Leading international fashion exhibition.
Moscow, Russia – Twice annually, the expansive halls of Crocus Expo in Moscow transform into the undisputed nerve center of Russia’s fashion industry. COLLECTION PREMIÈRE MOSCOW (CPM), now approaching its 45th edition, has weathered geopolitical realignments, shifting supply chains, and the exodus of Western retail giants to emerge not merely intact, but demonstrably strengthened as the flagship fashion business event for Russia and Central Asia.
Founded in 2003, CPM has evolved from a bridge between European fashion houses and the emerging Russian market into a distinctly multi-polar business platform where domestic champions now stand alongside suppliers from Turkey, China, India, and those European manufacturers who have maintained their commitment to Russian buyers. The February 2026 edition promises to be the largest yet, with approximately 1,000 participating brands and an expected 20,000 retail professionals converging on Moscow for the Fall-Winter 2026/27 ordering season.
Market Position and Scale
CPM’s dominance in the Eastern European fashion exhibition landscape is difficult to overstate. The September 2025 (44th) edition featured 900 collections from 23 countries, attracting over 22,000 visitors in February 2025 and sustaining comparable attendance in the autumn. These figures place CPM significantly ahead of any competing regional fashion event.
What distinguishes CPM from traditional European fashion weeks is its unabashed commercial focus. This is not primarily a platform for avant-garde artistic expression or media spectacle—though fashion shows feature prominently—but rather a massive B2B ordering event where retailers from across Russia’s 11 time zones and CIS countries place pre-orders for upcoming seasons. The exhibition’s enduring value proposition remains remarkably consistent: developing business connections, sharing industry knowledge, and facilitating the concrete transactional work of apparel procurement.
Organizational Evolution
CPM’s organizational history reflects the broader transformation of Russia’s economic landscape. Originally operated as a joint venture between Messe Düsseldorf Moscow and Igedo Company, the exhibition benefited from German exhibition expertise and international brand relationships. Following 2022, operational control transferred to Expo Fusion, the Russian entity that now manages the event independently.
This transition has not diminished the exhibition’s professional standards. The September 2025 opening ceremony featured Alexander Shaikov, General Director of Expo Fusion, alongside Mustafa Gültepe, President of Istanbul’s Ready-Made Clothing Exporters’ Association (iHKiB), and Alberto Scaccioni, head of Italy’s Ente Moda Italia—underscoring the continued importance of Turkish and Italian partnerships. The presence of these senior international industry figures signals that while ownership structures have changed, CPM’s international character endures.
Exhibition Structure and Specialized Segments
CPM’s scale necessitates sophisticated segmentation. The exhibition floor is organized into specialized salons that allow buyers to navigate efficiently:
Main Hall serves as the core exhibition space, featuring women’s, men’s, and children’s wear across price segments from mass-market to premium designer collections. Headlining Russian brands consistently include Kisselenko, Dreams by Alena Akhmadullina, Eleganzza, Alexander Bogdanov, Vira Plotnikova, Savage, Business Line, Hass, First in Space, and LeseL.
dreams by CPM operates as a dedicated exhibition within the exhibition, occupying its own hall (Hall 13) and showcasing approximately 70 brands from 7 countries specializing in lingerie, beachwear, homewear, fitness apparel, and fashion erotica. Regular participants include Tezido, Le Journal Intime, alongside international brands represented by Caterina Group, El Punto, Sollery Fashion, and Niada Showroom. This specialized segment has grown sufficiently mature to host its own expert dialogue program, RFRF dreams dialogue.
CPM shop & retail solutions addresses the operational infrastructure of fashion retail. This section features manufacturers of retail equipment, display technologies, packaging solutions, and service providers spanning logistics, finance, store design, branding, and even retail space aromatization. The September 2025 edition saw participation from Ozon Bank, Torgkomplekt, Trygone, and Retaility, reflecting the convergence of physical retail and financial technology. An awards ceremony, the CPM shop & retail solutions awards, recognizes excellence in these supporting industries.
CPM kids has emerged as a distinct segment with dedicated exhibition space and networking opportunities. The September 2025 edition introduced the MULT LOUNGE, a specialized business lounge created in partnership with ‘0+ Media’ to facilitate connections between children’s retail players and licensed merchandise professionals.
