The Show Must Go On: Tel Aviv Fashion Week Returns

After a year-long hiatus and in the shadow of a nation at war, Tel Aviv Fashion Week is set to return this October with a bold statement of resilience, artistic reinvention, and inclusive beauty. Postponed from its original March date, the event now carries a deeper significance: a defiant celebration of culture and creativity in turbulent times.

Taking place from October 26–30, the four-day showcase will feature 28 designers representing the diverse spectrum of Israeli fashion. Though the location remains under wraps, organizers promise a striking venue befitting the moment.

Fashion Week founder and producer Motty Reif describes the event as more than a runway spectacle. “This is about presence and perseverance,” he told reporters. “It’s about showing the world that Israel’s creative spirit endures.”

The program highlights a mix of renowned and emerging talent. Opening the week is Victor (Vivi) Bellaish, followed by a dialogue with fashion historian Yaara Keydar. Veterans like Tovale, Alon Livne, Shay Shalom, and Dror Kontento will share the stage with rising stars such as Kian Frankfurt, Aaron Ganesh, and student designers from Shenkar College: the latter now serving as a key incubator for new voices. Haifa and Bezalel are absent from this year’s lineup.

Design duos such as Mother of All (Golan Taub and Noa Pasternak) and established figures like Yaron Minkowski underscore the week’s focus on originality and personal expression. “These collections were created under extraordinary pressures,” said Reif. “And they reflect extraordinary strength.”

Beyond fashion, this year’s event aims to foster connection and healing. “We’re building bridges between communities, between ideologies, between past and future,” Reif explained. Actress and activist Noa Tishby is expected to help coordinate global outreach, including support from Jewish communities abroad and international press.

Despite a tight production budget of 1.8 million shekels, raised largely through private partnerships, the organizers remain undeterred. “Designers are fighting to survive,” Reif said. “This week gives them a platform, visibility, and hope.”

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to assist with international guest travel, while domestic sponsors are backing the designers directly. The goal, Reif says, is not just to dazzle, but to demonstrate solidarity, both within the industry and with the broader public.

Stylist and longtime collaborator Sharona Bond Matarasso returns to shape the event’s creative direction, anchoring it in strong values of diversity and body positivity. From inclusive casting to female-led panels, the ethos of Tel Aviv Fashion Week is unapologetically forward-thinking.

“While some global fashion weeks have regressed, we are committed to progress,” said Reif. Designers like Tovale, once known for narrow casting standards, are embracing broader representation. “Older models, different body types, real people. We’re setting new standards.”

In a country grappling with uncertainty, the return of Tel Aviv Fashion Week is more than a cultural event, it’s a powerful symbol of continuity, courage, and the enduring power of beauty in the face of adversity. As Reif put it, “We don’t create beauty in spite of pain, we create it through it.”

This October, the runways of Tel Aviv will do more than showcase fashion. They’ll tell the story of a nation still creating, still dreaming, and still standing.