"The culture of buying more and more is exactly what makes Israel unstylish"

The Israeli customer is only brave when it comes to her wedding dress, Israeli style can be found mainly in the TikTok generation and if you continue to buy on websites from abroad and the state continues to ignore - the local fashion industry will die and disappear. The local fashion designers are on the attack and you should listen to them

Eleanor Dvir

04/10/2022

Tuesday, 04 October 2022, 08:55 Updated: 08:59

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"My cry - let's consume more Israeli fashion, let's believe in local talent, let's support ourselves!".

Alon Birvena (Photo: Zohar Shitrit)

"Style is not what you bought yesterday at Zara. Style is a Chanel jacket from a decade ago with a shirt by an Israeli designer from a year ago" (Alon Livna)

On the occasion of Yom Kippur, we spoke with some of the most prominent local fashion designers in Israel in order to understand how they manage to survive the ongoing crisis in the industry, what they think about the style of the Israeli customer and what they think will improve the dismal situation of the pile of talent operating here under almost impossible conditions.

A discourse of soul-searching.

The solution, it turns out, lies with us, the consumers.

"From the moment I left Shankar, I've been carrying the flag of local design," says fashion designer

, "My entire production process is done in Israel, it's barren stubbornness. It's like trying to grow something on barren soil. The cost comes from the fact that I pay salaries to workers from Israel and half of all revenue goes to the seamstresses . I believe that the end customer will understand and help us with this. Local produce should have priority from the customers' point of view."

Also the fashion designer,

, agrees that the power is in our hands, the fashion consumers: "My cry - let's consume more Israeli fashion, let's believe in the local talent, let's support ourselves! I'm not talking about consumerism of how to close the month for the whole family with minimal costs. I'm talking about someone who goes shopping in quantities and want to tell her that it's better to cut back, the culture of buying more and more is exactly what makes Israel lack style."

According to him, "Style is not what you bought yesterday at Zara. Style is a Chanel jacket from a decade ago with a shirt by an Israeli designer from a year ago."

"Local produce should have priority from the point of view of customers."

Mirit Rodrigue (photo: courtesy of those photographed, self-portrait)

"We have our own lifestyle here, we are neither England nor France, and I feel the audience's recognition of local design. It's a conversation that never happened before" (Dorine Frankfurt)

The veteran designer,

, who has been active for over 40 years in the local fashion industry, has a similar perspective when it comes to the renewed consumption habits of Israelis.

"The fashion world is now going through upheavals that I have been digging for years and it is very exciting to me. There is much more awareness of how many trends are not trendy, there is awareness of reuse and much more measured behavior and this opens up a horizon for all the local creators who design the items that stay in the wardrobe for years."

"I'm not canceling fast fashion," Frankfurt emphasizes, "but this approach brings the blush back to my cheeks. Have fun, life is short, just think about the environment and the livelihood of the community, not all of us are high-tech geniuses. Think about how you buy a garment that costs less than a salad from a cafe ? Does that make you quiet? That's what I'm asking for. Someone packed, shipped, sewed, cut, sketched - how does it cost less than a salad?"

"We have our own lifestyle here, we are neither England nor France, and I feel the public's recognition of local design. It's a conversation that never happened before. I was brought up on proportionality, measured prices, quality and also to repair clothes and not throw them away. If my furniture is great I I'll call a cleaning company and maybe re-upholster. Now the moment has come for the audience to start implementing it."

"I don't see it that way. Clothes aren't supposed to end after a season. When I see that customers are wearing my clothes from a decade ago or more, I'm first of all proud. I'm also happy that my clothes come in second hand and that people buy them twenty years after I made them, I prefer It's more than buying a new outfit. I've strived for that for many years."

"When I see that the customers are wearing my clothes from a decade ago or more, I am first of all proud."

Doreen Frankfurt (photo: courtesy of those photographed, self-portrait)

"There is an overflow in the face of the madness of the trends and what is happening in the networks, and from here back to the basics, to the essence, to buy quality that will not be destroyed after a season" (Sivan Hami)

The one who echoes the connection between style and measured consumerism and is free from chasing trends is

, a busy stylist for 17 years who this season added the title of local fashion designer to her resume.

Chaimi, is responsible for dressing stars such as

,

,

,

and

and was chosen by designer

to design the new OMA collection.

