Seven months after October 7th, business is returning to normal at the studio of Sherin Damari Intertor and Tslil Levi, the two friends behind the Ustabelle fashion brand.
Sherin and Tslil, who founded the brand in 2016 and live in moshavs near Netivot, took a long time to recover from that Black Saturday. "In the first two months, couriers barely came here to pick up deliveries," they recount. "A large part of our workers were evacuated from the border areas, so they couldn't come to work. Additionally, we didn't have a safe space near the office, so at a certain point, we arranged for an improvised concrete cylinder that still serves as our shelter."
It wasn't just about adjusting to work in a complex security reality that affected them; even the collection looked different following the tough events. "The collections we launched after the war were mainly designed tracksuits and T-shirts with optimistic messages related to the war," they emphasize. "We realized it would take some time for people to go out and have fun again, and as a brand whose items are mostly very 'dressy', it challenged us to design more homey items."
They established Ustabelle in 2016 as two young mothers dreaming of designing fashionable and sophisticated children's clothes. At the beginning of their journey, they targeted the American market, selling their designs on their website and in U.S. boutiques. Their big break in the American market came when Chicago, Kim Kardashian's daughter, was photographed wearing the brand's coat. After Kim Kardashian's daughter, paparazzi photos of Irina Shayk and Bradley Cooper's daughter followed. Due to the buzz, well-known bloggers with over five million followers approached them, wanting special items for their daughters.
Despite their success in children's fashion, about a year ago, they decided to move into adult fashion. Today, they design carefully crafted women's (and some men's) fashion. "The transition to the adult world was very natural," they explain. "Children's fashion was characterized by mature lines and colors. Women have always been our true passion. It took time to decide, but it was the best decision we could have made."
The current collection maintains the brand's clean lines. There's an emphasis on pleasant, embracing fabrics like satin and knits that flatter the body. The collection's color palette is also feminine and delicate, with neutral combinations such as black, white, light blue, pink, lavender, cream, and green-gray. Selected items in the collection include flared pants with side slits, a short jumpsuit with a deep back neckline, high-waisted shorts, a knitted fabric beach suit, and more. Price range: 190-590 shekels. Website: https://ustabelle.co.il/collections/new-in