Supporting Local Brands. Building Infrastructure for Growth

Over the past 3–4 years, the Russian fashion market has experienced a real boom in local brands. However, the period of import substitution and rapid expansion is giving way to a test of resilience: the brands that survive and grow are those that have managed to restructure their processes and build sustainable, systematic businesses.The next step for successful local brands is to break through the “glass ceiling” of the domestic market, achieve significant scale, and enter international markets. At this stage, the rules of the game become much more complex. At both stages, infrastructure plays a key role: fashion weeks, showrooms, specialized industrial parks, educational platforms, as well as access to debt and venture financing. Without this support, even the most promising talent risks remaining a micro-business. How can we create an environment in which local brands can grow, scale, and successfully enter international markets?

• Looking back, what factors determined the resilience of new Russian brands during a period of turbulence, and what role did government support measures play?
• Should we expect a new boom in local brands in the near future — a more “pragmatic” one rather than a “romantic” one? Or is there simply no room left in the market?
• What does the fashion industry support ecosystem in Russia look like today, and which critical links — from logistics to IT — require priority development?
• Do related industries, particularly light manufacturing, provide sufficient support for deep localization — not only of design, but of production itself?
• What role do private initiatives — accelerators, coworking spaces, B2B platforms, and investment funds — play in scaling brands?
• How can the education system be redesigned so that local brands have access to specialists with not only creative skills, but also strong management and technological competencies?
• What successful cases of supporting local brands and helping them enter international markets exist across BRICS countries, and which elements of this experience could be scaled to the Russian market?