GX Fashion Week Paris at the Musée Banksy: Where Fashion, Art and Aesthetics Become Spectacle

The Albanian International Fashion Federation (AIFF) brings emerging Albanian fashion talent to Paris, while GX Fashion Week brings together young designers and established names in an international encounter shaped by innovation, experience and creative vision.

Following the success of its Milan edition, held on 28 September at the historic and prestigious Palazzo Giureconsulti in Piazza Duomo, just five days later GX Fashion Week returned to Paris, where, on 3 October, Gentiana Dervishi once again captivated the audience, choosing a venue for this edition that was markedly different from those of previous years: the Musée Banksy, in the heart of the French capital. 

This was far from an arbitrary choice, but rather the result of a collaboration with Haziz Vardar, a Belgian entrepreneur and theatre producer of Albanian origin, a prominent figure on the Parisian cultural scene and a leading force behind major theatrical ventures in the capital, as well as the founder and creator of the Banksy Museum. Established in Paris, the project has since evolved into an international network of immersive experiences dedicated to the celebrated British street artist, with a presence in some of the world's most important cities. 

It was within this space, conceived to explore art through an unconventional urban experience, that GX Fashion Week chose to develop a new collaboration this year, bringing fashion into dialogue with a profoundly unconventional artistic universe. This partnership reflects Gentiana Dervishi's determination to establish new international connections and open the GX project to creative influences capable of further enriching its development. 

In this context, a central role was played by AIFF, the Albanian International Fashion Federation, Albania's fashion chamber, which officially supported and represented the Albanian designers participating in Paris, lending their presence an institutional dimension and an international profile. AIFF's involvement reinforces the significance of a project that goes beyond presenting collections, bringing the talent and identity of Albanian fashion to the international stage through an organised and recognisable representation. 

GX Fashion Week therefore continues its international journey in Paris, reaching its fifth edition, having consolidated its presence in the French capital independently over the years. This year, however, the project has chosen to introduce a new dimension to its development through an unprecedented collaboration that brings fashion into dialogue with art, culture and new opportunities for networking. 

Among the distinguished audience, which travelled not only from Italy but also from various countries around the world and includes loyal supporters who follow GX Fashion Week wherever it takes place, the event welcomed two guests of honour: Dritan Tola, Ambassador of Albania to France, and Mehdi Halimi, Ambassador of Kosovo. Their presence further enhanced the international prestige of the evening, highlighting GXFW's role as a meeting point for fashion, culture and institutional representation. 

This is the direction chosen by Gentiana Dervishi: not to replace what has been built over the years, but to expand upon it, creating new synergies, new connections and new opportunities for the future of GX Fashion Week. 

La Griffe Academy is one of Tirana's best-known fashion schools, established by Estela Koni, which trains and supports a new generation of emerging designers through the work of its teaching staff. Many of them, once students at the Academy, have already established themselves professionally and have had the opportunity to present their creations on the international runways of GX Fashion Week, providing tangible evidence of an educational journey capable of transforming talent into a profession. 

For the Paris event, students from La Griffe Academy presented Haute Couture Collection, a collection built around the increasingly complex relationship between human beings and technology. Artificial intelligence, screens and the virtual world are profoundly changing the way we communicate, create and even experience emotions, challenging the boundaries between authentic feelings and artificial reality. 

The collection interprets this contrast through a futuristic, cool-toned aesthetic in which technological elements meet red, the colour of love, passion and life, and white, associated with purity of soul, peace and tradition. It is precisely through the encounter between these opposing dimensions that the collection's central message emerges: however technological the future may become, certain values cannot be replaced, above all the human capacity to feel. This journey reaches its culmination in the wedding gown, conceived not merely as an aesthetic creation but as a symbol of love, family, tradition and continuity. 

Among the designers from La Griffe Academy, BR8 opened the show with a striking Haute Couture creation in leather and iron, distinguished by its futuristic character. Metallic white evokes technology, while red details suggest blood, energy and human strength in an increasingly mechanised world. This statement piece was selected to open the La Griffe Academy show at Paris Fashion Week 2026 and was worn by the singer invited to inaugurate the presentation. 

Anisa Balika, under the brand ASSIN, presented “An Impossible Love Story”, a collection exploring the relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence through two distinct stages, ILLUSION and BLINDNESS: from initial fascination to dependency, and ultimately to a growing detachment from reality. 