Additional specialized zones have evolved over successive editions: CPM Prime for premium designer collections, CPM accessories for complementary goods, CPM details for small-run jewelry and accessory production, CPM brand corner supporting SME manufacturers, CPM school for fashion education institutions, and CPM fashion connect, a dedicated platform connecting employers with job seekers in the fashion sector.
The Russian Fashion Retail Forum: Strategic Intelligence Hub
If the exhibition floor represents CPM’s commercial engine, the Russian Fashion Retail Forum (RFRF) constitutes its strategic brain. Running concurrently with the exhibition across multiple halls and stages, RFRF has evolved into one of Russia’s premier gatherings for retail intelligence.
The September 2025 forum featured 206 top speakers across 62 separate events. Notably, approximately 50% of speakers were debutantes, and organizers deliberately expanded beyond the traditional fashion ecosystem to include executives from banking, investment funds, PR and HR agencies, shopping center management, logistics, and e-commerce. Participants included Ozon Bank, MTS, Skolkovo Moscow School of Management, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, Magnit Market, and Pioneer Group.
This cross-sectoral approach reflects recognition that fashion retail no longer operates in isolation. Strategic sessions drew upon research from leading analysts including Fashion Consulting Group, RBC Market Research, Data Insight, FashionBuzz, Dynasty, and K&P Agency. International trend forecasting bureaus remain prominently featured, with Carlin Creative Trend Bureau (France), FutureSnoops (USA), and Trendsite (UK) providing global perspective. Technical seminars addressed practical compliance issues, including sessions on the Chestny Znak mandatory digital labeling system conducted by the Center for Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT).
The forum structure encompasses multiple formats: public talks on the main stage, expert dialogues for specialized segments, workshops demonstrating products and services, and exclusive business breakfasts (Coffee Talk) for intimate networking.
International Participation: The New Geometry
CPM’s international composition has undergone profound transformation. Pre-2022, the exhibition was dominated by European brands, particularly German and Italian houses with longstanding relationships through Messe Düsseldorf. Today’s exhibitor roster reflects a multi-polar world.
Turkey has emerged as CPM’s most significant international partner. The September 2025 opening ceremony featured the president of iHKiB as a keynote speaker, underscoring Turkey’s strategic importance. Turkish manufacturers now occupy substantial exhibition space, with many reporting robust order volumes.
China, India, and Colombia have substantially increased their presence. The September 2025 edition featured dedicated China Fashion Show presentations on the CPM fashion stage. Indian participation is actively promoted through diplomatic channels; the Indian Embassy in Moscow has published official invitations encouraging Indian fashion brands to participate, describing CPM as “the most important fashion platform in Eastern Europe” with over 1,370 international brands at peak.
European participation continues, though with altered composition. Italian brands remain visible, supported by Ente Moda Italia’s ongoing commitment. French lingerie brands maintain a notable presence; Valege & You celebrated its fifth anniversary with a dedicated runway show at the September 2025 edition. Spanish and Greek manufacturers participate regularly, alongside brands from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Russian regions have strengthened their collective presence. The September 2025 exhibition featured collective designer stands from Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Kaluga, Ryazan, Tambov, Tver, Krasnodar, Kazan, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. This regional diversification reflects the decentralization of Russian apparel manufacturing and the emergence of creative clusters beyond the capital.
CPM Fashion Stage: Where Commerce Meets Spectacle
While CPM prioritizes business transactions, the CPM fashion stage provides essential visibility and emotional resonance. The September 2025 program featured more than 30 companies and brands in multibranded catwalk presentations.
The St. Petersburg brand KISSELENKO opened the runway schedule, establishing immediate creative energy. Subsequent presentations featured UNKE, TRUVOR, 139DEC, COSITA LINDA, DISPACCI, HARLER, HOOPS, JANTZEN, KAZARIAN, VIRA PLOTNIKOVA, SHEDO, SOCRAT, TWEAR, VIAJAR A COLOMBIA, and a collective presentation from Tver designers alongside Chinese exhibitors.
