“One of the things that unites and characterizes Jerusalem is the blend of old and new, ancient and modern,” says Sarit Goldstein.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFET CASIART head coverings(photo credit: SHAI KEDEM)
The debut Overall Festival in Jerusalem (July 16 to 20), is a first-of-its-kind platform for designers, artists, musicians and scholars to share and explore new concepts, narratives and frontiers within the realm of fashion. Overall aims to provoke fresh insights regarding the many ways the global fashion ecosystem operates, both in theory and in practice. Overall is supported by the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage and the Jerusalem Municipality.“One of the things that unites and characterizes Jerusalem is the blend of old and new, ancient and modern,” says Sarit Goldstein, director general of the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage. “Overall is a cultural event, the first of its kind in Israel, that integrates a wide range of disciplines by selected designers in art, fashion, design and other fields, where this blend and integration of crafts reflects the uniqueness of Jerusalem.”Jerusalem preserves the mark of diverse and complex cultures, religions and histories in its streets and markets, through materials, colors, shapes and style. Through thousands of years, the city has seen the best of fine goods from the surrounding areas – silk tapestries; purple and red cloth for the palaces and the Temple; precious stones (including those woven into the clothes of the High Priest); golden jewelry from the Second Temple Period; the best of European cloth for the castles of the Crusader kings in the Tower of David and the garments of the heads of the Church; and golden fabrics from Damascus for the palaces of the caliphs – some of whose names are still familiar in the Old City. Jerusalem, with all its history, complexity and significance, is the base for this festival of fashion designers, and is present in all aspects – thus the name Overall. The festival presents a fresh and exciting experience of an encounter with modern production, and encourages one to look forward to the complex social and ecological issues involved in the world of fashion and design in the 21st century.THE COLLECTIVE designers standing with artistic directors Shelly Satat-Kombor and Shachat Atwan. (Credit: RICKY RACHMAN)DURING THE course of the festival, the Tower of David Museum will host dozens of designers and artists who will be participating in the conversation that surrounds fashion, with live demonstrations of craft-making in every nook and cranny of the premises – from traditional crafts through to the use of modern technology including machine knitting, shoe making, jewelry making, fashion sketching, t-shirt designing, embroidery, weaving, 3D printing and more. There will be live photo shoots, interactive engagement for the public with fashion, workshops to take part in – including how to make stylish head coverings and the opportunity to learn how to do traditional Palestinian embroidery as well as the possibility of participating in a large group-weaving installation. In addition, there will be live performances by Ester Rada, AWA and Shai Tsabari and a market of “made in Israel” designer clothes, shoes and accessories.At its one-day conference, “Closet X” explores what our closets will look like in 2030. The conference will explore issues of consumption, sustainability and communal responsibility within the fashion world. Leading experts will expound on the current challenges that the fashion industry faces in light of this “new” consumer: from new technologies to new economic models (such as renters, the sharer economy, consumer-to-consumer, second-hand shopping) to new initiatives creating innovative ways to help reduce the environmental impact of clothing production.A panel of religious Jewish female bloggers will discuss which lines they will not cross when it comes to fashion, how their respective communities view their unique profession and how they balance the challenges of social media and fashion in their community.Unique tours held throughout the festival will weave threads of discovery throughout the city allowing visitors to engage in diverse subjects connected to fashion in Jerusalem.“Jerusalem is a diverse and creative city. The tourist in Jerusalem wants to experience the authenticity of the city, in addition to the religious and historic elements. Original events like Overall that tap into the diversity and uniqueness of Jerusalem are an additional way to tell the story of Jerusalem and expose it to new populations.” says Ilanit Melchior, director of tourism for the Jerusalem Development Authority.The artistic directors of Overall, Shelly Satat-Kombor and Shachar Atwan, see fashion as a fundamental way of communicating and want visitors to Overall to leave with a greater understanding of fashion as a playful way of expression, having explored the process of fashion through traditional crafts and new technologies and having interacted with a wide range of creators.
Overall is an experience that you won’t want to miss and admission is free. Don’t forget to bring a white t-shirt from home as you will have the chance to upscale it into a designer top.Additional info:(02) 626-5333, www.tod.org.il
