Israeli fashion trends in the war

When the vast majority of fashionistas watch Armani's haute couture show from the Palais de Chaillot, they will crank up the caviar kaspia and there will be an opening on that evening. Whether the emma watson will appear on the front row of another fashion show, Leah Perey, head of fashion courses at shenkar college of engineering and design, Israel’s top fashion school Leah perez is participating in another fashion show and thinking about very different issues. Her colleagues at istituto marangoni, central saint martins or fashion institute of technology may never have to think about the kind of questions she thinks.

"At that time it was around 6:30pm. We just started the first of two graduation shows," she said. "There are about 700 spectators, including students' parents, mentors, reporters and celebrities, such as actress Karen. Keren mor and architect amir mann. Like most fashion shows, music sounds so loud that you basically can't hear other sounds. Suddenly, everyone receives a phone A text message saying that the alarm sounded and the rockets were flying towards Tel Aviv. We were in a large exhibition hall without a cover, so I had to decide whether to withdraw or not."

She decided not to evacuate. "We should watch the students' work," she said. "Life has to continue. No matter what happens outside. Almost no one left. There is a strong tension in the air and there is a feeling of confrontation with the environment. But it is over. After that I couldn't sleep completely. I kept thinking of all those people and I was responsible to them..."

Most people may think that such a risk for fashion is not worth it, or even a bit ridiculous. They may even think that fashion does not matter in a conflict zone that involves life and death and regional political diplomacy.

Indeed, even before the current conflict in the Gaza Strip began, when I told friends that I was going to Israel to explore the fashion industry there, the majority of people reacted with raised eyebrows and a slight squeak, as if saying, "Isn't they having more serious things to consider than clothing?"

"I know this seems a little ridiculous," said Perez, "I was going to school during the Yom Kippur War. The situation was terrible. We were studying Picasso's wife. I said to the mentor," It's true Who cares about Picasso's wife? "But it has become a sacred belief about the good and the beauty that will last forever. If not, what would you do? Give in to hatred and ugliness?"

It is not a rhetorical question, nor is it a problem unique to Israel. Perez's words reflect an unexpected fact: almost every country that is traditionally considered a dangerous zone has fashion.

There is fashion in Afghanistan. In March this year, Ukraine organized its own Fashion Week in Kiev, which coincided with the climax of political turmoil caused by Russia’s occupation. Zambia is one of the poorest 30 countries in the world and has its own fashion week. Last year, Colombia held a grand celebration to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Colombian Apparel Export Association (inexmoda), which is dedicated to the display of Colombian clothing and textiles. One of the exhibitions on designer Haider Ackermann invited the Colombian First Lady, ambassadors, and Mayor Medellin to visit, aiming to change the way people think of Colombia when they think of only trading or fashion. Industry-related death toll.

In Israel, Perez’s fashion curriculum has more than doubled in size. In 1994, when she took over, she had about 25 students per class. There were 41 graduates in each class this year, and 60 students were enrolled in each class. Although Shenka is traditionally regarded as the most famous fashion academy in Israel, the other two competitors are the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and the Sea of ​​the International Zionist Women’s Organization in Jerusalem. The institute of law design and education (wizo haifa academy of design and education) is also becoming more and more popular. Three years ago, Tel Aviv Fashion Week relaunched 30 years after it was suspended - although only half of the young designers who have graduated from design schools in Israel and returned to the country to establish their own clothing brands after internship abroad are still engaged in the industry 10 years later.

Part of the reason for this situation is that it is not easy to start a business in this very small market. This market avoids most high-end fashion brands and favors street brands, including two major Israeli companies—castro and renuar. But in addition to these obvious problems, some of Israel’s unique problems are not conducive to opening up new fashion brands:

Not to mention that the government’s support for the apparel industry is far less enthusiastic than the technology and other industries. Assaf Shem-Tov was a young designer. She and her husband tal drori founded the colle cte brand. She said, “I think a lot The money is spent on the army. ”

However, outside of Israel, there is a success story in the Israeli garment industry – lanvin's highly acclaimed creative director, alber elbaz, is a graduate of Shenka; the swimwear brand gottex Founded in Tel Aviv in 1956; creative director of New York designers elie tahari and yigal azrou?l and kenneth cole Kobi Halperin is also a Shenka alumnus — but most of Shenka’s graduates still dream of working in their home country rather than work in the fashion capital of Paris or Milan.

