Our First NYFW: ReeFinedYou Walked the Runway
I still can’t quite believe I get to write this sentence: ReeFinedYou was in New York Fashion Week.
On September 10th, four of my sets walked the runway at Leman Ballroom in NYC’s Financial District as part of the I Love Jewish Girls show. The show was organized by Alejandro Glatt, who put together such an incredible night.
The timing felt meaningful, too. The show landed right before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, a holiday that marks new beginnings and a fresh start for the year ahead. Ending the year with a bang felt like exactly the right way to close it out.
I’ll be honest. I had no idea what to expect. This was my first time doing anything like this, and I kind of showed up like a lost puppy. But that turned out to be part of the magic of the night. I ended up meeting so many incredible people, including the talented musician Dudu Fisher and fashion icon Tziporah Salamon, whose style is just as satisfying to see in person as it is online.
Four of my ReeFinedYou sets were carried down the runway by the beautiful models provided by the show: Ofir Korsia (Miss Universe Israel ’24), Judy Heller, Daniela Sonnenfeld (Miss Haifa ’24 and Miss Universe Israel), and Lauren Levson.
Watching pieces I designed a year ago, and have been working tirelessly to bring to life with my incredible mentor Anthony Lilore, finally come alive on that runway was such an incredible experience. Seeing these sustainable, full-coverage swimwear sets become a part of New York Fashion Week, in the very city where they were made, felt incredibly full circle. This show made me realize that this is only the beginning.
Noa Greenspan, who makes one-of-a-kind accessories, paired several of her pieces with mine to be featured together on the runway. We walked hand in hand, following our pieces as they came down the stage to close out our lines. Walking alongside another small, made-in-NYC business owner felt both comforting and fitting.
What a night to remember. My first NYFW is officially in the books, and I already can’t wait for the next one.