Models walking in this year’s fashion week shows in Israel were paid a flat fee of NIS 800 gross per show, leaving them with roughly NIS 550 per show in hand, according to the popular Instagram account FOMO.
The fee covers the entire job, FOMO reported. That includes fittings in advance, arriving about two hours before each show for rehearsals, hair and makeup, and allowing the designer to use photos from the show for publicity.
Even the busiest models didn’t earn much. Some of the most sought-after names, including Moriah Biton, Stav Strashko, Fei Zakuta and Romi Peled, walked in about 15 shows over the event’s four days. Each took home about NIS 8,000 net in total.
The week’s top earner was international model Sun Mizrahi. For walking exclusively in a single show, for designer Tai Biton, Mizrahi earned NIS 13,000, more than other models made working around the clock for the entire week.
Social media influencers, meanwhile, are usually not paid at all, according to FOMO. Their presence on the runway drew criticism this year from people who said they were taking work from professional models. The arrangement rests on mutual benefit: designers get wide exposure from familiar faces wearing their clothes, and influencers gain the prestige of walking in a fashion show, media attention and a stronger foothold in the industry.
The rates have barely moved since last year. When fashion week returned to Israel in 2025 after a two-year break, a source told Israel Hayom’s ForReal that the budget for each runway walker was about NIS 800, with agent commissions in the industry ranging from 15 to 20 percent.