I: @haydonperrior

TEL AVIV — In a climate of rising political tension and environmental anxiety, David Weksler didn’t just walk a runway at Kornit Fashion Week 2023; he staged a revolution. His collection, titled "David’s Return: Clothes from the Future," served as a jarring, high-octane reminder that fashion is at its best when it has something to say. Weksler, a standout graduate of Shenkar and Central Saint Martins, has long been a champion of genderless, sustainable streetwear, but this collection took his "trash-to-treasure" philosophy to an architectural extreme.

The atmosphere during the showcase was electric, bordering on chaotic. Eschewing the traditional, stoic runway walk, Weksler’s models moved with a frantic, tribal energy. They didn’t just wear the clothes; they lived in them, acting as "desert-dwelling renegades" in a future where democracy is a memory worth fighting for. In a nod to the judicial reform protests sweeping Israel at the time, models carried placards and interacted directly with the front row, handing out faux "fines." It was a meta-commentary on authority, surveillance, and the power of the individual.

Visually, the collection was a masterclass in deconstruction. Highlights included discarded police uniforms ripped apart and reassembled into avant-garde suits, while standard T-shirts were reborn as structured trousers. Trench coats were layered with tactical, patchwork pockets, echoing the "House of Jaffa" aesthetic that plays with the contrast between second-skin base layers and massive, protective outerwear. This created a "pagan-futurist" look that felt both ancient and lightyears ahead of its time.

While the materials were "preloved" and discarded, the production was state-of-the-art. Working in tandem with Kornit Digital, Weksler utilized Artificial Intelligence to generate complex visual patterns, which were then printed directly onto non-traditional surfaces like metallic vinyl and textile scraps. By using AI to process his "content worlds" and Kornit’s sustainable on-demand printing to execute them, he bypassed the traditional, wasteful manufacturing cycle entirely. The result was photorealistic detail on fabrics that would normally be destined for a landfill.

David Weksler’s 2023 showcase was arguably the most "punk" moment of the year. By fusing political activism with high-tech sustainable production, he offered a blueprint for the future of the industry: one where the machine serves the rebel, and the "waste" of the past becomes the armor of the future. He proved that sustainability doesn't have to be quiet or organic—it can be loud, messy, and unapologetically bold.