8th INTERNATIONAL FASHION FESTIVAL : IFF PORTO MONTENEGRO 2026

FABRIKA Agency and PORTO MONTENEGRO are organizing the 8th International Fashion Festival - IFF Porto Montenegro 2026, which will take place on 24 - 25 July at the festival's new venue, Jetty 1.

A key factor contributing to the reputation and international standing of IFF is the fact that Sara Sozzani Maino will once again serve as the festival's Honorary President. As Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani, she is responsible for identifying and supporting next-generation designers and innovative creative talents - an area that represents the core of her professional work. Thanks to her extensive experience and exceptional knowledge of emerging fashion talent, this year's IFF has brought together some of the most exciting and relevant names on the contemporary fashion scene.

The festival is also honored to welcome back Giorgia Virzi, founder and CEO of GV Studio Milan, as the Lead event advisor of IFF. GV Studio is one of the leading international consulting agencies specializing in fashion communications, brand development, and strategic positioning within the fashion industry.

In consultation with Honorary President Sara Sozzani Maino and Chief Consultant Giorgia Virzi - whose expertise, reputation, and international influence have significantly elevated the profile of IFF - the organizing committee has established the key programming criteria that will continue to shape future editions of the festival. These principles are intended to ensure that IFF remains aligned with contemporary fashion developments and the ongoing transformation of the global fashion industry.

Mandatory Programme Criteria

• A "New Generation" fashion show by a designer who has already achieved notable success on the international fashion scene.

• A fashion show by an innovative designer whose work pushes the boundaries of contemporary fashion, introduces new aesthetic and technological approaches, combines contemporary trends with tradition, and responds to the challenges and opportunities brought by the digital revolution, transforming the way fashion is created, communicated, and presented to audiences.

• A fashion show by a renowned and established haute couture brand.

Innovation as a Criterion for Designer Selection

In contemporary fashion, innovation represents one of the key criteria for selecting designers, as fashion today extends beyond aesthetic expression and has become a space for research, dialogue, and the redefinition of contemporary values. Innovative designers introduce new perspectives through concept, construction, materials, technology, sustainability, and the ways in which collections are presented.

Selecting designers who demonstrate innovation is essential because the festival does not merely showcase current trends; it recognizes creators who push the boundaries of creativity, raise new questions, and shape the future of the fashion industry. Innovation may be reflected through experimental approaches to design, the use of new techniques and materials, interdisciplinary collaborations, sustainable practices, or a strong creative vision that brings originality and relevance within a global context.

In this way, the festival promotes creative excellence and positions itself as a platform that supports the development of fashion as a cultural, artistic, and social phenomenon.

Liwen Liang

Sara Sozzani Maino selected Liwen Liang as the representative of innovative fashion because his work uniquely redefines the relationship between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design through an extensive process of material research. By transforming porcelain into a wearable textile, Liang challenges conventional understandings of fabric, silhouette, and materiality, opening new possibilities for fashion as both artistic expression and functional design.

His work embodies innovation not only through aesthetics, but also through experimentation, technical development, and interdisciplinary thinking. Drawing inspiration from the ancient ceramic tradition of Jingdezhen while developing ultra-thin, flexible porcelain textiles through years of research, Liang demonstrates how a craft with more than 700 years of history can evolve into the fashion language of the future.

Liwen Liang also represents an important contemporary perspective on sustainability and cultural storytelling. Rather than separating craftsmanship from innovation, his work brings together traditional knowledge, materials science, and fashion into a new creative ecosystem. For these reasons, his work fully embodies the spirit of innovation that a contemporary fashion festival seeks to recognize and promote.

Liwen Liang also represents the newest generation of fashion designers and reflects an emerging industry trend: placing less emphasis on social media and greater focus on visibility through respected fashion publications and professional channels of promotion.

"New Generation" as a Fundamental Selection Criterion

Today, the concept of the "New Generation" has become an essential criterion in selecting designers, as the future of fashion depends on recognizing, supporting, and giving visibility to new creative voices.

In an industry rapidly evolving under the influence of technology, sustainability, shifting cultural values, and new forms of communication, younger generations bring fresh perspectives, new aesthetics, and innovative ways of understanding fashion.

Including "New Generation" designers is important not only to support emerging talent, but also to preserve diversity of expression, cultural relevance, and the continued development of fashion as a living discipline. These designers frequently challenge established norms, introduce new narratives, experiment with materials and digital tools, and reflect the realities, aspirations, and challenges of contemporary society.

For a fashion festival, dedicating space to the "New Generation" means investing in the future of creativity, encouraging dialogue between established and emerging talents, and positioning the platform as progressive, inclusive, and internationally relevant.

Victor Weinsanto as the Representative of the "New Generation"

Sara Sozzani Maino selected Weinsanto as the representative of the "New Generation" because the brand embodies a new creative force that, despite its relatively short history, has already achieved international recognition and established a distinctive voice within contemporary fashion.

The brand was founded by young designer Victor Weinsanto in 2020 and quickly gained international visibility through presentations at Paris Fashion Week, early industry recognition, and the support of influential fashion institutions and figures, including the Dover Street Market Paris incubator. Weinsanto was also shortlisted as a semi-finalist for the prestigious LVMH Prize, confirming his position among the most promising emerging fashion talents. It is no exaggeration to say that he has already become a genuine fashion star.

