New York Women’s Fashion Week, set to begin this Thursday, received a surprising kickoff over the weekend. For the first time in its history, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) hosted a festive and publicized Shabbat dinner for Jewish and non-Jewish designers alike, marking the start of Fashion Week for the Fall-Winter 2025-26 season. Designers were invited to The Otter restaurant at The Manner Hotel in SoHo to break challah and drink Kiddush wine. The menu offered modernized versions of classic Jewish dishes, such as borscht soup, with pistachio tiramisu served for dessert.
Among the attendees were Israeli designer Kobi Halperin, Batsheva Hay of the brand Bat Sheva, designer Rebecca Moses who wore a fashionable head covering, Israeli photographer Mayan Toledano, and renowned New York designer Zac Posen, who last year was appointed the artistic director of the American fashion giant Gap. The event was sponsored by Gap alongside Urban Zen, a brand by another Jewish designer, Donna Karan. The evening was hosted by comedian Modi Rosenfeld and his husband Leo Veiga, both dressed in tailored Todd Snyder suits.
"This is more than just a meal—it’s a symbol of connection, openness, and shared values that unite us as creators and as a community," said Steven Kolb, CEO of CFDA. "This tradition reminds us of the importance of building a more diverse and inclusive fashion industry. Hosting this meal before New York Fashion Week is another way to strengthen our commitment to preserving cultural heritage and diversity."
"It doesn’t matter if you’re religious, Jewish, or not—Friday night is a time for connection," added Moses. "The beauty of our tradition is that Friday night is a sacred moment. We need laughter, joy, and delicious moments."
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The CFDA event holds significance against the backdrop of rising antisemitism worldwide, particularly in the United States, and the decline of diversity discourse in the fashion world. A Jewish-themed fashion event can mostly take place in New York, where many industry leaders are Jewish, such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors—who were notably absent from the CFDA Shabbat dinner.
Some of these designers were featured in the "Dream Weavers" exhibition curated by Shelly Wertheim, held in February 2015 at the Museum of the Jewish People (Beit Hatfutsot). The exhibition highlighted international Jewish fashion designers. A deeper exploration of this topic can be found in the 2009 documentary Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags, which examines Manhattan’s 7th Avenue fashion district and the stories of Jewish fashion designers, most of whom were children of immigrants who came to the United States from Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.