Fashion Influence Is Moving Beyond the Capitals That Once Controlled It

Modavision has reportedly generated substantial international organic engagement in a relatively short period. What has driven that response most strongly: the competition format, digital accessibility, national representation, or fatigue with closed industry systems?
Olga IF: I believe the decisive factor has been the architecture of the Modavision format itself.

First of all, it is the format of national representation. Not only designers participate as authors of collections, but also the cultural identities of different countries. This naturally attracts the interest of international audiences.

A very important element is audience participation through real-time voting. In a certain sense, real people become part of the process of international recognition of designers, rather than only closed professional industry structures.

Another important factor is the idea of healthy creative interaction between countries. This interaction is not built around commercial pressure but around cultural expression and design vision, creating a space of respect and mutual interest between participants.

The novelty of the participation model has also played a significant role. Today, designers seek international visibility, but traditionally this requires constant presence at shows in different countries. Modavision creates an opportunity to reach a global audience through one international platform without the need for continuous travel and complex industry logistics.

In addition, the project creates space for presenting craft techniques and cultural traditions that often remain outside the attention of the commercial fashion industry. It is important for us that through Modavision not only contemporary design solutions become visible, but also the cultural heritage of different countries.

We also see Modavision as a socially significant cultural platform capable of supporting educational initiatives, intercultural dialogue, and projects aimed at fostering respect and cooperation through creativity.

It is precisely this combination of national representation, audience participation, accessibility of the international stage for designers, and attention to the cultural and social dimensions of fashion that forms a new model of emerging talent on the global fashion map—and largely explains the organic international response the project has received in such a short time.

Public voting creates reach and excitement, but it can also favour visibility over merit. How have you designed the judging structure so that strong design work is not overshadowed by popularity dynamics?
Olga IF: For us, it was essential that audience participation in voting be based on familiarity with the designers’ work rather than on a random impression.

That is why, even before the competition begins, the international public will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the participants’ creativity through press publications and media materials about the designers. In addition, on the first day of the programme, one look from each designer will be presented in the format of a city exhibition across different urban locations. This allows audiences to see the works in advance and form a more informed opinion before the final voting begins.

At the same time, an important role in the evaluation structure is played by the international professional jury, which ensures an expert assessment of the artistic level of the presented collections.

Of course, voting is always a complex process and naturally generates discussion. This happens in all international competitions and even in sports events where audience participation is part of the culture of the event itself.

In Modavision, audience participation is not an alternative to professional evaluation—it is a fundamental part of the format. It allows society to become part of the international cultural dialogue and makes the process of recognising designers more open and contemporary.

It is precisely the combination of prior familiarity with the designers’ work, expert jury evaluation, and audience participation that creates a balanced system where professional standards are maintained while a new model of global audience interaction with fashion is formed.

Building an international network is difficult even for well-funded organisations. For a smaller independent platform, what have been the hardest practical challenges in establishing delegations across territories such as Latin America, Ireland and Ukraine?
Olga IF: One of the main challenges in forming international delegations has been not so much organisational interaction as building trust in a new international participation format.

Modavision involves representation of a country, and this means that for designers it is not simply participation in a show, but the responsibility of representing their culture on an international stage. For many, this is both a great honour and a serious professional step beyond the usual format of participation in standard runway shows.

Since the project is a new international format, it is natural that there is a stage of understanding its scale and opportunities. That is why from the very beginning it was important for me to demonstrate the level of responsibility and strength of the initiative behind the project. My professional path contributed to this, including the establishment of two Guinness World Records™, which became international confirmation of the seriousness and scale of the work behind Modavision and helped strengthen trust among designers and partners.

An additional factor is the difference in professional cultures and mindsets in different countries, which affects communication and the speed of decision-making.

For example, in a country such as Ireland, where the professional environment is relatively compact, entering a broader international stage requires additional time and consistent work in building international connections. On my side, I work with institutional structures that support culture and international projects. Such support exists and plays an important role, but access to it requires time and serious professional effort. That is why trust in a new international format develops gradually.

In Latin American countries, an important factor remains not only economic conditions, which objectively complicate participation in international projects, but also differences in professional mindset and interaction structures within the industry. At the same time, this region has a very strong creative potential and vibrant design schools that particularly benefit from access to international platforms. Therefore, building trust and sustainable professional connections requires time but produces very meaningful results for international cultural dialogue.

At the same time, it is especially important to note that in Ukraine we observe the opposite dynamic: despite the difficult situation in the country, designers demonstrate a high level of readiness to participate because they perceive international cultural presence as an opportunity to express the freedom and voice of their country through creativity.

International collaborations between participants from different regions gradually help overcome differences in professional contexts and form a space of trust that becomes the foundation for the sustainable international development of Modavision.

And this process clearly shows that today the formation of international cultural platforms no longer depends only on traditional industry centres. It is built through cooperation between countries, through the trust of designers, and through their willingness to represent their culture on a global stage. In this sense, Modavision becomes a space where a new international network of creative interaction between regions is being formed.

