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Former hostage Eli Sharabi was greeted with a standing ovation as he took to the catwalk at Tel Aviv Fashion Week in an extraordinarily emotional opening for the showcase industry event this week. Sharabi, dressed in a white suit and open shirt and with his hands in his pockets as he walked the runway, was a picture of casual elegance. Hosting the 15th year of the city’s fashion week, Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby gave a message of resilience and hope, saying: “The greatest invention of the Jewish people is to look forward towards the future – with innovation and inclusivity – and this gala opening embodies exactly that.” Members of hostage families also took part in the show. They included Gaya Calderon, the daughter of released hostage Ofer Calderon; and Keren Schem, whose daughter Mia was freed last year. Sharabi was held hostage for 16 months after his abduction from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. His appearance at the Tel Aviv event came soon after the funeral of his brother Yossi, whose body was returned to Israel earlier this month. The show marked the return of Tel Aviv Fashion Week after a two-year hiatus. The event’s founder Motty Reif paid tribute to the nation’s fashion industry, saying: “Israeli design is a beating heart – it reflects who we are as a society, a culture, and a creative force. I see it as a mission – even a moral duty – to provide designers with the stage they deserve. “Not just to showcase, but to influence and lead. "This week is our chance, as a society, to pause – and celebrate the incredible local talent we have here.” Models walk the catwalk at Tel Aviv Fashion Week (Image: Omri Rosengart)[Missing Credit] The arrangements for the week’s 28 runway shows began just three months ago, an extraordinarily rapid turnaround for the designers to put their collections together. The line-up included designers from the specialist fashion college Shenkar in Ramat Gaz, as well as Kobi Halperin of French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro, and Tovale+, the high-end outlet for mother-and-daughter team Tovale and Nama Chasin. The week also showcased the diversity of the fashion industry, with models appearing from the Arab Christian, Muslim and Druze communities. “It was really important for me to show that Israel is the most liberal country in the world,” said Reif. The relaunch of fashion week comes as the industry looks to recover after the war, with hopes that Israel will now develop a newfound appetite for glamour and evening wear. Tishby is spearheading a new campaign urging consumers to re-embrace the nation’s designer brands. She said: “We need to encourage the world to buy more Israeli fashion.” Fashion Week comes as Israel pushes back against a hostile international climate. Several overseas designers who organisers had hoped would take part are believed to have pulled out, while much of the international fashion press also failed to show. Reif said of the no-shows: “Since 2011 when Tel Aviv Fashion Week began they have always invited 100 journalists and photographers to attend. "This time round a lot of them had an excuse. I understand they were afraid and why they politely declined.” Tishby added: “People may ask why events like this need to go ahead. "But in the darkest hour you have to look towards the light. That is the essence of Judaism – that is what it is.”
