Shay Greenberg’s graduate collection from Shenkar doesn’t just question the fantasy of the wedding day, it reconstructs it, thread by thread. By merging the iconic language of bridalwear with the grounded sensibility of street fashion, Shay transforms critique into a tactile experience. Her work lives in the seams, the cuts, and the physical effort behind each piece.
“Craftsmanship is at the heart of my work,” she states. “To communicate an idea clearly, the first step is to remove unnecessary noise and use precise and exacting technique.” That dedication shows in every silhouette she builds. Rather than relying on ornament or spectacle, Shay uses her hands, sewing, draping, refining, to give shape to bold ideas.
At its core, the collection challenges social expectations placed on women, particularly around marriage and femininity. However, Shay’s critique isn’t only conceptual, it’s deeply physical. When preparing her final look, she studied classical ballet tutu construction. Then, she adapted that knowledge to manipulate tulle into bold, architectural forms.
“I actually didn’t like tulle before this project,” she recalls. “But as someone who enjoys structure and shaping, I discovered how much power it holds through its lightness.” During the process, she worked so intensively with the fabric that her hands became scraped and rough. Yet instead of seeing that as a drawback, she embraced it. “That physicality was an integral part of bringing the garments to life”.
As a result, labor becomes language. Each stitch carries intention, making the invisible visible, not just in the clothing, but in the emotional weight it holds.
Shay’s material choices reflect a deliberate dialogue. She combines denim and tulle, two fabrics rarely seen together, to highlight conflicting cultural expectations. “I love working with denim,” she says. “It allows for depth and attention to detail. Even within exaggerated silhouettes, it invites subtle discoveries”.
Meanwhile, tulle, long associated with delicate femininity, becomes a tool for bold expression. By manipulating it into new forms, Shay gives the fabric agency. This reimagining of materials mirrors her broader goal: to reclaim symbols and question who they serve.
From the beginning, Shay approached her designs as evolving bodies rather than static sketches. Instead of following a rigid plan, she worked directly on the mannequin, responding to how the garments behaved in space.
“Once a piece began to take shape on the body, I constantly re-evaluated it,” she explains. For example, she re-sewed trousers after realizing their original length didn’t translate in real life. In another case, a corset that started as opaque felt too heavy once worn. So, she reconstructed it using boned mesh to allow the garment to breathe.
Therefore, her process wasn’t linear but dynamic, a conversation between form and feeling, structure and emotion. The result is a collection where technique and concept are deeply intertwined.
Shay’s personal history also informs her work. Growing up, she felt uncomfortable in dresses and questioned why femininity seemed tied to certain garments. “From a young age, dresses weren’t my natural place,” she says. “I always felt more comfortable in tracksuits and trousers.”
Eventually, that discomfort became fuel for her creative process. At Shenkar, where she arrived with no formal fashion background, she found the freedom to experiment. “My final project is the direct result of the process I went through: curiosity, hard work, and refusing to give up on myself,” she shares.
One look she’s especially connected to features a transparent corset paired with wide-leg jeans. It embodies the contradictions at the heart of her work, structure and subversion, fantasy and critique. “Instead of shaping the body, I distorted the garment. A corset that opens and closes, it reflects the act of putting it on and taking it off,” she notes.
As the collection progresses, the garments gain volume and take up more space. This visual shift mirrors the emotional journey Shay wants to express. The first look, restrained and nuanced, gives way to later pieces that demand presence. Even though the collection consists of just five looks, the story they tell is layered and deeply felt.
During the runway show, Shay experienced a moment of affirmation. “When the fifth look came out, I heard women laughing in recognition,” she recalls. That reaction was exactly what she hoped for. “Before any other emotion, I wanted people to smile. To feel seen. To start a conversation about choice, and about who really wears whom.”
Ultimately, Shay Greenberg’s collection isn’t only about deconstructing bridalwear. It’s about reclaiming the tools and symbols that have long shaped women’s identities. Through deliberate craftsmanship, unflinching labor, and sharp emotional insight, she transforms the act of making clothes into a radical, joyful, and deeply personal form of storytelling.
In her hands, a dress doesn’t just dress the body, it speaks for it.
The designer would also like to acknowledge her design mentor Idit Barak at Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art for their guidance during the development of this project
