War is olive-green, drab, gritty, and gray, but some designers are using their talents to transcend the gloom. In the fashion world, even wars manage to spark innovation and creativity. World War I saw the birth of Lanvin, Hermes, and Coco Chanel. Silhouettes went from hourglass to ramrod straight. World War II sparked functionality, austerity, bright red lipstick, and shoulder pads. The Vietnam War and its protest movements brought bright colors, bold shapes, and reformed graphic T-shirts with protest messages into everyday wear.
Likewise, the war that Israel has been fighting since Oct. 7 is influencing fashion – not just in Israel but globally. We have even seen olive color and blue-and-white bridal couture as Israeli soldiers marry on the battlefront. Israeli fashion designers and retailers have risen to the occasion, using their high visibility platforms to raise awareness and funding for the plight of the hostages and to combat the aftermath of the atrocities of Oct. 7.
Examples are the iconic Ortal Mizrahi yellow ribbon dress that American singer Montana Tucker’s wore at the Grammys, and the blue-and-white outfit she wore on her recent trip to Israel; and an Oscar night Yaniv Persi gown by Kornit Digital worn by Hofit Golan featured names of the communities desecrated on Oct. 7, blood red splatters, a Star of David, and Am Yisrael Chai topped by a tallit/keffiyeh-like train that Persi says symbolizes peace and coexistence. One of the most iconic fashion creations was the dress designed by Alon Livne for Eden Golan for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.
MEITAL PELEG MIZRACHI, a Yale University postdoctoral fellow, researcher, and advocate for environmental regulation on fashion at the Department of Public Policy, has been tracking both the functionality and the trends that the war has sparked in Israel and beyond.
“Every time there is a war, fashion is the first thing that changes,” she says. “During World War II, we saw big hats, women’s kerchiefs, and bandannas.”
Likewise, she adds, the international fashion scene is influenced by the Israel-Hamas war. She points out that many designs have incorporated red, green, and black as a moneymaking ploy. Watermelons have become a symbol of the Palestinian cause. But she says the Israeli fashion world has responded in a kinder and gentler way.
“Israeli designs are much less cynical. Everyone is really trying to help. Many have created special collections with Stars of David and Am Yisrael Chai motifs to promote nationalism – not to make money.”
In Israel, she says, independent designers are highlighting Jewish symbols in response to global antisemitism. “It’s more about being Jewish, not necessarily Israeli – there is a stubborn pride in being Jewish. Instead of hiding it, people are using their clothing choices to promote their Jewishness.”
Renuar: Hostage-inspired design
When the family of hostage Almog Meir reached out to executives at the fashion company Renuar and told the designers about the tattoo he had on his hand that read “ALIVE,” Renuar decided to release a T-shirt with that message in black and white on his birthday. All the proceeds from the shirt went to families of the hostages. So strong was the message that the T-shirt was a huge success, and Renuar is currently introducing a second run.
“The message is so strong – in black and white,” asserts Ifat Pasternak, vice president of marketing for Renuar. “As an Israeli brand, this is what makes us special. We are all experiencing the ups and downs and the emotional roller coaster of this war.”
Inspired by Alon Kaminar, a soldier who lost an arm, a leg, and an eye, Renuar decided to run a campaign introducing the public to fashion models who had lost limbs.
“We created a ‘fashion-normal’ campaign that connects us to beautiful people like this everywhere, and we put them on our website, in newsletters, and in photo shoots for our brand. Our mission is to normalize everyone with disabilities and injuries as they enjoy lifestyle events such as getting married, going to the workplace, or going out for the evening.”
In a Tel Aviv fashion show in December 2023, model Yovel Sharvit Trabelsi, whose new husband was murdered on Oct. 7, walked down the runway with a yellow ribbon gagging her mouth and a faux bullet hole in her forehead. She made her way down the catwalk in a white gown covered with Arabic-inscribed “hands” and blood splatters. The bottom of the gown, riddled with gunpowder and bullet holes, had slogans in Hebrew describing the Oct. 7 atrocities.
The fashion show, produced by Fine Productions, featured the work of 17 designers and was the brainchild of fashion designer Lian Mizrachi. The models were all victims and survivors of Oct. 7, and the fashions were the essence of pain, trauma, and artistic expression of defiance and ultimately hope for our battered nation.
