Fashion Futurum 2017: What came out

On March 16-17, 2017 the Manege Central Exhibition Hall saw the two-day Fashion Futurum international conference thus becoming the central stage for the main display of innovative fashion technologies. Business program of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia consisted of panel discussions, public talks, workshops and presentations of startups in several zones of the Manege Central Exhibition Hall. More than 30 global fashion industry experts from 9 countries gathered in Moscow’s downtown to discuss modern trends and the current challenges the industry is facing. The main topic of the conference was the destruction of fashion industry stereotypes, its transformation under the influence of the scientific and technological revolution.

For two days global fashion industry experts have been discussing such topics, as What Should Modern Education Be Like; Fashion Professions Foresight and Expectations; Scouting and Promotion of Young Designers; What Is Going on in Fashion Industry; What Are the Stages of Designer Workflow, from the Concept to Its Implementation and Participation in a Runway Show; Technology as the Driver for Fashion Industry Development and How to Work with the New Tech; Prospects of Brands, How to Start Your Own Business and What Should Project Authors Take Into Consideration.

Fashion Futurum featured participation of the following experts: Karim Rashid (Designer, USA), Pascal Morand (Executive President, French Federation of the Haute Couture and Pret-a-porter, France), Carlos Espinosa de Los Monteros (High Government Commissioner for the Spain Brand, Spain), Michael Burke (Head of Industry, Fashion, Sports & Toys, Google, USA), Scott Emmons (Head of the Innovation Lab, Neiman Marcus, USA), Danilo Venturi (Dean, Polimoda, Italy), Covadonga O’Shea (Founder, ISEM Fashion Business School, author of the bestselling Zara Phenomenon, Spain), Dmitry Kolobov (Head of Department of Socially Important Products, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Russia), Jeffry Aronsson (Founder and CEO, Aronsson Group LLC, USA), Sylvie Ebel (Executive Director, L’Institut Francais de la Mode, France), David Monteith (Fashion & Apparel Director, Flextronics, USA), Victor Evtuhov (State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Russia), Alexander Shumsky (Executive President, Russian Fashion Council, Russia), Ekaterina Inozemtseva (Vice-President, Skolkovo Foundation, Russia) were among the speakers and mentors at Fashion Futurum International Conference.

On March 17 Fashion Futurum also featured the Innovation Show, organized by the Russian Fashion Council and Skolkovo Foundation. Finalists of the Innovative Solutions for Fashion Industry and Retail contest presented their startup projects. Global product verification system, virtual tailor, digital 3D solutions for production and selling of clothes, distant cues from a fashion consultant, personal shopping chatbot assistant, functional prosthetic device as a modern fashion accessory, artificial intelligence capable of designing clothes and interactive showcase project along with many other original projects were presented in the Manege Central Exhibition Hall.

Fashion Futurum is a noncommercial project by the Russian Fashion Council that was launched in 2016 and is conducted with the support from Russian Fashion Council, Moscow’s Department of Culture, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Agency for Strategic Initiatives, Skolkovo Foundation. Fashion Futurum International Conference aims to develop a new approach to fashion in Russia.