As fashion often mirrors the times, Israel Canada Tel Aviv Fashion Week chose not to ignore the emotional reality in Israel. The war that began on October 7, 2023, has loomed over nearly every show—from the opening event featuring released hostages to Shenkar College’s fashion design showcase held Wednesday evening.
During the show, model Eliana Sachs—who lost her mother Michal and brother Eitan in an Iranian missile attack in June—took to the runway wearing the last outfit her brother modeled. The design, an overall created by student Gaelle van Lierde, was part of a menswear course inspired by the surrealist works of Salvador Dalí—an artist known for bending time, form and emotion.
2 View gallery
The late Eitan Sachs (right) and Eliana Sachs wearing a design by Gal Van Lierde at Shenkar
(Photo: Ophir Ivgi, Achikam Ben Yosef)
What began as a personal interpretation of masculinity evolved into something softer and more open. When Gael learned that Eitan would model the outfit, she tailored it to his size. Some had said the design looked “too feminine,” but she saw that as the point: a message about fashion’s ability to blur gender boundaries. “Clothes don’t belong to a gender,” she said. “They belong to a person—with their dreams, tenderness and passion.”
“This was the last outfit he wore,” Sachs said. “He modeled often for Shenkar, and every time, he’d send pictures of himself in the designs to our family WhatsApp group. I remember once teasing him that he looked like Bigfoot because one of the outfits was so furry. We had that kind of sibling humor.”
Asked whether she hesitated to wear on stage something her brother had worn, Sachs admitted, “I thought about that. A friend told me it made her feel karmically uneasy. But I don’t focus on that—I think about what he would’ve wanted. And after a lot of thought, I realized he would’ve loved this tribute. What matters most is that people remember Eitan. I’ll keep honoring him and my mom as long as I can. Some will judge, but I’m doing this for my family. No one can truly understand this place I’m in.”
“Eliana’s participation in the show, her tribute to Eitan, and her connection to Shenkar are deeply moving,” said Ilan Beja, head of Shenkar’s Fashion Design Department. “She adds a profoundly human and emotional layer that underscores our message: fashion’s power to be not only creative, but also emotional, cultural and healing.
“This year’s Shenkar show is about an emotional journey—from disintegration, through awakening, to an eruption of life and creation. It’s a powerful expression of design’s ability to reflect the spirit of the times and Israeli society.”