THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL FASHION FESTIVAL IFF PORTO MONTENEGRO 2026 OFFICIALLY OPENED
The First Festival Night Dedicated to Innovation and the New Generation of Contemporary Fashion
The 8th International Fashion Festival IFF PORTO MONTENEGRO 2026 officially opened last night, organized by FABRIKA Agency and Porto Montenegro, welcoming numerous distinguished guests, representatives of the international fashion industry, and media from Montenegro and abroad.
This year's festival was originally scheduled to take place at its new venue, the spectacular Jetty 1 in Porto Montenegro. The organizers had carefully prepared this new location, envisioned as a breathtaking setting for the fashion shows and a visually striking backdrop that would showcase the festival to audiences around the world. Over the course of seven days, the production team worked intensively to construct a complex runway, stage design, and technical infrastructure.
However, strong winds that swept across Tivat on the day of the opening forced the organizers to relocate the festival within just a few hours. Instead of Jetty 1, the first festival evening was held at the Army Hall (Dom Vojske).
Although the new venue could not provide the spectacular waterfront setting originally planned, the outstanding collections, exceptional production, and a completely full audience demonstrated that the strength of a fashion event lies not only in its location, but above all in the quality of its programme, its creators, and the audience that embraces it.
A key element of IFF Porto Montenegro's international reputation is the continued role of Sara Sozzani Maino as the festival's Honorary President. Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani and one of the most influential figures in contemporary fashion, she has dedicated decades of her career to discovering and promoting emerging talents, innovative designers, and the future stars of the fashion industry.
The festival's Lead Consultant is Giorgia Virzi, founder and director of GV Studio Milano, an internationally recognized expert in fashion communication, brand development, and strategic positioning, with extensive experience working alongside some of the world's leading luxury brands.
In collaboration with Sara Sozzani Maino and Giorgia Virzi, this year's festival concept was developed around three defining directions of contemporary fashion: innovative design, the new generation of designers, and internationally acclaimed haute couture.
The goal of this concept is for IFF Porto Montenegro to serve not only as a showcase of current fashion trends, but also as a platform that recognises designers who push the boundaries of creativity, experiment with materials and technology, and shape the future of the global fashion industry.
The opening ceremony featured welcoming speeches by Vesna Mandić, Director of FABRIKA Agency, and Alexandru Avram, Senior Head of Destination Development at Porto Montenegro. The festival was officially opened by Honorary President Sara Sozzani Maino, who spoke about the importance of innovative designers and the new generation of creative talents in shaping the future of contemporary fashion.
The opening night featured two outstanding fashion presentations representing the festival's two central themes—innovation and the new generation of contemporary fashion.
The evening began with the runway show of Liwen Liang, the London-based Chinese designer personally selected by Sara Sozzani Maino to represent the Innovation segment of the festival. At IFF Porto Montenegro, Liang premiered his latest collection, leaving the audience captivated.
Liwen Liang is regarded as one of the most exciting emerging voices in contemporary fashion, recognised for his unique exploration of the relationship between traditional craftsmanship and the future of design. Inspired by the rich heritage of Jingdezhen, China's historic porcelain capital with over 700 years of ceramic tradition, Liang has developed an innovative ceramic textile that transforms porcelain into a flexible, wearable material.
His work represents a fusion of art, material science, sustainability, and contemporary fashion design. By transforming traditional craftsmanship into an entirely new fashion language, Liang opens new perspectives on the relationship between materials, clothing, and artistic expression.
His creative vision has attracted the attention of leading international fashion publications including Vogue, WWD, Grazia, L'Officiel, and Harper's Bazaar, confirming his status as one of the most promising designers of the new generation.
The evening continued with a spectacular presentation by Weinsanto, the fashion house founded by French designer Victor Weinsanto, one of the most acclaimed representatives of Europe's new generation of fashion designers.
Established in 2020, Weinsanto quickly gained international recognition through appearances at Paris Fashion Week, support from prestigious fashion institutions, and extensive coverage by leading international fashion media.