Ermelinda Malqi, under the brand BENJAMIN, presented three looks inspired by robotics and artificial intelligence, exploring the relationship between human identity and technology through three stages: HUMAN, representing creativity and craftsmanship; MACHINE, symbolising precision and control; and HYBRID, the fusion of human beings and technology into a new visual language. 

Xhea Kaba, founder of the eponymous luxury brand launched in 2024, brought a capsule collection to the runway that transforms fashion into wearable art while investigating the relationship between human beings and artificial intelligence. Two looks narrate the transition from the fusion of technology and the human body to its evolution into an apparently perfect artificial form, still marked by traces of emotion, life and memory. The collection invites reflection on the increasingly blurred boundary between the human and the artificial. 

Deti Hoxha, under the brand Deti Style, presented a collection devoted to contemporary elegance, encompassing eveningwear, classic suits and Haute Couture creations enhanced by artisanal detailing. Refined lines, carefully selected materials and meticulous workmanship express a modern femininity that embraces timeless elegance without losing sight of tradition. 

Marsela Grimci Sukni, under Pendium Sposa, presented “Lule Borë”, a new bridal and ceremonial collection inspired by the delicacy and purity of the snowdrop. Elegant lines, sophisticated details and understated luminosity bring together classical romanticism and contemporary aesthetics, reinterpreting bridal tradition through clean lines and a modern sensibility. 

Etnik Shala, a Kosovar designer and one of the most representative figures in contemporary fashion from Kosovo, presented “ARKA” in Paris. He opened his first atelier at just 17 and has received major international accolades, including the Grand Prix and the Big See Award, distinguishing himself through a vision that unites cultural identity, contemporary expression and craftsmanship. With “ARKA”, Shala explores the theme of memory through artisanal details and techniques that evoke what has been preserved and passed down through generations. The collection transforms the heritage of the past into a new expression designed to endure over time. 

The Albanian Design Academy, based in Tirana, is a professional school specialising in fashion design. Led by Elsida Pepa, a teacher and director specialising in pattern cutting, tailoring, sewing and digital design, in collaboration with master Ardi Asllani, a design lecturer and recognised figure in Albanian fashion, the Academy trains young designers through a programme combining technical expertise, design development and creative research. Many of its students and graduates have already turned their education into professional careers, taking their work onto international runways. 

Xhesika Dëshiri, originally from Durrës, presented a creation in Paris that reflects her artistic research through a dialogue between history and contemporary expression. Her aesthetic emerges from the intersection of art, architecture and different periods in fashion, reinterpreted through a modern language in which elegance, strength and femininity coexist. Her work reflects the vision of a young designer in training, for whom a garment is above all an expression of identity, emotion and character. 

Enejda Likalla, a 20-year-old emerging designer from Tirana, presented her first collection in Paris, marking an important milestone in her educational journey. Her work draws on the skills developed at the Albanian Design Academy, from textile research to pattern cutting and fashion illustration, bringing together technical preparation and creative sensitivity. It was a significant first international opportunity for a young Albanian designer ready to transform her passion into a tangible creative project. 

Ezgi Özalan, aged 24, was born in Istanbul to a Turkish father and an Albanian mother and grew up in Albania. She studied Set Design and Costume Design at the University of Arts in Tirana, subsequently developing her expertise in fashion through pattern cutting, professional tailoring and Haute Couture design. This journey has enabled her to combine artistic sensitivity with technical expertise as she develops her creative identity and the Özalan's brand. In Paris, she presented “Midnight Echo”, a collection that explores femininity through the contrast between the blue of the night and golden accents of light, between strength and delicacy. Inspired by mythology and the celestial world, its imagery portrays women as symbols of mystery, power and resilience. 

Melina Skenduli, a 21-year-old designer and recent graduate of the Albanian Design Academy, presented “MELI”, her first complete collection, entirely handcrafted and born from a process combining research, tailoring and artisanal embroidery. Inspired by the world of bees and the figure of the queen, the collection pays tribute to strength, the ability to create and protect, and the maternal dimension of femininity. Geometric structures, honey-toned colours and golden embroidery establish a visual language that celebrates women as the origin, guardians and generative force of life. 

Maylin Aguirre, a Cuban-born designer who has made Italy her home, brings to Paris a career shaped by years in fashion, first as a model and now as a designer. For years, she worked on runways and in campaigns for major international fashion houses and brands, including Dolce & Gabbana, L'Oréal, Ray-Ban, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Armani and Pierre Cardin, gaining an in-depth understanding of the fashion industry and its evolution. 

