(Source: https://buzzsouthafrica.com)

The  South  African  Government  through  the  Department  of  Arts  and  Culture, and  the  Mpumalanga  Department  of  Culture,  Sport  and  Recreation  will  participate  in  the  Traditional Costumes and Design Exhibition to be held from the 6th of March until the end of May 2018 at the All Russia Decorative Art Museum in Moscow, Russia. 

The  exhibition  serves  as  an  expression  of  inspiration  in  the  form  of  traditional  costumes  and contemporary fashion designs and accessories. The garments, artifact and accessories will be samples  accessed  from  cooperatives,  cultural  groups  and  local  designers.  The  Exhibition  will  also   display   selected   beautiful   objects   from   South   Africa   as
identified   by   the   National Department of Arts and Culture.

The visitors to the exhibition will also have an opportunity to purchase souvenirs similar to some of the items and accessories, which will be on show in the exhibition. The Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation will use the “Pop-Up Store” concept at the museum shop to create a sustainable  profitable  market  for  local  crafters  and  designers  in  Russia.  The  Pop-Up  shop  will be operated until May 2018 and it will sell various artistic products including Neck Pieces, Hand Bridal   Beads,   Ponchos   and   Ndebele   Dolls   from   selected   crafters   and   designers   from Cooperatives across the country.

The  programme  also  includes  participation  in  the Moscow  Mercedes  Benz  Fashion  Week from  the 10th – 16th  of  March  in  Russia which  is  expected  to  be  attended  by  fashion designers,  buyers  and  manufacturers  from  across  the  world. The  National  Department  of  Arts and  Culture  will  support  four  designers from  South  Africa - Maxhosa,  ERRE,  Rich  Mnisi  and Ekta who will be part of the Fashion Week. They will be provided with a platform to showcase
their  work  which  will  be  a  collection  of  contemporary  designs;  which  will  give  them  great international exposure and opportunities.

The SA Designers show will take place at 18:00. After all other designers have showcased their collections, at 22:00
the South African designers will have  the  opportunity  to  meet  with  buyers  and  discuss  further  about  their  collections
and possible business ventures surfacing.

The last leg of the programme in Moscow will be the participation of Human Museum Scientists from South Africa and Russia in a Museum Collaboration Workshop. This capacity building and idea  sharing  workshop  is  aimed  at  encouraging  sustainable long  term  collaboration  between South  Africa  and  Russia  in  the  following  areas  among  others:  Performance  Management  and Governance,    Preservation    and    Conservation    Programme,    Exhibition,    Experts    and Expertise/Knowledge  Exchanges,  New  media  and  Technology  in Museum  Management  and
Presentation, Audience Development and Educational Programmes.

All these activities are part of the South Africa and Russia Cultural Seasons, which are aimed at displaying, promoting and sharing artistic expertise and excellence between the two countries in a  quest  to  strengthen  cultural  and  people  to  people  relations  and  expand  cultural  trade  and cultural  tourism.  The  government  of  South  Africa  and  the  Russian  Federation  signed  an agreement on cooperation in the field of Arts and Culture on the 29th of April 1999 which  was
ratified  in  2008.  Areas  of  focus  for  the  agreement  include  Heritage,  Film,  Music,  Theatre, Exhibitions,  Festivals,  Song  and  Dance,  Cuisine,  Cultural  Economy,  Institutional  Collaboration and other Multidisciplinary Activities.

The Director General for the Department of Arts and Culture, Mr.  Vusimuzi Mkhize, will lead the South  African  Official  Opening  Ceremony  themed:  Africa  Explosion:  “Traditional  Motifs  in Fashion  and  Design  from  South  Africa  on  the  6th  of  March  at the  All-Russian  Decorative  Art Museum in Moscow, Delegatskaya, 3 at 13h00. The  attractions  for  the  South  African  exhibition  will  include  traditional  costumes  created  by different cultural groups in South Africa from monochrome San Clothes to multi-coloured sets of Ndebele people.

Issued by the Department of Arts and Culture

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia

It has been over thirty seasons and fifteen years that Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia is operating in Russia.  During all these years Russian fashion industry gave the world a whole bunch of fashion stars. It was to a large extent MBFW Russia that was the first to set the professional directions and rules in the Russian fashion environment. A series of seasonal fashion shows of Russian designers which Artefact Agency (owner of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia and Russian Fashion Week) started doing in 1999, became the new milestone in Russian fashion world. Since then the Fashion Week has changed several names – from the local brand Russian Pret-a-porte Fashion Week to the national Russian Fashion Week, finally changing the name to the global one - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. Recent years the permanent venue of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia has become Central Manezh. However Russian fashion is no longer restricted even by the walls of Manezh, anyone can see live broadcasts from the runway of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia and enjoy new collections from Russian designers online from any place of the world.

The main reference points of Fashion Week remained former - to look for new names, give to designers new opportunities,  propagandize the Russian fashion within the country and beyond its limits. 

Since establishment of the Fashion Week, over 400 designers and brands have been demonstrated on the runway. Among all-time participants of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia are the best names of the Russian fashion such as Slava Zaitsev, Alena Akhmadullina, Dasha Gauser, VIVA VOX, Julia Dalakian, Julia Nikolaeva, Laroom, PIROSMANI BY JENYA MALYGINA and many others. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia offers convenient, clear and familiar format welcoming foreign designers, buyers and mass media. The largest fashion event in Eastern Europe attracts international well-known brands including Vivienne Westwood, JC de Castelbajac, COSTUME NATIONAL, Frankie Morello, Julien Macdonald, Francesco Smalto, Jeremy Scott. At different times, guests of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia were top models, members of royal houses, major characters of the world fashion, movie stars, well-known Russian and international bloggers, best personalities of the world fashion magazines. In the first rows one could spot Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Her Highness Sirivannavari Nariratana – Princess of Thailand, Karolina Kurkowa, Joan Smalls, Jessica Stam, Steven Seagal, Boy George, Ornella Muti, Boris Becker, Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and many other. Meanwhile legendary Jean-Charles de Castelbajac dedicated one of his pictures to Russian Fashion Week.

Russia-IC is a media partner of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia.