Áwet Woldegebriel Goes Home to Asmara, Eritrea to Show Fall Collection

Designer Áwet Woldegebriel traveled back to his homeland in Asmara, Eritrea, to unveil Áwet New York’s fall 2025 men’s and women’s collection.

The presentation marked the designer’s official return to Eritrea since he left as a boy, bringing with it a collection that embodied the soul of Asmara and the craftsmanship of its people.

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Titled, “Asmara,” the collection was an ode to Asmarino and Asmarina men and women, including Woldegebriel’s own father, master tailor Goitom Woldegebriel. The collection, shown last Saturday, distilled Italian craftsmanship and Eritrean ingenuity into pieces that evoked Asmara Style that’s shaped by the city’s colonial past and unwavering spirt.

“This collection is the most personal work I’ve ever created,” said Woldegebriel. “Returning to Asmara after so many years is a profound moment for me. Asmara is not just a city –it’s a living museum of resilience, creativity and identity. Sharing its story with the world through fashion feels like coming home.”

Woldegebriel left Eritrea in 1998 and came to the U.S. in 2000 when he was granted asylum. He launched his fashion brand in New York in 2020 during the pandemic.

The presentation was open to all citizens and was hosted in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Eritrea to the United Nations in New York and the Eritrean Commission for Culture and Sports. The minister of the commission officially opened the evening with a ceremony that set the tone for the event, which featured performances of traditional dances representing Eritrea’s nine ethnic groups. The experience extended beyond fashion, bringing guests into the heart of Eritrean tradition through the country’s most revered ritual: the Eritrean coffee ceremony. From the moment guests arrived, they were enveloped in the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans. A host prepared the coffee with purpose, mirroring the organic flow of conversation and exchange.

According to the company, incorporating the experience into the fall 2025 activation wasn’t just about showcasing tradition, but was more about honoring the craftsmanship, storytelling and communal spirit that defines Áwet New York.

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