"As someone who works with women, I really see a change in consciousness. There is an inundation in the face of the craziness of the trends and what is happening on the networks, and from here a return to the basics, to the essence, to buy quality that will not be destroyed after a season. Women want clothes to flatter them long before they seek to be trendy. From my experience, women Want peace, no matter how many clothes are in everyone's closet, in the end it's a stand of clothes, let's say 15 items, that are worn every day. Clothes that fit 24/7."

"First of all, what is style?"

Hami wonders, "There is a difference between a fashionable person and someone who buys a lot. Style is something that starts with an internal conversation, I see 19-year-old kids with no money and tons of style. Style is presence in the public space, it's the ability to hold the clothes. People with style are not Inevitably the ones with the most high-end fashion items. As a stylist, I hear a lot 'only it won't look too matchy, it will be loud' - there is a desire for a look that overlaps. A look that doesn't make an effort equals chic,

"This is Israeliness in general," emphasizes Hami, "this is how it is when actors go to the premiere at Cinema City and travel in service taxis. Both the weather and the intensity in Israel do not allow this place of a moment to get dressed and dream. We get up in the morning and need an outfit that will help us survive the day. The state is here It's very challenging from this point of view and it permeates the other fields as well. It's inherent in all of us. In the end, people are looking for practicality and comfort, and are also starting to re-evaluate local fashion, the quality here is high."

"Both the weather and the intensity in Israel do not allow this place of a moment to get dressed and dream."

Sivan Hami (Photo: Hila Shier)

"It's no secret that being an Israeli designer means designing clothes for events" (Alon Livna)

Livna also associates the style with the young and underprivileged generation: "These are the kids who don't have money, not the ones who buy in bulk. Second-hand pants they cut with Reebok sneakers or with a T-shirt from mom or dad's closet. Fashion is subversive,

made her name Not as a lachrymose designer but as a subversive fashion designer in the seventies in the punk and fringe culture, or

whose aunt

designs there today. They weren't looking for an exit in the beginning, they brought fashion from a cultured and deep place. I'm very connected to the nightlife culture, I see where the real fashion comes from - from girls The 19-20s, when no garment is a brand or a chain, it comes from within and you can't buy it with money, you can't read it! Fashion on the trends and buy it. It doesn't work."

As someone who also operates successfully overseas, Livna has insights into the style of the Israeli woman in relation to the American consumer.

"It's no secret that being an Israeli designer means designing clothes for events. I remember in the late 1990s and early 2000s there was a boom in local designer clothes and there was great pride, like the market of city designers who would come to it from all over the country, the industry flourished. Today most Israeli designers turn to to events to earn a living."

"The Israeli bride is the most fashionable in the world, in contrast to how Israeli women dress on a daily basis."

Niver Medar from the display of Alon Livna (Photo: Walla! Mazel Tov)

"How can you wear a suit here in August? The only way to survive the summer is flip flops and a tank top - how fashionable can that be?"

(birch oak)

"The Israeli bride is much more daring," says Livna.

"She has balls, she has no problem trying something new. Abroad, they ask for a lining, a white color, a trail.

The Israeli woman wants to screw up a show and asks for the model as I take pictures of the model.

There is a serious culture of events here and the Israeli bride is the most fashionable in the world, in contrast to how Israeli women dress on a daily basis."

"Bardi to Wear Israel suffers from two problems: weather, most of the year 70 percent humidity, hot and sticky, and the second problem that we small and there is a lot of politics and a difficult economy here.

The place for culture and clothing was pushed aside.

It's not in our control.

How can you wear a suit here in August?

The only way to survive the summer is flip flops and a tank top - how fashionable can that be?

I was in Berlin in August and in the evening I wore a leather jacket.

Let's compare Thailand to Paris, is it possible to compare?

Mediterranean weather.

The desire to compare Israel abroad is a problem in itself."

"Why did I have to dress up

to be considered here? When someone is successful abroad it shows that they are good, but I feel that there is a phenomenon here that is less enthusiastic than in Israel.

I love timeout chocolate, sick.

Equipment.

Always wonder how I prefer it to Godiva.

People are looking for what is beyond the sea.

I'm not saying there's nothing wrong with that, but there's so much talent here, amazing designers, and in the end there are 100 fashion design graduates a year - how many newcomers are really successful in Israel?

A few percent.

