Feeric Fashion Week 2025: Innovation, Sustainability, and Cultural Dialogue in Sibiu’s Creative Landscape
The 17th edition of Feeric Fashion Week concluded in Sibiu, Romania, marking yet another milestone for this prestigious event. As one of Eastern Europe’s most experimental and internationally influential fashion platforms, Feeric not only showcases cutting-edge design but also emphasizes sustainability, cultural heritage, and social responsibility. This year’s edition, themed “Sustainability, Collective Memory, Responsibility, and Visual Research,” attracted emerging designers, academic institutions, and industry experts from around the world, transforming the historic city of Sibiu into a stage for creativity and visual experimentation.
The week began with educational initiatives, featuring two days of workshops, lectures, and seminars led by internationally renowned professionals. Topics ranged from sustainable fashion and material research to entrepreneurship and innovation. Esteemed speakers such as Sara Sozzani Maino, Giovanni Ottonello, Darja Richter Widhoff, Arielle Levy Verry, Alina Ceușan, Ioana Ciolacu, and Oana Lazăr from NEPI Rockcastle provided students with insights into the latest industry trends and practical experiences. IED – Istituto Europeo di Design awarded free study opportunities to Michał Duraj, Andrada Negru, and Blanka Gotic, while a series of short films from recent graduates highlighted the work of students from Romania, Ukraine, Egypt, Poland, Moldova, Israel, North Macedonia, and Lithuania. These initiatives underscored the essential role of artistic education in shaping the future of fashion, bridging creativity, research, and practice.
The opening show, “Timeless Threads” by Hooldra, set the tone for the week. The collection ingeniously combined deconstructed second-hand clothing with a sustainable approach while drawing inspiration from the 1960s aesthetic. The stage incorporated 3,000 kilograms of textile waste collected over six weeks in Sibiu County, aligning with Feeric chairman Mitichi Preda’s belief that real sustainability begins with waste reduction at the source. Following this, Wijnruit’s OP:1 collection transformed an urban salt storage facility into a runway, featuring modular jackets with detachable sleeves made from military canvas, lace, wool, and custom prints. The designs explored themes of memory, identity, and intergenerational heritage. Non-traditional spaces—including the underground parking at Sibiu Pier, Cisnădie Defense Church, Fabrica Boromir, and the municipal stadium—were transformed into experimental fashion stages, blending industrial textures with historical atmospheres to deliver a unique visual experience.
For the first time, a collective exhibition hosted by Promenada Sibiu brought together fashion education institutions worldwide, highlighting the role of academic training in driving innovation. Ana Farima’s “Bodaprosti” collection used plant-based waste to create eco-leather garments, blending traditional techniques with the evocative imagery of childhood memories and grandmotherly incantations, achieving a harmonious dialogue between heritage and experimentation. INSIDE Upcycling Couture’s “Appearance of Transition │ Transition of Appearance,” displayed in an underground parking garage, repurposed discarded materials to explore the contrast between light and dark, vibrant and monochromatic, revealing the boundless possibilities of sustainable design. WE – Wilczewska Emilia’s “DOM” collection drew inspiration from the home environment, transforming pillows, bedding, and curtains into clothing, evoking warmth and shelter. Bachelor’s and master’s projects from the National University of Arts in Bucharest also emphasized experimentation, combining innovative materials with deeply personal themes. Michal Duraj from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Poland, presented “Escaping Reality,” a collection of faded hues and eco-conscious materials that conveyed nostalgia and fragility, reflecting young designers’ sensitivity to social and cultural emotions.
The second day emphasized the dialogue between fashion, art, and society. The courtyard of Cisnădie Evangelical Church became a venue for presentations and exhibitions, with projects inspired by femininity, solitude, and celestial archetypes. These included reinterpretations of the Romanian romantic poem Luceafărul, merging literary heritage with contemporary design. Blanka Gotić’s “Submission in Fragments” used transparent fabrics, silk taffeta, and natural linen to explore themes of faith, gender, and identity. Six distinct exhibition platforms at the Feeric venue showcased collections focused on sustainability, transformation, and diversity. Gala University’s “Transformation” series combined fairy tale motifs with experimental textile techniques; Donja Gorica University and Arizona State University’s “Unknown Nature” repurposed denim into abstract forms; Sofia National Academy of Arts’ “Symbiosis” emphasized biodiversity and interdisciplinary artistic dialogue through zero-waste practices. Ioulia Louvari’s “Heterogeneity” celebrated inclusivity through diverse textures, Oradea University’s “Errors” examined post-human industrial silhouettes, and Liceul de Arte “Sfânta Maria” presented “Prism Thinking,” highlighting resilience through corsetry and contrasting materials.
At Baia Populară, Viktor Spasov presented VERÈDIA’s “NOCTERA,” merging strength with elegance, while Alina Lazariu’s Dualitae brand redefined the classic white shirt with “The Quiet Icon.” Evening presentations at Promenada Sibiu featured Raluca Elena Cînean’s “SYNERGIA 2025” collection, “Summer is Calling,” blending soft fabrics, gentle tones, and marine motifs to balance comfort and sophistication, signaling the brand’s innovative direction.
The third day included the special HAIDE project, coordinated by Karla Ciambur, which seamlessly integrated traditional Romanian crafts into contemporary cultural dialogue. Artists, artisans, and researchers collaborated in a symbolic “horă” dance celebration, taking place at Cinegold Cinema, to honor cultural identity. Natalie Soto’s “Paper Dolls” collection transformed leftover fabrics into romantic silhouettes, demonstrating beauty and courage emerging from fragments. Sibiu’s municipal stadium served as a platform for student projects, where Western University of Timișoara students explored collective memory, identity, trauma, and renewal through innovative materiality and volumetric experimentation. The University of Arts Iași merged traditional craft, spiritual symbolism, and sustainable deconstruction in their works, creating a dual impact on both visual and conceptual levels. The Feeric Gala at Piața Huet showcased collections such as Kauno Kolegija HEI’s “Cuoricini,” Daiana-Mihaela Stăncioiu’s “UNAPOLOGETIC,” IDA – International Design Academy and IFM’s “Timeless Monochrome,” Balkan International University’s “Reflections,” Kaunas University of Applied Sciences’ traditional revival, and literary bachelor’s and master’s projects from Cluj-Napoca University of Arts and Design. By integrating materials, form, traditional techniques, and sustainable practice, the event communicated fashion’s social and cultural significance.
Feeric Fashion Week 2025 was not merely a visual spectacle but a celebration of education, sustainability, cultural preservation, and social responsibility. Every venue, from industrial parking lots to historic church courtyards, served as a canvas for interdisciplinary innovation. By blending traditional craft, experimental design, and social consciousness, Feeric illustrated the multidimensional value of fashion: as visual art, cultural expression, and a platform for societal reflection. The event reinforced Sibiu’s position on the international fashion map and highlighted Eastern Europe’s growing influence in global fashion. Feeric Fashion Week demonstrated that fashion transcends clothing—it is a medium for cross-cultural communication, environmental awareness, and artistic innovation, allowing audiences to experience both aesthetic delight and meaningful social discourse.