Her professional relationship with Azzedine Alaïa was particularly significant. She walked for the designer for several years and regards him as a fundamental influence on her artistic and professional development. This experience gave rise to Maylin®, a brand dedicated to femininity and designed to celebrate women of different ages and body types through elegance, refinement and particular attention to fit. Her vision reflects the sensibility of someone who has experienced fashion firsthand, both in front of the camera and on international runways, and who now interprets it through a personal, contemporary creative approach deeply connected to the world of women. 

The International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi”, founded in 2014 in Skopje, trains young fashion professionals through programmes in pattern cutting, fashion design, cutting and garment construction. The institute was established through the experience and expertise of Izet Curi, the celebrated designer and costume maker of Kosovar origin, whose long career in Paris includes work alongside fashion houses such as Hermès, Thierry Mugler, Azzedine Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix and Chanel. Today, this wealth of professional experience is passed on to a new generation. 

Rrona Dujaka, a designer from Gjakova, Kosovo, and a second-year student at the institute, presented a creation in Paris inspired by the beauty of outer space and the idea of fashion accompanying humanity beyond the boundaries of Earth. Deep blue evokes the mystery of the universe, while luminous elements suggest stars and planets. Her vision celebrates femininity and fashion as an artistic expression oriented towards the future. 

Renea Kika, a designer from Pristina, Kosovo, presented a creation inspired by neural networks and futuristic technology. The garment's cuts and openings evoke the flow of energy and digital connections, while its colour elements suggest innovation and evolution. Her vision merges the human body with technology, transforming fashion into a language that expresses connection, energy and identity in a future-oriented perspective. 

Nikola Eftimov, a professor and influential figure in Macedonian fashion design education and research, presented “DATA FIELD_01” in Paris. A designer, visual artist and lecturer, he studied in Skopje and completed his education at the Accademia Italiana in Florence, developing a body of research spanning fashion, art, communication and experimentation. A professor at AUE-FON and lecturer at the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi”, he has exhibited in various international settings and received recognition in the Digital Art category at the A’ Design Award and Competition in 2024. With “DATA FIELD_01”, part of an ongoing body of research, Eftimov transforms digital data into creative material. Networks, topographies and information flows are translated into a printed knit and a contemporary construction, presenting fashion as a system of transformation and communication. 

Doruntina Kashtanjeva, a designer from Ferizaj, Kosovo, presented a creation inspired by Vincent van Gogh's celebrated painting “The Starry Night”. The contrast between black and luminous star motifs evokes the relationship between darkness and light, suggesting hope, energy and imagination. The use of unconventional materials inspired by upholstery textures gives the garment a futuristic character, transforming a work of art into a new vision to be worn. 

Blendina Katona, a designer from Gjakova, Kosovo, completed four years of training in pattern cutting and fashion design at the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi” in Skopje, distinguishing herself during her studies through participation in exhibitions and fashion shows and receiving the “Modélisme” award from the French Institute in Skopje, which enabled her to take part in an educational trip to Paris. In Paris, she presented a creation inspired by the visual language of action cinema and futuristic science fiction, where fashion, protection and functionality converge. Strong structures and dynamic lines evoke a contemporary suit of armour, expressing the image of a confident, independent woman of the future, ready to take control of her own space. 

Jehona Kastrati, born in Germany and educated at the High School of Arts “Adem Kastrati” in Gjilan and the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi” in Skopje, gained significant professional experience at Maison Alaïa in Paris between 2021 and 2026. For GX Fashion Week Paris, she presented a concept inspired by Amelia Earhart, the aviation pioneer, through a leather hat evoking her strength, adventurous spirit and pioneering determination. The accessory reinterprets aviation heritage through a contemporary lens, entering into dialogue with Courrèges' futuristic Space Age aesthetic. 

Vesa Xhelili, a young designer from Gjilan, Kosovo, presented a creation inspired by a dystopian vision of the future, in which progress gives way to the consequences of human greed, the pursuit of power and selfishness. Her work reflects on the choices shaping tomorrow and warns of the need to preserve values such as responsibility, equality and empathy. Its deliberately dark visual language nevertheless points towards the hope of a future built on cooperation rather than control. 

Slavica Simeunovic, a Serbian designer with a background in economics and professional pattern cutting, earned the qualifications of Pattern Maker and Fashion Garment Developer at the Italian fashion institute SITAM in Padua, where she is now also a certified educator following the institute's methodology. In Paris, she presented a creation inspired by Pierre Cardin's Space Age vision, reinterpreting the concept of the future imagined during the 1960s through a contemporary perspective. Circular forms, sculptural lines and assertive volumes establish a dialogue between nostalgia and innovation, portraying a contemporary woman who is free, independent and open to change. 