Many try to find work abroad, or leave the field. There are many graduates all over the world with lots of money from home and can jump from internship to internship without earning a salary. Why is

more desirable than local design? It's a chicken and an egg, there is no income, no fabrics and not enough Professionals and this is a loop that needs to be broken."

"I also sell online in the United States and it's amazing because when a model works, it works well. Period."

Ronan Chen (Photo: Zohar Shitrit)

"They used to say that Israeli women have no style, but I think that has changed a lot in recent years due to social networks" (Ronen Chen)

Ronan Chen

Shaoto closes 30 years as a successful local designer, who also sells his wares overseas claims a similar taste when it comes to the Israeli and international customer.

"I also sell online in the United States and it's amazing because when a model works, then it works well. Period. I feel that sometimes the world really is a small village."

"Not really. It's true that here in Israel there is no dress code, you can wear anything anywhere, there is no formality and it's not just a given, it's a state of mind. Everything is less formal. They used to say that Israeli women have no style, but I think that has changed a lot in recent years due to social networks And what women share online."

"Israeliness is made up of sectors, ethnicities, traditions, climate, events, and there is no single answer. Just as modest fashion is not a dirty word, neither is chauvinism a dirty word. I have often heard phrases like 'She doesn't dress for her age' - so I want to say - she Dress the way she wants and she will feel good. Today no one will tell someone what she should wear. It's a miracle for me. Tel Aviv, suburbia - there really is no difference, it's an old stigma. It's impossible to generalize, everyone is influenced by other women and style is a personal thing , I am influenced by female friends and women I know a lot. That's why there is no absolute answer here, there is plenty, but in the end the connection is emotional and I see beauty everywhere. This divided country is my inspiration and I see the beauty in every sector and every sector has leadership. As long as they don't deal with dirt And in Shisui everything is legitimate."

"We need to work together, if I pass on knowledge it will not diminish me, on the contrary, the fulfillment of a dream."

Doreen Frankfurt (Photo: Avi Waldman)

So what is the solution to all the claims you made here?

"I would like there to be an association of all the designers but we are all busy surviving, putting out fires and closing the month" (Mirit Rodrigue)

Mirit Rodrigue:

"In order for the audience to support, awareness and exposure are needed. Like the campaign from the 1960s to not pick wild flowers, this also needs to permeate from TV presenters, influencers, service members and members of the Knesset. For high-tech companies to give gifts of local design, otherwise we will not exist. You cannot compete with The big brands from abroad, we have to compete for the customer's emotion.

I believe in customers and we need them in stores.

I wish there would be an association, I wish.

I would like there to be an association of all the designers, but we are all busy surviving, putting out fires and closing the month."

"How is it possible that there is no fashion association here?

An association that takes care of the industry.

Fabric agents, seamstresses, tailors.

Even in Greece there is!

The fashion industry is dying in Israel.

Israeli fashion is something that needs to be saved, I don't want to be petty, but I wish there was support from the state like in the high-tech industry."

Talking about an organic association from the field: "I don't mean an association of officials who sit in the office. I believe it should be simpler, a group that is not organized by the state but by itself with transparency and accessibility. And it should come from the heart. Less engaging in silly rivalry and more being united , because it's power. Every year there are a lot of designers here who have finished studying and they lack tools and I think we need to give it to each other, pass on information and no one will get hurt, everyone will benefit. This is the most important thing that the local industry needs. We need to work together, if I pass on knowledge, this will not diminish me, on the contrary, the fulfillment of a dream."

In contrast to them,

demonstrates a completely different attitude and declares: "I don't count what I don't have, I make do with what I have, I've learned to get along and I have no complaints."

The response of the Ministry of Economy and Industry:

The Ministry of Economy and Industry works through the "Blue and White Headquarters" to promote local industry and the economy, among other things, by encouraging preference for purchases made in Israel.

Local manufacturers, including fashion manufacturers who meet Israeli production conditions, are invited to register for "Made in Israel", to take part in the activities of the headquarters and in campaigns calling for the preference of blue and white, to participate in various initiatives, including participation in the blue and white complex on Google's "Shopping Eyal" site.

Also, during the year 2022, we launched a media campaign to support local businesses.

In 2020, the Ministry of Economy and Industry promoted the extension of the validity of the textile law under which special preference is given in tenders to textile manufacturers that produce for the defense system and brought about its approval by order of the hour for another 3 years.

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