Month: May 2026

As part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, BENEXT continues to serve as one of Georgia’s leading platforms for emerging fashion talent, supporting and promoting the next generation of designers through creativity, innovation, and international collaboration.

Created to discover and elevate young voices in fashion, BENEXT gives selected designers the opportunity to present their work to an international jury composed of industry professionals, fashion educators, buyers, and media representatives. Over the years, the competition has become an important launchpad for many successful Georgian designers who later entered the global fashion scene.
More than a competition, BENEXT represents a space for experimentation, individuality, and artistic expression. The platform reflects the unique identity of contemporary Georgian fashion — where conceptual aesthetics, craftsmanship, and personal storytelling come together.

The 2026 edition of BENEXT took place at Factory Tbilisi alongside Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, bringing together emerging designers, international guests, media, and members of the creative industry in one cultural space.

The winners of BENEXT 2026 became Ekaterine Japaridze, Eva Gogotidze, and Tebrole Kemoklidze, whose unique collections impressed and captured the attention of the international jury and guests attending the competition. Their work stood out through strong creative identity, contemporary vision, and original artistic approach, reflecting the new direction of Georgian fashion.

Tiko Paksa Studio Exhibition transformed the pavilion into an immersive visual space where fashion, art, and performance merged into a single experience. Garment installations were suspended throughout the full length of the pavilion, creating a striking architectural composition that guided visitors through the exhibition.

Alongside the installations, selected looks were presented as part of a live performance, accompanied by an atmospheric musical score that enhanced the emotional and sensory experience of the space. The exhibition explored the relationship between movement, sound, and fashion, turning the presentation into a living artistic environment rather than a traditional display.

As part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, a series of public talks and meetings with internationally renowned fashion photographers also took place. Special guests of the program included Adam Katz Sinding and Vincent Lappartient, who shared their professional experience, perspectives on contemporary visual culture, and insights into working within the global fashion industry.

During the discussions, the photographers engaged with designers, emerging photographers, members of the creative community, and everyone interested in fashion and visual arts. Participants discussed the evolution of fashion photography, the importance of visual language in contemporary fashion, behind-the-scenes experiences from international fashion weeks, and the role of photography in shaping the cultural identity of brands and designers.

The public talks became an important part of the educational and cultural program of the fashion week, creating a space for exchange, inspiration, and open dialogue between international professionals and Tbilisi’s local creative community.

 

 

Factory Tbilisi has repeatedly hosted artists from various genres and countries, opening its doors to representatives of the global music industry and giving Georgian audiences the opportunity to experience contemporary musical projects.

As part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, we were pleased to announce the return of the collaborative project by Jay-Jay Johanson and Nikoloz Rachveli to the stage of Factory Tbilisi. The Swedish musician returned to perform at Factory Tbilisi and presented his works to the Georgian audience together with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Nikoloz Rachveli.

Nikoloz Rachveli is one of the outstanding figures in Georgia’s music industry, having shared his work with both Georgian and international audiences. Under his leadership, the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra took on a new dimension, bringing a renewed sound to classical music.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi once again transformed Tbilisi into one of the region’s leading fashion destinations. From May 7–10, 2026, the grounds of Factory Tbilisi became a space where fashion, art, music, and contemporary culture came together, welcoming international fashion industry professionals, designers, buyers, journalists, stylists, photographers, and guests from around the world.

Over the course of four days, the fashion week presented runway shows by both established Georgian designers and a new generation of creatives shaping the contemporary identity of the local fashion scene. The participating designers showcased collections that balanced tradition with modernity, demonstrating distinctive approaches to form, texture, and cultural narrative. Particular attention was given to authorial concepts, craftsmanship, and an experimental vision of fashion.

Beyond the runway shows, artistic exhibitions and cultural projects became an essential part of the program. One of the key highlights was the exhibition “Collection 05 – Borchaly” by Galib Gassanoff, dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Borchaly region and the theme of women’s emancipation. Another important part of the program was “Liberté: Costumes in Exile” by Simon Machabeli, an exhibition exploring the boundaries between costume, art, and theatrical form.

