Israeli students and wounded soldiers work together on first-of-its-kind fashion show

Injured soldiers from the war in Israel stepped into the spotlight on Monday at a unique fashion show held in the centre of Tel Aviv, where they walked on a fashion runway for the first time.

The show, which highlighted the complexity of the Israeli reality and the deep connection between fashion, healing, and trauma, marked the culmination of “Morphoza,” a project created in collaboration with the fashion design and visual communication departments at Shenkar College, together with the city of Tel Aviv.

As part of the initiative, Shenkar students were asked to deal with a fascinating challenge: “How can you dress in a body that has changed?”

Throughout the process, the students designed adaptive garments tailored to the needs of injured soldiers who took part in the war that began on October 7, 2023. Rather than concealing their injuries, the designs acknowledged them, while reflecting each soldier’s personal story and accommodating their specific physical needs.

As the war left many soldiers wounded, the public landscape in Israel has changed. Awareness of injured soldiers is now more visible than ever, prompting Shenkar to address the issue through design. Instead of asking wounded individuals to adapt to existing fashion norms, the project challenges the fashion industry to adapt, creating garments that embrace bodies transformed by injury.

“Tens of thousands of injured soldiers are walking among us, and each one is different. Some suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, while others are carrying invisible injuries,” says Maya Arazi, a fashion design lecturer at Shenkar, who was responsible for the project.

The students at Shenkar worked in a team and created a full visual concept for each soldier. Some students, like many others in Israel, are taking an active part in reserve duty while still studying at the college. “I felt very open and honest about my military service with the soldier I worked with, and it was part of our connection,” says Ofek Nahmani, a fashion design student.

Ofek also said they made a powerful decision to remember the soldiers’ friends who were killed in the war, as part of the project, while other students, such as Adel Bukhta, focused on the soldiers’ interests and careers, creating unique tennis pants for a Paralympic athlete.

After a video art piece by Ben Shnaper, 11 soldiers walked down the runway, one after the other, wearing garments designed specifically for them as the crowd chanted and applauded.

Every soldier who walked down the runway has their story. Alon Hindi was injured in an explosion and spent a year and a half at the hospital. Natanel Aiash is a New York-born soldier who got shot during a battle, Matanya (Tani) Bejell was hit by a mortar shell that fell on his team, and more.

Natanel Aiash told us about being personal introduced to the students. “We spent time getting to know one another, discussing my interests, hobbies, favorite colours, and personal preferences in depth. Based on those conversations, she began working on the project,” he says.

The soldiers, who appeared excited to step out of their comfort zones and walk down the runway for the first time, described many ways in which the students helped them to find real-life fashion solutions for their daily struggles. “They wanted to emphasise the role of accessibility in fashion” Alon Hindi said.

“Since I can’t button a shirt or zip up a pair of jeans by myself, they developed a unique design solution that enabled me to dress the way I want. It was a powerful experience that completely changed the way I think about clothing – you begin to understand that what you wear is deeply connected to your identity.”