With a grand opening at the Synchro space in Porto Montenegro, the 7th International Fashion Festival – IFF PORTO MONTENEGRO 2025 – officially began last night
Organized by the FABRIKA agency and Porto Montenegro, the event welcomed numerous distinguished guests and media from both the region and abroad, who walked the impressive “red carpet,” styled after the most prestigious fashion events in the world. At the opening ceremony, attendees were addressed by Vesna Mandić, director of FABRIKA, David Margason, General Manager of Porto Montenegro, and Sara Sozzani Maino, president of the festival, who officially opened IFF Porto Montenegro 2025.
A new feature of this year’s IFF is the appointment of the renowned Sara Sozzani Maino as president of the festival. She is the creative director of the “Fondazione Sozzani,” and Giorgia Virzi, president of GV-Studio Milan, serves as the official advisor. At Sara Sozzani Maino’s suggestion, this year’s festival introduced a new concept featuring innovative fashion shows and presentations of sustainable fashion by “new generation” designers with global recognition, alongside established, world-renowned fashion brands.
The first night of the festival was marked by two striking fashion shows that symbolically fused modern technology with a globally recognized fashion house.
The evening opened with a virtual fashion show, created in collaboration with the digital global platform Faith Tribe (faithtribe.io), a leader in digital and sustainable solutions for the fashion industry, and the Resonance brand.
Using artificial intelligence, Faith Tribe developed digital models based on sketches by six students: Maša Ivanović and Sofija Tijović from the Faculty of Design and Multimedia in Montenegro, Martina La Gatta from Istituto Marangoni in Florence, Daniele Pio Rosati from the Academy of Costume and Fashion in Rome, and Sara Lopez and Emanuela Conte from the Fashion Institute in Miami. Representing the group, Sofija Stijović and Martina La Gatta took a bow at the end of the show.
This pioneering project marks the first application of Web3 technology in Montenegro’s creative industries. Special recognition was given to Montenegrin students Maša Ivanović and Sofija Tijović, further emphasizing the festival’s mission of promoting local talent on a global stage. By participating in this show, all students secured free access to the platform for the next year.
Following that, the legendary fashion house Emanuel Ungaro presented its RESORT 2026 collection, debuting at IFF under the leadership of American designer Kobi Halperin, who has led the brand’s creative team since 2021. The show unveiled a fresh, modern vision of the brand – feminine, luxurious, and relaxed, designed for the modern woman.
Mirroring major global fashion shows, several well-known women whose style has been recognized by the Ungaro brand attended the show wearing pieces from the collection: Vesna Mandić, Dijana Đoković, Aleksandra Bojović, and Maja Abramović.
Thanks to the presence of key figures from the global fashion industry and numerous international media outlets, IFF Porto Montenegro has, for seven years, positioned Tivat and the Montenegrin coast as a prestigious global fashion destination. IFF Porto Montenegro brings together world-renowned fashion houses, designers, influencers, media, and fashion enthusiasts from across the globe, creating a unique cultural and creative platform in the region.
During the festival, parts of the designers’ collections are on display at the Fashion Gallery store in Porto Montenegro.
IFF Porto Montenegro 2025 continues to build bridges between tradition and innovation, local and global, modern technologies and timeless elegance – confirming its status as one of the most significant fashion festivals in this part of Europe.
Photos: Boris Šekularac