Israeli fashion refers to fashion design and modeling in Israel.
Israel has become an international center of fashion and design. [1] Tel Aviv has been called the “next hot destination” for fashion. [2] Israeli designers show their collections at leading fashion shows, including New York Fashion Week. [3]
The ATA textile factory was founded in Kfar Ata in 1934 by Erich Moller, a Jewish industrialist from Czechoslovakia. [4] ATA specialized in work clothes and uniforms, reflecting the Zionist and socialist ideology of the time. [5] Factory production spanned every aspect of garment-making, from thread manufacture to sewing and packaging. [6] The name of the factory was invented by Hebrew novelist, S.Y. Agnon. ATA is an acronym for the Hebrew words "Arigei Totzeret Artzeinu" – "fabrics manufactured in our land". [7] In the 1960s, Israeli fashion designer Lola Beer Ebner designed a line of fashionable dresses in bright colors for ATA at the request of Moller's widow. [8] [4] In the 1980s, ATA closed down and a residential neighborhood was built on the site of its factory. [9]
In the kibbutz egalitarian culture, the special dress served as an intentional anti-fashion. [10] While the tembel hat, symbolised the agricultural hard-work.
In the early years of the state, Ruth Dayan, wife of Moshe Dayan, founded Maskit, a fashion and decorative arts house that helped to create jobs for new immigrants while preserving the Jewish ethnic crafts of various communities living in Israel. [11] In 1955, Dayan met fashion designer Finy Leitersdorf, who designed clothes and accessories for Maskit for 15 years. The two collaborated on a joint exhibit of Maskit designs at the Dizengoff Museum (today the Tel Aviv Museum). [11] Maskit produced textiles, clothing, objets d’art and jewelry. [12]
In 1956, Lea Gottlieb founded Gottex, a high-fashion beachwear and swimwear company that became a leading exporter of designer bathing suits. [13]
Israeli fashion has been worn by some of the world's most famous women, among them Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Sarah Jessica Parker. [14] Beyonce and Lady Gaga have worn gowns with a metallic bodice design by Alon Livne, and Beyonce commissioned Livne to create her wardrobe for her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013. Livne has also designed outfits for the Hunger Games film series. [15]
Maskit which closed in 1994, reopened in 2013 with the support of billionaire industrialist Stef Wertheimer and took part in Moscow's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week that year. [16]
In 2011, Tel Aviv hosted its first Fashion Week since the 1980s with Italian designer Roberto Cavalli as a guest of honor. [17]
In 2015, at the third Tel Aviv Fashion Week, 21 Israeli designers presented their creations to an audience of 24,000 that included 100 members of the international press, dozens of retailers and local celebrities. Israeli model Bar Refaeli modeled at the opening gala. [18]
In 2009 Ruti Zisser, an Israeli American lifestyle designer, founded Ruti Inc., a fashion company dedicated to manufacturing and distributing her designs, and to showcase Israeli fashion designers internationally. The company grew rapidly with flagship stores at some of the main fashion streets in the country.
Elie Tahari, a designer of luxury ready-to-wear clothing and fashion accessories. His company headquartered in New York City with stores located throughout the world.
Gabriel Shamir (1909–1992) and Maxim Shamir (1910–1990) were Israeli graphic designers. They designed Israel's official state emblems, medals, stamps and currency notes.
Yoav Gelber is a professor of history at the University of Haifa, and was formerly a visiting professor at The University of Texas at Austin.
Castro is an Israeli clothing company specializing in men's and women's fashions. Publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, the company is valued at 100 million US dollars. In 2013, it was Israel's largest fashion company.
Gottex is an Israeli goods designer swimwear manufacturer based in Tel Aviv.
Ruth Dayan was an Israeli social activist who was the founder of the Maskit fashion house. She was also the first wife of Israeli Foreign Minister and General, Moshe Dayan (1915–1981). Active in many social causes, Dayan was a recipient of the Israeli President's Medal of Distinction, the Solomon Bublick Award, and the Yigal Allon Prize, in recognition of her social empowerment efforts.
Proyekt Maslul is the Israeli version of the American reality show Project Runway.
Dorit Bar Or is an Israeli actress and fashion designer.
Carl Rubin was an Israeli architect known for his work in the international style. He designed many of the iconic buildings in this style in Tel Aviv.
Melanie Mariam Thanee Frasch, better known as Melanie Peres is an Israeli model and actress. She has been a model for over 20 years, and has acted on various television programs and movies; she played the title role in the 2010 Israeli feature film Naomi.
Biblical sandals, also called Tanakhi sandals and Khugistic sandals, are sandals consisting of a sole with two leather straps that pass across the top of the foot, and one around the heel. The leather is usually brown or black. The term is widely used by manufacturers in Israel.
Lea Gottlieb was an Israeli fashion designer and businesswoman. She immigrated to Israel from Hungary after World War II, and founded the Gottex company.
Siona Shimshi was an Israeli painter, sculptor, ceramist, and textile designer.
Ruti Zisser is an Israeli American lifestyle designer, fashion designer, wardrobe stylist, and business woman, publicly known by her first name, Ruti Zisser is the founder of a fashion company manufacturing and distributing her designs, and showcasing Israeli fashion designers internationally.
Maskit is an Israeli fashion house founded in 1954 by Ruth Dayan, the first wife of Moshe Dayan. It was the first fashion house in Israel. Maskit produces textiles, clothing, objets d’art, and jewelry.
Moshe Roas is an Israeli artist, who works in sculpture, drawing, printmaking and installation art. He has exhibited in galleries and museums in Netherlands, (Germany), Poland, United States, South Korea and Israel. These include the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Eretz Israel Museum, the Jerusalem Print Workshop and the Tel Aviv Artists' House.
Gavra Mandil (1936–2006) was a Yugoslavian born Israeli photographer and educator, one of the first photographers of advertising and fashion in Israel, chairman of the Photographers Association, a photography teacher, founder of the Studio Gavra School of Photography.
Galia Lahav is a fashion label established in 1984 in Tel Aviv. It was founded by fashion designer Galia Lahav. The brand is primarily known for its bridal and evening wear. In January 2017, it became the first Israeli brand to be accepted by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and to present in Paris Fashion Week. As of 2019, the brand is represented by 70 stores across 40 countries. Singer Beyoncé wore a Galia Lahav bridal gown to renew her vows.
Inbal Dror is an Israeli fashion designer known for her contemporary wedding gowns. She launched her eponymously-named couture brand in 2005 and her bridal label in 2014. She designed the wedding dress of Ivanka Trump and has also designed gowns for Beyoncé, Naomi Watts, and other celebrities.
Lucy Ayoub is an Israeli television presenter, poet and radio host, formerly of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) and currently working for Keshet Media Group. Ayoub co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 alongside Assi Azar, Bar Refaeli and Erez Tal.
ATA Textile Company Ltd. was one of the first industrial enterprises founded in Israel, established in 1934. It was the first company in Israel to manufacture and design textiles locally. The textile factory continued to grow until the 1970s, and closed in 1985. ATA was re-established as a fashion brand in 2016 and is now based in Tel Aviv.