Modavision is linked to tourism promotion, urban activation and institutional partnerships. When municipalities or tourism bodies support an event like this, what outcomes should they reasonably expect beyond short-term media attention?
Olga IF: For a city, participation in such an international format primarily means long-term international positioning as a contemporary cultural platform for open dialogue between countries.

Modavision brings together designers from different nations, international guests, industry professionals, and a broad online audience. This directly contributes to the development of cultural tourism and strengthens the city’s international visibility.

At the same time, the project generates a noticeable economic effect for the local urban environment. During the event, activity increases across the hospitality sector, restaurants, retail spaces, and local businesses, supporting the growth of the city’s economic dynamics.

Equally important is the long-term impact. When a city becomes the host location of an international competition based on national representation and the selection of the Best Designer in the World, it forms a lasting image of the territory as a point of global cultural interaction and enhances its investment and tourism attractiveness.

There is also an effect well known from the experience of the film industry and major international festivals: after an event takes place, interest in its location continues. People want to visit the city and see the space where the international cultural event happened. This creates an additional long-term tourism flow and supports the economic development of the territory even after the competition has concluded.

In addition, participation in such a format strengthens institutional cooperation between cultural organisations, tourism structures, and international partners, and these connections continue working beyond the duration of the event itself.

That is why supporting Modavision provides cities with tourism, economic, and strategic image-building results simultaneously and strengthens their position on the international cultural map.

Founder-led projects often grow quickly but can struggle to outgrow the founder. What structures are you putting in place to ensure Modavision can endure as an institution rather than remain dependent on your personal drive and visibility?
Olga IF: From the very beginning, the structure of Modavision was designed as an international platform rather than an author-centred initiative.

Modavision was created as a format that brings together countries, fashion industry professionals, international media, institutional partners, and a wide audience. It is precisely this multi-level structure of interaction that makes it not a personal initiative, but a space for international cultural cooperation.

The format of national representation means that the development of the project takes place through the participation of the international professional community. Designers participate as cultural representatives of their countries, alongside an international jury, media partners, and institutional structures of the host cities.

In addition, audience participation through real-time voting creates an additional level of international engagement and makes the project part of a global public cultural process.

By its architecture, Modavision is a format capable of developing across different countries and cultural contexts. For this reason, it is shaped not as the initiative of one individual, but as an international platform and cultural movement that brings together countries, professional communities, media, and society around the idea of cultural interaction through fashion.

It is precisely this structure that allows Modavision to develop naturally as a sustainable international cultural institution.

Modavision speaks the language of unity and cultural exchange, yet the world is moving through trade fragmentation, visa barriers and geopolitical tension. How do you build a genuinely international platform when the global environment is becoming less open?
Olga IF: It is precisely in such periods that international cultural platforms become especially important.

We know well examples of formats that continue to unite countries even during complex moments in global history—such as the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, or Eurovision. These events create a space for live international interaction between societies both offline and through global audiences.

Modavision develops according to a similar logic of cultural interaction through creativity. Designers participate in the project as cultural representatives of their countries, and the platform itself becomes a space for international dialogue through the language of fashion.

Even in conditions of visa restrictions and political fragmentation, it remains essential to preserve formats that allow countries to continue cultural cooperation and maintain professional connections between creative communities.

In this sense, Modavision brings people together through culture, beauty, and creativity. When the world becomes more divided, it becomes especially important to maintain international spaces of communication where representatives of different countries can meet, collaborate, and be heard by a global audience.

For me, therefore, Modavision is not only a competition for designers, but an international cultural platform that helps sustain dialogue between countries through the language of fashion.

For a small organisation pursuing global scale, the risk is often not lack of ambition but overextension. Over the next three years, what do you see as the bigger threat to Modavision: funding pressure, operational complexity, competitive imitation, or maintaining credibility as you expand?
Olga IF: I do not see overextension as the main risk for the development of the project.

As more countries, institutional partners, and international media join Modavision, the project naturally evolves beyond being the initiative of one individual and becomes a platform of international collaboration. In this process, support is directed not toward me personally as the creator, but toward the development of a new international format of interaction through fashion.

As for competition, Modavision is developing as a unique format of national representation in the field of fashion. It creates its own space for international cultural interaction, so the question is not so much about competition as about the emergence of a new model of cooperation between countries through creativity.

Like any significant international initiative, Modavision naturally generates discussion and different reactions. I see this as a normal part of growth: new formats attract attention precisely because they transform established industry structures.

For me, the main objective over the coming years is the further expansion of the international network of countries, institutions, and media partners around Modavision as a sustainable cultural platform. It is this shared international work that allows the project to develop not as a single-season event, but as an emerging long-term format of cultural interaction between countries.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude for your interest in the project and your attention to Modavision. The support of international media plays a key role in the development of new cultural formats, because it is through professional information platforms that trust in international initiatives is built and dialogue between countries is expanded. In this sense, your participation contributes not only to the development of the project, but also to the development of a new international format of cultural interaction through fashion.