Which comes first – the fashion or the trend?
According to Peleg Mizrachi, this is really a chicken-and-egg question. As the trends we are seeing now are driven by consumer demand, the clothing designers and manufacturers drive the fashion brands.
Runway fashion is the epitome of art and expression. While most runway wear is extreme and artsy, most people will never dress like a runway model. However, elements of the dramatic looks that are displayed on the runway will trickle down to the greater clothes-buying public. And designers and clothing purveyors are sensitive to changes in consumer demand.
“Everyone who shops here is connected to Israel,” explains Renuar’s Pasternak. With more than 200 stores all over Israel, Renuar sells fashion that ranges from jeans and T-shirts to evening wear, all uniquely Israeli. “With social media, fashion has become extremely reactive, and it changes quickly. Trends can change overnight – and in the fashion world, you must be able to recognize and jump on trends.”
Renuar employs “trendsetters” who look at events and analyze social media around the world to help Renuar designers, all Israeli, recognize and implement trends from its Rishon Lezion headquarters.
“We translate Israeli needs and culture into fashion,” she says.
Trending toward modesty
While not everyone has seen this, one big phenomenon noted by Peleg Mizrachi and others in the fashion industry is a new tendency for women to dress more modestly. She says that many regard less skin baring as a means of helping our soldiers win. “In Israel, religion is more present in daily life. It makes sense that when something like this happens, people go back to their traditional roots.”
The modesty trend has also crept its way into Tel Aviv boutiques. According to Sophie and Ayal Levy, creators of the Spacey brand that sells designs wholesale to upscale boutiques, there is suddenly a demand for longer skirt lengths and sleeves in the trendy Tel Aviv stores where they used to sell their sleeveless mini-dresses.
“The war has inspired many people to return to religion,” Sophie observes.
Post-Oct. 7, Jerusalem designer Nina Broder has amended many of her flowy, romantic signature designs to incorporate longer sleeves and higher necklines.
TEHILA ROSENBAUM, founder of One of a Kind, designs unique headscarves, mostly for religious women who cover their hair.
“There is a trend of more women covering their hair since the war began,” she says. “I have a client who used to cover partially, but after the war she began covering all her hair. And some women who used to wear a scarf only on Shabbat now wear their hair covered every day.”
Rosenbaum notes that there are more blue-and-white and olive-colored scarves, designed to complement dresses in that color palette. “I gave the new headscarves that I designed post-Oct. 7 names that reflected army divisions, faith, security; names of places throughout the Land of Israel, especially in the South and North.”
She publishes videos on YouTube that teach women how to tie and wrap their hair. “I have received many responses from women all over the country and abroad about how the subject of modesty and style speaks to them.”
Communicating through fashion
Liraz cohen mordechai, known as Liri, is a fashion lecturer and founder of Fashionating by Liri. “The way people dress is the first form of communication,” she says. “Without saying a word, someone makes a statement about themselves. Israel, being a country with so many different cultures, climates, social groups, and political points of view, inspires diversity in fashion.”
It wasn’t always that way in Israel, she explains. “Uniform makes us become much more like each other – soldiers fighting shoulder to shoulder. Israeli fashion started out as utility clothes – in nascent Israel’s 1950s tzena period of austerity [the Hebrew word also means “modesty”]. People couldn’t afford clothes, but there was a style – a kind of uniform.”
According to Cohen Mordechai, many Israeli designers start out as bridal designers: Israeli designers are known worldwide for unique and bold bridal creations. She cites as an example Alon Livne, the designer of Eden Golan’s Eurovision dress. In addition to his bridal couture, he has dressed a who’s who collection of red carpet celebs such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Cardi B, and Paris Hilton.
“Israeli fashion began simply, as uniforms on kibbutz,” she says. “Khaki became the uniform of the working class with ATA brand blue shirts. And then there is the mixture of ethnicities throughout Israeli fashion. The looks come from all over the world. There are elements of Yemen, Morocco, with Bedouin embroidery and Western influences – just as the people here have unique ethnic backgrounds. Designers are inspired by their own roots and heritage and by others’ as well.”
As the war wages on, practical concerns – like an increase in citizens carrying guns – translates into functional fashion solutions as well. