Ethiopian shemane (weaver) at work. Nathan Abebe / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mahlet Teklemariam, founder of Hub of Africa Fashion Week, will represent Ethiopia’s fashion industry at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow. The meeting runs from September 28 to September 30, 2026. Business leaders, designers, manufacturers, and investors from emerging markets are expected to gather there.
Capital Ethiopia reported the news on September 27, 2026. For Ethiopian designers, weavers, and garment makers, the summit is a chance to show local talent on a wider stage. It can also connect them with new buyers and partners outside the usual fashion capitals.
Hub of Africa Fashion Week
Hub of Africa Fashion Week began in Addis Ababa in 2010. The event mixes shows with workshops, trade talks, and meetings with buyers. Capital Ethiopia said the event “has played a role in supporting Ethiopian designers and showcasing local creative talent.”
Mahlet was born in Addis Ababa and later studied marketing and business in New York. She returned to Ethiopia and focused on linking craft, design, and commerce. In 2025 she joined the Business of Fashion BoF 500 list, which names people who shape the global fashion industry.
What the Summit Offers
Organisers describe the BRICS+ Fashion Summit as a major forum for countries whose fashion, textile, and manufacturing sectors are growing fast. Since its start, the summit has hosted specialists from 109 countries. This year’s programme will discuss supply chains, manufacturing, consumer trends, technology, and regional markets.
More than 250 speakers are expected, and topics include cultural identity as a business strength, artificial intelligence in design and retail, and selling across borders. Mahlet said the summit goes beyond the runway because it creates dialogue, knowledge sharing, networking, and cross-border collaboration. She also noted that emerging markets matter more today, and that direct links between markets are needed.
Ethiopia has long drawn interest as a textile and garment centre. The country has cotton resources, industrial parks, and a young workforce. Local designers and entrepreneurs also seek clearer routes to regional and world customers. For them, meetings with manufacturers, retailers, investors, and fashion associations can open export paths, from large garment orders to smaller designer collaborations.
African Voices in Moscow
Mahlet will join other African fashion leaders in the Russian capital. They include Nana Addo Tamakloe of Accra Fashion Week in Ghana, Brian James Kihindas of Nairobi Fashion Week in Kenya, and Mmantlha Sankoloba of the Botswana Exporters and Manufacturers Association. Together, they represent fashion platforms and trade groups from several African countries at the summit.
The summit coincides with Moscow Fashion Week, which runs from September 26 to October 1, 2026. Organisers expect more than 70 runway shows by designers from many countries. Summit guests can watch new collections and meet fashion professionals during the same trip.
With Mahlet’s trip, a fashion platform that started in Addis Ababa will be represented at a major international industry meeting this week.
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