With Tajuddin's blessing: Tatarstan designers to push aside luxury brands
The first presentation of the Union of Designers of the Republic was held in the open air in Kazan

Tatarstan is going to make a big name for itself in the fashion world: next year, the capital of the republic plans to host Fashion Week-2026, which will involve designers from all over Russia, the BRICS countries and the Arab world. Local fashion designers are already preparing for the promising event. The first presentation of the Union of Designers of Tatarstan was held on the summer terrace of the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan. The initiative was blessed by the Supreme Mufti of Russia Talgat Tajuddin. Read more about it in the report of Realnoe Vremya.
Tatarstan cannot conquer the mass market, but there is a chance to occupy the luxury niche
The creation of the republican Union of Designers in Tatarstan was announced in February of this year. Today, the association held its first presentation. On the summer terrace of the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan, under the setting sun, collections of 14 local brands were presented. In total, there are 90 designers in the republic — the best were selected for the presentation, said the chairman of the union, Larisa Fomina.
“I really, really believe that our cultural code will become noticeable not only among Tatars, but also throughout the world. When we talk about fashion, this is primarily about luxury. In the mass market, unfortunately, it is very difficult for us to compete with China, and we are unlikely to be able to enter there. But at least the luxury niche is relatively free, our task is to occupy it. This is what will shape our culture and our traditions,” she emphasized in her welcoming speech.

Both famous designers and young people who are taking their first steps in the world of fashion took part in the show. The students who won first place in the competition as part of the Student Spring music festival were honored to show their outfits on the catwalk, said the founder of the Buro Banu brand, Elara Shaikhi.
“The collections are very different, the style solutions of the designers differ from each other. In Tatarstan, there is fashion, there are trends, there is an interesting culture that works in completely different ways,” she believes.
“I am grateful to God that Talgat Tajuddin will bless us”
Minister of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan Vladimir Leonov, Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic for Tourism Sergey Ivanov, Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Republic of Tatarstan Irina Volynets were among the guests of the evening. The presentation of the Union of Designers also aroused the interest of representatives of decent fashion: for example, the show was watched by the organizer of Fashion Iftar, blogger Dzhannat Mingazova and the creative director of the Muslim clothing brand Sabr Aliya Gimadeyeva.
However, the most unexpected guest of the show was the Supreme Mufti of Russia Talgat Tajuddin. He emphasized that designers are those who have dedicated their lives to “helping people feel happy in this world.” According to Larisa Fomina, the mufti’s visit was a happy coincidence. Her friend shared information about the upcoming event with Talgat Tajuddin.

“He (author’s note: the Supreme Mufti) says: “I will support this.” That is, this is his initiative, for us this is a great blessing. I am simply grateful to God that he will come and bless us,” the chairperson of the Union of Designers of Tatarstan shared before the show.
The Union supports the development of the national code of all the peoples of Tatarstan
As the organizers promised, the designers rethought the Tatar cultural code in different ways. There were collections that fit the modest fashion category, with classic elements of Tatar clothing — kalfaks, izyu, national ornaments. There were also outfits inspired by modern trends.
Buro Banu presented both last year's looks and the first men's collection. “These are quilted items, embroidery of the Tatar ornament, which is very beautifully integrated into the clothes. We made a fairly casual collection in gray-brown tones. We will see how men react to it,” said Elara Shaikhi.

The announcement of the upcoming autumn-winter collection was made at the show by the Rustam brand. “This is an elegant group, let's say, for some special occasions. The colour palette is silver-turquoise. The [national] code is certainly present, but it does not scream. Those who understand what I mean will definitely feel and see it," explained designer Rustam Askhakov.
At the same time, as Larisa Fomina noted, the Union of Designers is interested in developing the national code of all peoples living in Tatarstan.
In a year, Kazan will hold an international fashion show
This show is just the beginning, the organizers said. Next spring, the republic will host an international event — Kazan Fashion Week 2026.

“We will gather the best designers from Tatarstan, Russia, BRICS member countries, and not necessarily BRICS — these will be people from the entire Arab world, which is interesting to us. That is, it will be a good collaboration. There are also very talented designers there. There are those who simply strictly follow their national traditions, but this is a bit boring. I am in favour of fashion being modern and taking into account national and cultural codes,” Larisa Fomina said in response to a question from Realnoe Vremya.
However, at the fashion show of decent fashion, as part of the recent KazanForum, there were no works by a single Tatarstan designer. Russia was represented by only two brands — from Ufa and Vladivostok. But designers from Indonesia, Qatar, the UAE and other countries brought their collections. “For me, this was also sad. I don't know what this is connected with,” the chairperson of the Union of Designers of Tatarstan answered the correspondent of our newspaper.
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