What makes Weinsanto a particularly strong representative of the "New Generation" is not only the speed of his success, but also the strength of his creative identity. By combining haute couture craftsmanship with theatricality, movement, performance, inclusivity, and contemporary cultural references, the brand reflects the way younger designers are redefining fashion through emotion, individuality, and multidisciplinary storytelling.

By selecting Weinsanto, the festival recognizes a designer who represents the energy, ambition, and transformative potential of a new generation—a creator who, despite his youth, has already become one of the most visible and promising stars of contemporary fashion.

Today, Weinsanto is regarded as one of the leading young fashion talents not only in France but internationally, attracting considerable attention from the global fashion industry.

Antonio Grimaldi for the Third Fashion Show

The selection criterion for the third fashion show was that of a renowned and established fashion designer.

In order to ensure diversity within the programme, we selected Antonio Grimaldi, a designer primarily recognized for his work in haute couture, who has successfully expanded in recent years into the luxury prêt-à-porter market, with collections presented in fashion capitals such as New York and Paris.

His creations are worn by numerous princesses, public figures, and distinguished women around the world, reflecting his international reputation and significance within contemporary fashion.

An additional reason for his selection lies in the aesthetic values he represents - fashion defined by elegance, sophistication, and refined chic. These qualities have become increasingly rare in an era dominated by fast-changing trends and commercialisation. Nevertheless, Antonio Grimaldi has remained faithful to this vision, continuously developing it through a contemporary and luxurious fashion language of international relevance.

Antonio Grimaldi is one of the very few European haute couture designers who has successfully maintained and strengthened his position despite the gradual global decline of haute couture, primarily thanks to exceptional collections that continue to be sought after within the highest circles of the international fashion industry.

He is the only Italian haute couture designer who is an invited member of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode in Paris, with his haute couture collections forming part of the official calendar of Paris Haute Couture Week, alongside Armani Privé and the haute couture collections of Valentino.

This year's programme :

24 July

9:00 PM - Official Opening Ceremony

Opening remarks by:

• David Margason, Managing Director of Porto Montenegro

• Vesna Mandić, Director of Fabrika

• Sara Sozzani Maino, Honorary President of the International Fashion Festival (IFF)
   

Keynote Address by Sara Sozzani Maino

A speech on the importance of promoting New Generation designers and innovative creators within today's contemporary fashion industry.

Fashion Show -  Innovative Designer

LIWEN LIANG - Chinese designer based in London

Fashion Show - New Generation Designer

A presentation by an outstanding New Generation designer whose talent and work have already been internationally recognized and established on the global fashion scene.

WEINSANTO (Victor Weinsanto) - Paris, France

25 July

Haute Couture Fashion Show

ANTONIO GRIMALDI - Rome, Italy

IFF Porto Montenegro brings together renowned fashion designers, influential figures from the fashion world, representatives of international, regional, and local media, as well as distinguished guests from the global fashion industry.

The festival's objective - which has already been achieved to a significant extent - is to establish Porto Montenegro as one of the world's leading fashion destinations every year during the second half of July, while promoting Tivat, Porto Montenegro, and the Montenegrin coast on the international stage.

Due to the high level of public interest from fashion enthusiasts who wish to attend the runway shows but are not among the official invited guests, a limited number of tickets, including a selection of VIP seats, will once again be available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased via the gigstix.me platform.

This year, we are continuing the tradition of presenting selected pieces from the participating designers' collections through a series of mini exhibitions, allowing visitors to experience the garments up close and bringing contemporary fashion creativity closer to a wider audience.

Mini Exhibition Locations

• Antonio Grimaldi - Lobby, Regent Porto Montenegro

• Liwen Liang - GAYO Gallery

• Weinsanto - The exhibition venue will be announced at a later date, following the completion of the necessary technical arrangements.

The Regent Porto Montenegro is the Main Sponsor of IFF Porto Montenegro 2026 and, as in previous years, will host distinguished guests from the international fashion industry, offering its signature lifestyle concept, luxury accommodation, and exceptional hospitality.

In addition to the Regent Porto Montenegro, the festival's distinguished guests will also be accommodated by the following partner hotels:

• SIRO Boka Place Tivat

• Magnolia Place Tivat

• Casa Manor

• Palma Tivat

• Hotel Pine

• Astoria Tivat

Silver Sponsor

• BMW / Voli Motors

Sponsors

• 1664 Blanc - French premium beer

• Hipotekarna Banka

Supporting Partners

• Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort

• Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora

• ONE Restaurant Porto Montenegro

• BAR KOD Perfumeries

• Terra Travel

• Bistrot Lumière

Hair & Makeup

• b.a.b.o hair

Printing

• AMC

Media Partners

• Metropolis | Prva TV | RTCG | RTV Podgorica | TV Adria | TV E | TV Budva

• The Collection | The Collection FAB | MNE Magazin | Gracija | Ljepota i zdravlje | Exclusive | Caffè Montenegro | Pobjeda | Ženski Portal

TICKETS

IFF Porto Montenegro 2026

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