russia, while continuing to pay its 3,500 employees.
The Spanish group Inditex, which owns the fast-fashion chain Zara, also temporarily closed 502 stores in Russia as well as its online sales.
Not content with just closing its shops in Russia, fashion brand Chanel has moved to prevent Russians from buying its clothes, perfumes and other luxury goods abroad.
Officials claim the situation opens new opportunities for Russian entrepreneurs but some fashion designers are more skeptical.
Russia’s fashion sector is strongly dependent on imported goods. Most clothing and accessories are bought from imported brands.
OlesyaShipovskaya, Founder, Lesyanebo, says, her brand’s collections are made entirely of foreign materials. There is nothing Russian except for the team. Everything else, from fusible (materials) to any button, any trim, sewing machines, is imported. Her brand is popular not only in Russia but also abroad, worn by Gigi Hadid, Natalia Vodyanova and Eva Chen.
The sales of her clothing brand have increased recently, so she is optimistic about the future.Skalatskaya believes that only hard work can help Russian designers survive in the new reality.