The musical program also played an important role within Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi. The stage of Factory Tbilisi hosted a performance by Jay-Jay Johanson together with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Nikoloz Rachveli. The performance became one of the most emotional moments of the week, combining contemporary music with classical sound as part of the event’s cultural program.

The presence of numerous international guests and representatives of the global fashion industry created a particularly vibrant atmosphere throughout the week. Tbilisi once again found itself at the center of the international fashion community’s attention, reaffirming its status as a city with a strong creative voice and a unique aesthetic identity. For local residents, the event offered an opportunity to experience the energy of the fashion industry in their own city, engage closely with global fashion culture, become part of an international event, and rediscover contemporary Tbilisi as a space of creativity, freedom, and self-expression.

BENEXT, held in parallel with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, continues to establish itself as one of Georgia’s most important competitions for emerging fashion designers. Created to support and discover new creative voices, the platform gives young talents the opportunity to present their collections to an international audience and professional jury.

Each year, BENEXT attracts a large number of applicants from across the country, reflecting the growing interest in contemporary Georgian fashion and the new generation of designers. For the 2026 edition, only 12 selected participants were chosen to compete, each presenting their unique vision, creativity, and artistic identity while fighting for the main prize and international recognition.
Taking place at Factory Tbilisi during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, the competition brought together emerging designers, fashion professionals, international guests, media representatives, and members of the creative industry in one cultural space dedicated to innovation and self-expression.

More than just a competition, BENEXT serves as a platform where experimentation, individuality, and contemporary design intersect, highlighting the future direction of Georgian fashion and supporting the next generation of creative talent.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi presented Simon Machabeli’s exhibition “Liberté: Costumes in Exile” on May 10, 2026.

Simon Machabeli is a Georgian artist whose multidisciplinary practice brings together theatre, film, and fashion. Educated at the Apolon Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Art, Edinburgh College of Art, and Central Saint Martins (MA Womenswear, 2008), he has developed a diverse career across these fields.

Rooted in Georgian culture and folklore, his recent work moved beyond seasonal fashion into highly personal, research-driven exhibitions defined by craftsmanship and meaning.

His exhibition “Liberté: Costumes in Exile” explored what happens when costume leaves the stage and acquires a new life. No longer tied to performance, the garments became autonomous objects — silent witnesses existing between fashion and art. Treated as displaced and suspended forms, they reflected a state in which performance had ended while meaning persisted, remaining as fragments of identity that questioned visibility, absence, and relevance.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi presented Galib Gassanoff’s exhibition “Collection 05 – Borchaly,” which took place on May 7–10, 2026.

Galib Gassanoff is a designer whose work is rooted in cultural storytelling and identity. A Georgian of Azerbaijani descent, he grew up on the outskirts of Tbilisi in a multicultural environment that continues to shape his creative vision. At the age of eighteen, he moved to Milan to study fashion, where he developed a design language that connects traditional heritage with contemporary expression, earning him international recognition.

In 2024, he founded INSTITUTION — a creative platform that expanded beyond fashion to function as a social and artistic project focused on cultural reflection, ethics, and collaboration with artisans. The brand received international recognition, including the 2025 CNMI Fashion Trust Grant and the 2026 Zalando Visionary Award.

Presented as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, “Collection 05 – Borchaly” was inspired by the historical region of Borchaly, where the designer was born. The collection reflected on the social changes of the early 20th century and the theme of women’s emancipation, paying tribute to Peri-Khan Sofieva — one of the first elected Muslim women in the region. These themes were expressed through garments in which traditional forms of veiling gradually dissolved into contemporary silhouettes.

The collection emphasized craftsmanship, combining handwoven textiles and rugs created by Azerbaijani artisans from Borchaly with sculptural garments made from wool, leather, and natural fibers. During the exhibition, specially invited artisans from Borchaly demonstrated the live process of carpet weaving and shared their traditional craft with guests.