01 / Essential answer
When was Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi 2026?
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi AW26 ran from 7–10 May 2026 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Venues, cast and beauty teams vary by house.
02 / History
A self-financed founding
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi was founded in 2015 by Sofia Tchkonia, who saw potential in Georgia’s local design talent and wanted to build a platform capable of generating international attention for it. Tchkonia drew on a network she had built over years working between Paris, London and New York, and largely financed the event out of her own pocket in its early seasons — continuing to direct it almost single-handedly since.
03 / History
BENEXT and emerging talent
Alongside the runway program, the week runs BENEXT, an initiative focused on supporting emerging Georgian designers and helping them build the connections needed to enter larger international conversations — a deliberate emphasis on talent development rather than runway spectacle alone.
04 / History
An unlikely incubator
The week has built its international reputation on designers including George Keburia and Situationist, whose work helped establish Tbilisi’s reputation for directional, conceptually driven design. That reputation has turned the Georgian capital into what international press has repeatedly described as an unlikely incubator for new design talent, drawing buyers and editors to a city not traditionally on the fashion-week circuit.
05 / At a glance
Quick facts.
- —Founded in 2015 by Sofia Tchkonia, who largely self-financed the event and continues to direct it almost single-handedly
- —Tchkonia built the week on a network she developed over years working between Paris, London and New York before returning to Georgia
- —Branded Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi under a title sponsorship with the automaker
- —Runs the BENEXT initiative, a program supporting emerging Georgian designers and helping them enter international conversations
- —Built its international reputation on designers including George Keburia and Situationist
- —Widely credited with turning Tbilisi into an unlikely incubator for directional, internationally-covered design
Facts on this page are drawn from public record and organiser announcements, summarised in our own words. Last reviewed 2026-07-14. Corrections: desk@thecastindex.com.
06 / Beauty direction
The look
Beauty credits are tracked by individual show, not attributed to the week as a whole.
- Hair credits
- Designer-appointed teams
- Makeup credits
- Designer-appointed artists
07 / Ones to watch
Who broke out at Tbilisi?
The Cast Index desk is building the casting record for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi. New faces from this week will appear here as they are confirmed.
The full Rising board ↗