Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid celebrates its 40th anniversary, and a new era commences for Spanish fashion

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid is now 40 years old. It has celebrated this milestone with five days packed with history, renewal, Spanish talent, and fashion, during which the entire industry came together, with double the number of accredited international press members and enhanced coverage and views of the catwalk shows via digital streaming platforms.

This spectacular event, organised by IFEMA MADRID with the support of the Madrid City Council, showed a clear vision for the future, in an edition that reinforced the commitment to creative excellence, innovation, and the internationalisation of Spanish design with the spotlight on a total of 40 collections.

Among the major highlights are the début in Madrid of Silvia Tcherassi as the International Guest Designer, as well as the inclusion of brands such as The Label Edition, and the launch of Sala Bertha for new formats, Paris64 and Flabelus. They were joined by the return of iconic names, such as Adolfo Domínguez and Palomo. Also noteworthy was the launch of the catwalk with the OFF Shows programme in the Galería de Cristal (Crystal Gallery) of the Cibeles Palace, which included proposals from Silvia Tcherassi, Pedro del Hierro, Adolfo Domínguez and Simorra, as well as from Palomo, consolidating the international impact of this edition. Meanwhile, in Hall 14.1 at IFEMA MADRID, there were presentations of collections by established names like Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, Hannibal Laguna, Custo Barcelona, Dolores Cortés, Fely Campo, María Lafuente, Yolancris, Isabel Sanchís, Angel Schlesser, Malne, Claro Couture, Baro Lucas, Paloma Suárez, as well as Odette Álvarez, Lola Casademunt by Maite and De la Cierva y Nicolás

Awards that highlight talent 

The anniversary was also an opportunity to recognise and support talent with several awards. The L’Oréal Paris Award for Best Collection was awarded to Baro Lucas for his Tempus Fugit proposal, while the L’Oréal Paris Award for Best Model went to África García, a 23-year-old model from Seville who has been making waves internationally for several seasons and has walked in 13 shows on the Madrid catwalk. As part of the EGO platform, Guillermo Décimo won the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent award with a collection titled In Tempo, which advocates for the timeless quality of haute couture.

• Lucas Baro: Time Flies, aesthetic freedom, nostalgia and impeccable craftsmanship

The collection, for both women and men, was described as an ode to aesthetic freedom, the interplay of colours and fabrics, and to apparent simplicity, where each feature conveys authenticity. Coats and tailored suits were updated and are now paired with shorts, baggy and skirt-like trousers; long dresses, ultra-long caftans; a luminous palette featuring pastel yellows, navy, Klein blues, neutral whites, and earthy terracotta. Finely crafted details, clean lines, and vibrant contrasts, such as orange on soft tones, defined the show: a collection that balances nostalgia with visual freshness.

• Guillermo Décimo: the timelessness of haute couture, the value of time and traditional craftsmanship

The collection “In Tempo” is a proposal that celebrates tailoring as a musical score, interpreted with perfect precision. Through 18 looks, the creator explores the timelessness of haute couture, the value of time, and artisanal tradition, offering pieces conceived as authentic works of art that narrate stories both inside and out.

Likewise, the first edition of the MBFWMadrid Awards was held, honouring Silvia Tcherassi with the MBFWMadrid International Designer Award, presented by the Venezuelan businesswoman Carmen Busquets, in recognition of her key role in the internationalisation of Hispanic American fashion and her close ties with Madrid. And Palomo, who received the National Talent Award, presented by Oscar Romera, General Coordinator of Economy, Trade and Consumer Affairs, from the Madrid City Council, which highlighted his ability to reinvent the codes of Spanish fashion and establish himself as one of the most influential voices of his generation on the international scene. Both received the El Paso Alto sculpture, specifically created by artist Juan Garaizabal for the occasion.

A space for industry with the Business Talks

A major new feature of this 40th edition was the launch of Business Talks, a pioneering space for dialogue and reflection, supported by Mastercard as a strategic partner, which transformed the Cibelespacio into a forum for debate and knowledge sharing within the fashion industry. More than a dozen panels were held over four days, with the participation of 45 experts and sector leaders, addressing key topics such as creativity, sustainability and craftsmanship, business and internationalisation, digital payment methods and fintech applied to fashion, and the future of emerging talent. The programme, curated by Charo Izquierdo, featured the presence of brands and highly relevant voices such as Javier Goyeneche, founder of Ecoalf; Borja Vázquez, founder of Scalpers; Paul and Caterina Oteyza, co-founders of Oteyza; Virginia Pozo, founder of Cossy; Juan Ramón Meléndez, general manager of Reviste); Ignacio Sierra, general manager of Tendam; and Coro Saldaña, expert in fashion, retail and luxury, confirming the Business Talks as a strategic space where creativity, innovation and business thinking come together, offering attendees a global vision of the trends, challenges and opportunities in Spanish fashion. 

Craftsmanship as a strategic feature

Contemporary craftsmanship has also played a leading role, with a pioneering space in the Cibelespacio of Hall 14.1, which brought together Castañer, Sybilla, SACo, and Legado Artesano, marking the excellence of craftsmanship in Castilla-La Mancha. This experiential tour featured live demonstrations of embroidery, leatherwork, espadrille-making, and basketry, highlighting traditional crafts as a creative force and an integral part of Spanish fashion's cultural identity, while also presenting innovative proposals that connect tradition, innovation, and sustainability with fashion.

Support for the fashion business 

Participants in the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid included companies faithful to the event, committed to the Spanish fashion sector, such as Mercedes-Benz, L’Oréal Paris and Inditex, who are present as Main Sponsors; Iberia, Four Seasons, Galería Canalejas, Engel & Völkers, Mastercard and MO de Multiópticas will be present as Sponsors, and Legado Ibérico, Organic Reworks, Hatsu, Comunidad de Madrid, CEOE Castilla y León, GHD, East Crema Coffe X Oatly!, Schweppes, Ron el Supremo, Solán de Cabras, Cosme Palacio and Elena Suárez, joined by the corporate identity of Diputación de Málaga, UDIT (Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología) as collaborators. Likewise, this call is supported by Rowenta, Beldon Beauty, Myka Greek and Q17 Studios. In addition to the special collaboration of Casa Decor, which commissioned interior designer Raúl Martins, Extraordinary Award 2025, for the decoration of the Kissing Room in an inspiring, fresh and bright project, where fashion and interior design have been very present.

The group ¡HOLA! repeats in this edition as a Media Partner and ¡HOLA! TV as the International TV of the event.