Riga fashion week expands educational focus with seminars, workshops, and exhibitions

This autumn’s Riga Fashion Week (October 20–24) is placing greater emphasis on education and cultural exchange, complementing its runway program with lectures, workshops, and exhibitions designed for both professionals and students.

One highlight is a lecture series on fashion photography, organized in collaboration with the photography platform ISSP. Held on October 22 at Berga Bazārs, it will feature insights from photographer Julia Sinka, stylist Sintija Seliсka-Užane, and Estonian photographer Kertin Vasser, who will each discuss different aspects of fashion photography and branding. Vasser will also host a practical workshop on October 24 at PER Form Studio, guiding participants through the full process of a photoshoot, with additional input from Seliсka-Užane.

Creative workshops are also planned at Tribal Hotel’s pop-up space in Galerija Centrs. On October 21, illustrator Laura Luīze Valtere will introduce participants to fashion illustration as a collaborative and improvisational process, while designer and doctoral researcher Zaiga Brutāne will lead a session on upcycling, encouraging a sustainable approach to fashion by reworking old garments.

In addition, the Fashion Museum is showcasing the exhibition I Love Art Deco, which closes on October 20. The display brings together rare garments and accessories from the 1920s and 1930s, placing contemporary fashion in dialogue with historic style and craftsmanship.

Through these initiatives, Riga Fashion Week underscores its role as more than a platform for trends, positioning fashion as a space for education, creative experimentation, and cultural reflection.