Renowned for blending haute couture, theatricality, performance, humour, and contemporary culture, Victor Weinsanto creates fashion that transcends conventional garments and becomes an emotional and immersive stage performance.
His creations have been worn by global icons including Beyoncé and Madonna, while his work has been featured in Vogue, W Magazine, WWD, L'Officiel, and ELLE. His spectacular runway presentation demonstrated exactly why Weinsanto is considered one of the brightest stars of the new generation of fashion designers.
By selecting Weinsanto to represent the "New Generation" segment, IFF Porto Montenegro reaffirms its commitment to designers who bring fresh energy, innovation, sustainability, and new perspectives on the future of fashion.
On the festival's second day, 25 July, audiences will have the opportunity to experience the haute couture collection of Italian designer Antonio Grimaldi, whose creations are worn by princesses, celebrities, and women around the world. Grimaldi is a member of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode in Paris, and his haute couture collections are presented as part of the official Paris Haute Couture Week schedule.
IFF Porto Montenegro brings together renowned fashion designers, influential figures from the fashion industry, representatives of international, regional, and local media, as well as distinguished guests from across the global fashion community.
The festival's objective—already largely achieved—is to position Porto Montenegro every July as one of the world's notable fashion destinations, contributing to the international promotion of Tivat, Porto Montenegro, and the Montenegrin coast.
Due to significant public interest from visitors wishing to attend the fashion shows, a limited number of tickets, including selected VIP seats, have once again been made available for purchase through the Gigstix platform.
A special element of this year's festival is a series of mini exhibitions presenting the collections of participating designers, allowing visitors to experience their work up close throughout the festival at different locations. In this way, the festival extends beyond the runway itself, bringing contemporary fashion closer to the wider public.
The exhibitions are located at:
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LIWEN LIANG – Gayo Gallery
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WEINSANTO – Twenty2 Concept Store
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ANTONIO GRIMALDI – Regent Hotel Lobby
An important role in the realization of this year's IFF Porto Montenegro belongs to the festival's partners, whose support has been essential in bringing this international fashion event to life.
The festival's Main Partner and Principal Sponsor is Regent Porto Montenegro Hotel, which once again hosted the festival's most distinguished international guests. Through exceptional hospitality, outstanding professional standards, and meticulous attention to every guest, Regent has once again confirmed its position as one of the region's most prestigious hotels and an ideal host for an international event such as IFF Porto Montenegro. Throughout the festival, the hotel also served as its central meeting point, hosting numerous gatherings and networking events for representatives of the international fashion industry.
A special place among the partners also belongs to SIRO Boka Place, which has become a favourite destination among the festival's younger international audience thanks to its contemporary concept, unique energy, and innovative approach to hospitality.
The Official Vehicle Partner of this year's IFF Porto Montenegro is BMW, one of the world's most prestigious automotive brands, represented in Montenegro by Voli Motors.
The festival is also supported by 1664 Blanc, the premium French beer renowned for its distinctive character, as well as Hipotekarna Banka.
Festival partners also include the Tourist Organisation of Tivat, the hotels Magnolija Place, Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort, Casa Manor, Palma Tivat, Astoria Tivat, and Pine, together with the restaurants MAREA by MOMENTS, ONE Porto Montenegro, Lumiere Bistrot, and Rustico, all of which have contributed to creating an exceptional experience for the festival's guests and participants.
Support for the festival programme has also been provided by AVELA Boat, along with numerous other partners and friends of the festival whose contribution has played a significant role in the successful realization of this year's edition.
The General Sponsor of the After Party is D'LIRIO.
Hair styling and make-up for the runway presentations were created by the professional teams of B.A.B.O Hair and AURA Make-up, whose work contributed to the distinctive visual identity of this year's fashion shows.
With the support of its partners and friends, IFF Porto Montenegro continues to build bridges between the local and the global, tradition and innovation, art and the contemporary creative industries.
The festival further strengthens its position as one of the leading fashion platforms in this part of Europe, bringing together designers who not only present fashion as it exists today, but actively shape what it will become tomorrow.