For example, the young Arab designer Naim K. Qamim who graduated from Shenka in 2001 had worked in New York, Istanbul, and Italy. He returned to China in 2007 and brought me back to me. community". He and his sister (or sister) had a studio in the Arab community, Tira, to make only one dress for a special occasion. Nadav Rosenberg, who graduated from Shenka in 2010, had a short-term internship with david koma in London and started his own brand northern star in 2012. The brand is a relaxed, bright urban style. Rosenberg had used his parents’ home as a studio before moving out to open a boutique boutique in Tel Aviv, where he lived and worked.

In view of the above obstacles, you will inevitably wonder why they should do this.

"Fashion links all people together," said Mr. De Lori. He had internships at azzedine ala?a in Paris and donna karan in New York and later returned to the country to establish colle"cte. "It can be a bridge across race and religion. ”

However, although this may sound politically distasteful, although some Israeli fashion brands do have political intentions - such as Dorin Frankfurt, she is somewhat like Israel's Ann Taylor, established in 1975. The company’s own business is based on the premise that all labels are written “Design and Manufacture in Tel Aviv”. She set up her own local factory and hired workers with various cultural backgrounds – but young designers obviously do not like to shout political slogans.

There are exceptions. A shoe design student at the Shenka Graduation Class carved a three-dimensional Arabic word “freedom” on the soles of the shoe in an advanced project, so no matter who wears this pair of shoes, it will leave a clear footprint. But in general, the garments themselves are not about contradictions, cultural conflicts or other topics that outsiders might expect.

"I think it's weird," said Orit Freilich, a senior lecturer at Shenka. "Sometimes I ask students," Do you not want to do something about the surrounding environment? "They said no. They dreamed about something else."

A reborn company named Maskit has set an example. It was Israel's first (perhaps only) luxury clothing company founded in 1954 by Ruth Dayan (deceased), the wife of the Israeli soldier/politician Moshe Dayan. The company used the traditional embroidery of Palestine, Drussa, Lebanon, and Judas for contemporary luxury garments, which created job opportunities for immigrants and also promoted the region’s cultural heritage. Although it was very successful in the 1960s (audrey hepburn passed the brand's famous egg jacket), it closed down in 1994. Last year, a pair of husband and wife partners, Neil and Sharon Tal, who had worked at Deloitte and Alexandre McQueen, respectively, and investor Steve Weyt. Stef Wertheimer, the Israeli richest man, is the founder of the industrial equipment company iscar, who recently sold this company to Warren Buffett and bought the brand together. It is to create a "local luxury brand."

Although they continued to use Maschid’s fashion diplomacy in embroidery, the Talles’ most concern seemed to be creating a business model for future designers: creating an environment for the next generation and conceiving a road to development in Israel.

To really achieve this, they must improve their aesthetic characteristics (at present, most of their clothes are excellent reinventions of past styles), but their goals reflect another future of the Israeli fashion industry, which is the charm of fashion. . No matter where the future is.

"I knew it was a coincidence, but the closing song of our graduation show came from the well-loved Israeli poet and singer Arik Einstein," Perez said. After the song was over, she stood up and announced the cancellation of the Champagne eve party. Everyone should go home and stay safe (stops in the name of the United States).

"All people are crying," she recalls. Although it was not because people were overwhelmed by what was happening around them, it was not because the pressure was being released, but because the song reflected the more critical point of this activity. "The song title is "you and i will change the world," she said.

In other words, hope, in Israel, and other countries in crisis.