At Manhattan’s Surrogate’s Court, Georgian fashion, ballroom dance and the paintings of ROMANOZ set the scene for a cultural exchange designed to outlast the evening.
On September 19, 2026, Manhattan’s Surrogate’s Court became a meeting place for Georgian fashion, art and performance. Presented by GEO in Style Foundation with GEO in Style, Black Sea 3.0 unfolded across the building’s sweeping staircases, surrounded by paintings by Georgian artist ROMANOZ.
Aka and Gvanca, two-time world champions in ballroom dancing, opened the evening with a performance that brought dance into the dialogue between fashion and art. Their appearance set the tone for a celebration of Georgian creativity across disciplines. American designer Kenny KAS Flanagan then opened the fashion presentations. Georgian labels M.G., Salle de Mode, SMAKI, Modebadze 81, SOPHIË and Menighbe then brought their collections to the New York stage, each contributing a distinct voice to the evening.
The Story Behind Geo In Style
Nino Walton and Nia Neilson founded GEO in Style in 2020 with a shared mission: to introduce Georgian fashion and culture to American audiences. Their interest began with the makers themselves (the craftsmanship, traditions, and individual perspectives behind the clothes) and a desire to help Georgian artisans reach a wider market and build economic independence.
That ambition took them to fashion events in Colorado Springs, Denver, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Atlanta, and New York City. Several seasons of Denver Fashion Week helped build the platform, followed by the first Black Sea runway presentations in Denver and New York in 2024. Black Sea 2.0 brought the series to Bogart House in Brooklyn in 2025.
With each production, the scope grew from presenting individual collections to creating cultural experiences that connected fashion, art, music, and international communities. Runway productions, exhibitions, photography and industry relationships became ways to introduce the work and keep those connections developing after a show.
GEO in Style Foundation carries that purpose into a nonprofit mission focused on cultural exchange, emerging creative talent, education and access to opportunity. Black Sea 3.0 marked the Foundation’s first major fashion event, bringing that mission to Manhattan’s historic Surrogate’s Court at 31 Chambers Street, in the City Hall area.
Kenny Kas Flanagan
Opening the designer presentations from the American side was celebrity designer Kenny KAS Flanagan, who brought his W.E.T. (“With Exceptional Taste”) collection to Black Sea 3.0.
KAS was the only American designer featured in the international presentation. His participation created an important counterpoint to the Georgian collections, making the runway a place of exchange between creative communities.
According to The Grind Magazine, Flanagan has worked with entertainers including Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Ashanti, Nelly, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. His Black Sea presentation incorporated the confident, individualistic approach associated with his W.E.T. concept, spanning statement pieces and a unisex perspective on fashion.
Placing an established American designer alongside designers arriving from Georgia also reflected the larger idea behind the event: cultural exchange works in both directions.
M.G. By Megi Gabunia
M.G. by Megi Gabunia brings an artistic sensibility and a bold creative vision to fashion. Combining leather, metal, and unconventional materials, Gabunia creates a cosmic aesthetic, with clothing that looks toward the future while drawing on Georgia’s historical costumes.
Her handmade garments carry a distinctly Georgian spirit, connecting cultural heritage with experimental design. That same unmistakable signature extends to her handcrafted leather accessories and footwear.
Salle De Mode By Salome Amanatishvili
Salle de Mode’s presentation offered a striking study in silhouette. In one runway photograph, a black look pairs a high neckline with open sides and sculptural face motifs, echoed in the bags held at the model’s sides. With a ROMANOZ painting behind the model, the restrained palette allows the proportions and unexpected accessories to register clearly.
Smaki By Maia Siradze
Contemporary Georgian label SMAKI approaches fashion as an expression of freedom, a space for experimentation, individuality, and breaking conventions. Each collection begins with emotion: a particular feeling, a passion or a desire for independence. The latest collection, presented in New York at Black Sea 3.0, continued that exploration of inner freedom through clothing.
As the designer puts it: “I don’t create to fit within existing boundaries. I create to expand them.”
Modebadze 81 By Marika Modebadze
Vivid color and distinctive handcraftsmanship drew GEO in Style’s attention to Kutaisi-based Georgian designer Marika Modebadze at Georgian Fashion Week. Selected from that lineup for Black Sea 3.0, she received sponsorship through GEO in Style Foundation to present her collection in New York on September 19.
Working under her label Modebadze 81, Modebadze brought an expressive use of color and a distinctive approach to making garments by hand. Her participation gave the Foundation’s mission a tangible form: discovering talent in Georgia and helping bring that work to an American audience.
Sophië By Sofia Bakuridze
Led by creative director Sofia Bakuridze, Georgian ready-to-wear brand SOPHIË emphasizes feminine silhouettes and balanced lines, bringing together a sense of solidarity, freedom and elegance.
For Autumn/Winter 2026, Bakuridze draws inspiration from the contemporary architecture surrounding her, translating impressions of her everyday environment into clothing. Natural hues create a harmonious palette, while the collection expresses the freedom, strength, individuality and independence at the heart of SOPHIË.
Menighbe By Shota Tkhilishvili
“Art that does not speak is dead art,” says Shota Tkhilishvili, founder of Menighbe. Closing the designer lineup at Black Sea 3.0, the brand brought a creative philosophy that connects Neo-Renaissance influences with psychology, archetypes, and historical and mythological motifs, expressed through a luxurious aesthetic.
For this presentation, Tkhilishvili placed the primary focus on his face masks. Encompassing several sub-brands, Menighbe extends across clothing, masks, footwear, jewelry, and other forms of visual work. Each piece carries a particular idea and story, united by Tkhilishvili’s intention to create objects that “speak.”
Romanoz Throughout The Room
ROMANOZ’s paintings were installed throughout Surrogate’s Court, sharing the space with the runway and the guests. His work became part of the evening’s visual identity: the paintings visible behind the models and throughout the event photographs are his.
In one image, GEO in Style founders Nino Walton and Nia Neilson hold hands beneath the courthouse’s carved detail, with a ROMANOZ painting behind them. The frame brings together the people, the clothes, the artwork and the architecture. It offers a glimpse of how naturally the exhibition became part of the gathering.
The relationship will continue beyond Black Sea 3.0. GEO in Style Foundation will represent ROMANOZ and serve as custodian of his works for the next year, pursuing gallery placements, introducing the paintings to collectors and working toward sales.
For a few hours, the courthouse staircase connected contemporary Georgian creativity with New York’s historic grandeur. The work now continues beyond that setting, as the Foundation carries the introductions made that evening into galleries, new audiences, and opportunities for the artists and designers it supports.
