New strategic plan to turn Barcelona into a fashion capital

The new Strategic Fashion Plan 2025-2030 has been produced through consensus with this sector and sets out a roadmap with eight areas of action, the goal being to position Barcelona as a leading city for fashion and signature design. The plan has a budget of nearly 1.3 million euros to promote fashion as a creative, sustainable and innovative driver.

080 Barcelona Fashion. Autora: Ceci Fimia.

23/05/2025 - 14:02 h - Culture and leisure

Designed to support growth in a strategic field for creative industries in the city, the Strategic Fashion Plan 2025-2030 offers a comprehensive approach to all stages, areas and stakeholders in this sector. Training, new digital technologies and internationalisation are some of the key concepts in the measure, which aims to achieve a more sustainable, more digital and more competitive fashion industry.

Areas of action include the promotion and dissemination of fashion through a programme of activities and exhibitions at the Disseny Hub Barcelona, plus interaction between fashion and other disciplines in the creative industries such as art and gastronomy.

The plan includes the creation of the Fashion Factory, a new space for the entrepreneurial project Barcelona Fashion Forward business accelerator to drive brands, designers and businesses in this sector, plus more services and work to achieve its visibility. Actions to promote local commerce are also planned, for example by regaining Shopping Night, the idea being to strengthen the presence of local fashion and emerging talent.

One area that stands out in the measure is the promotion of sustainable production and consumption models, opting for responsible fashion with initiatives to promote recycling and the circular economy. The idea is also to influence the international presence of Catalan brands, by participating in international fairs and markets and collaborating with other cities.

In this context, the la 080 Barcelona Fashion show stands out, organised in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia and putting the spotlight on emerging talent, design schools and innovation.

Data for the sector in the city

Barcelona had 5,152 companies with establishments in this sector in 2025, an increase of 1.7% compared to the previous year, with 13% belonging to the manufacturing side and 87% corresponding to sales and distribution. The industrial part is concentrated in the district of L’Eixample (28%), Sarrià – Sant Gervasi (18.2%) and Sant Martí (14.4%). Some 17% of these companies were constituted before 1990 and 45.4% have been around for less than twelve years. The sales and distribution part has 4,407 companies, 34.8% of them located in L’Eixample, 19.6% in Sarrià – Sant Gervasi and 12.5% in Ciutat Vella.