Ulpiana Toska, a third-year student at the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi”, presented a creation inspired by technology and robotics as expressions of the present and the future. Her project brings technological progress into dialogue with faith and spirituality, considering the future not merely as material evolution but also as a human and spiritual journey. Her vision invites reflection on what technology cannot explain and on the meaning each individual gives to their own future. 

And Halimi, a second-year student at the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi” in Skopje, presented a vision of the future that departs from conventional technological imagery. Her creation imagines a world without human presence, reclaimed by nature through leaves, ivy and moss. It is an organic, silent future in which nature reclaims the spaces left behind by humanity, becoming a symbol of resilience, transformation and new life. 

Anita Murati, a third-year student at the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi” in Skopje, presented a creation built around the contrast between white and red. A clean, architectural design frames an anatomical heart at its centre, while a sculptural crown evokes the heartbeat, transforming the rhythm of life into a visual element. It is a reflection on the relationship between the future and the human condition, where even within the most advanced technology, emotion remains at the heart of identity. 

Musli Karaliti, a designer from Pristina and a student at the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi” in Skopje, presented a creation inspired by Futurism, interpreting progress and the transformation of the contemporary world through geometric volumes and architectural structures. The garment's construction establishes a relationship between the body, technology and urban space, imagining fashion as a constantly evolving language projected towards the cities of the future. 

Sofija Petrova, a Macedonian designer and fourth-year student at the International Fashion Institute “Izet Curi” in Skopje, presented “Archaeology of the Future”, a reflection on the moment when even the future becomes the past and acquires its own history. The creation, suspended between garment, armour and architecture, combines a rigorous geometric structure with surfaces bearing a weathered, metallic appearance, transforming the idea of progress into an artefact waiting to be rediscovered. It offers an alternative vision of Futurism, in which what we imagine today as the future is inevitably destined to become part of our collective memory. 

Completing the aesthetic journey of the GX Fashion Week Paris was the work of the Hair & Make-Up team, coordinated by Alex Radulescu, Diana Jaupi and Barbara Screti, who translated the diverse creative identities showcased on the runway into a cohesive visual presentation. Their attentive, professional coordination accompanied the collections, enhancing their character, atmosphere and visual language. The team comprised Alina Stingaciu, Antonia Cojocariu, Alicia Mancino, Francesca Dettoli, Stefania Mero, Motoc Monica Alexandra, Deborah Chirulli, Michela Carpitella, Alessandra Ruggieri, Maria Rosaria Lonoce, Veronica La Terra, Clarissa Airò, Elena Popa, Manuela Carella, Rosaura Epifani, Mishaela Zefi, Dory Tammaro, Ony Mederos, Federica De Padova, Andrei Cretu, Adrian Colesniuc, Alexia Bardas and Alexandra Feher. 

The organisation of an international event such as the GX Fashion Week Paris relies on a large, highly experienced and capable team, whose expertise, professionalism and coordination contribute to the planning and management of every stage of the show. 

Backstage coordination and runway management, from the timing of each model's appearance to the sequencing of the various moments of the show, have long been the responsibility of Alessia Xhafa. Despite her young age, she already brings years of experience to the role and has played a key part in numerous international editions of the GX Fashion Week. This responsibility demands precision, organisational speed and a constant ability to manage the rhythm of the show and the dynamics unfolding both behind the scenes and on the runway. 

In her role as Co-Organizer & Communications Director, Alessio Marrari, an established professional in communications and media, oversees GX Fashion Week's communications system and contributes to its organisational coordination. He manages relationships with guests, industry professionals, partners and the various organisations involved in the project, while also developing, managing and communicating GX's international identity. This cross-functional role supports the project at every stage, from event preparation to communications and its international outreach. 

Our heartfelt thanks go to Hazis Vardar, creator of the Musée Banksy in Paris, for welcoming GX Fashion Week and supporting a vision that brings together art, fashion and a new generation of talent, offering Albanian creativity a prestigious international platform. Special thanks to Ilda Hila, founder of MeZemër.com, for her commitment to promoting Albania’s finest gastronomic and artisanal products worldwide, helping introduce the country’s quality, traditions and cultural identity to an international audience. We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Grand Hôtel Lafayette and the Centre Culturel des Albanais for their invaluable support and collaboration, which contributed to the organisation and success of GX Fashion Week Paris.