Separate dedicated shows were mounted by BUSINESS LINE, CHARMY WHITE, VALEGE, and CATERINA GROUP & 5DONNA. The latter, a combined fashion show and public talk format, exemplified CPM’s hybrid approach to blending entertainment with business insight.
The fashion stage attracts not only trade buyers and journalists but also public figures from theater, film, and music. The September 2025 attendance included Olesya Sudzilovskaya, Irina Bezrukova, Evelina Bledans, Inna Zhirkova, and Irina Lachina, alongside stylists and influencers. Celebrity attendance amplifies media coverage and elevates CPM’s cultural cachet beyond purely trade circles.
Trend Forecasting: Shaping Commercial Assortment
CPM’s trend zones serve a critical commercial function, translating abstract international runway concepts into actionable buying guidance for Russian retailers. Throughout the exhibition, Hall 13 hosts immersive trend installations developed in collaboration with Caterina Group, Torgkomplekt, Design Studio Maneken, and creative bureau Real Profit Group.
For Spring-Summer 2026, the creative team identified seven key colors based on forecasts from WGSN and Coloro, constructing complete look concepts that demonstrated how these colors translate into commercially viable collections. This practical translation of trend information—moving from abstract color numbers to tangible garments—represents significant value addition for regional retailers who cannot attend multiple international fashion capitals.
International trend bureaus participate directly in the educational program. Trendsite.com (UK) delivered a comprehensive Spring-Summer 2026 trend review on September 4, 2025. The consistent presence of Carlin Creative Trend Bureau, FutureSnoops, and Trendsite ensures Russian retailers maintain access to global fashion intelligence despite restricted travel and information flows.
Venue and Logistics
Following its relocation from Expo Center to Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre, CPM now operates from purpose-built exhibition infrastructure. The September 2025 edition occupied three halls, with dreams by CPM in Hall 13, main exhibition activities spanning adjacent spaces, and fashion stage presentations concentrated in Hall 15.
Crocus Expo’s location at Myakinino metro station on the Moscow Ring Road provides direct public transport access, while substantial on-site parking accommodates regional visitors arriving by automobile. The venue’s scale—over 600,000 square meters of total exhibition space—allows CPM to grow without spatial constraints.
The Road Ahead: CPM February 2026
All indicators suggest continued expansion. The 45th edition, scheduled for February 17-20, 2026, will present Fall-Winter 2026/27 collections. Organizers project participation of approximately 1,000 exhibiting companies and attendance exceeding 20,000 retail professionals.
This sustained growth reflects structural realities. As international fast-fashion retailers have withdrawn from Russia, domestic brands and multi-brand retailers have expanded to fill available floor space and capture shifting consumer loyalty. These emerging retail champions require robust supply relationships, whether with domestic manufacturers, Turkish suppliers, or Asian exporters. CPM provides the most efficient mechanism for establishing and maintaining these connections.
Simultaneously, Russian brands with export ambitions increasingly view CPM as a platform for attracting buyers from Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, and other CIS markets. The exhibition’s stated positioning as the flagship for Russia and Central Asia reflects deliberate strategy to expand catchment area beyond the Russian Federation.
COLLECTION PREMIÈRE MOSCOW has successfully navigated one of the most turbulent periods in modern Russian economic history. Having lost its original European organizational parentage and witnessed the departure of many Western brands, CPM might reasonably have contracted. Instead, it has expanded, reconstituting its international exhibitor base around Turkish, Chinese, Indian, and committed European suppliers while elevating Russian brands to headliner status.
The exhibition’s enduring success rests on three foundations. First, its uncompromising commercial focus—CPM exists to facilitate orders, not merely to generate media impressions. Second, its informational density—the Russian Fashion Retail Forum delivers actionable intelligence that justifies travel investment for regional retailers. Third, its adaptive capacity—CPM has repeatedly demonstrated ability to reconfigure itself in response to market disruption while maintaining professional standards.
For international brands seeking sustained access to the Russian apparel market, and for Russian retailers seeking global product assortment, CPM remains not merely relevant but indispensable. As the February 2026 edition approaches, the exhibition enters its third decade with confirmed relevance and demonstrated resilience—the essential qualities for any institution navigating Russia’s contemporary business environment.
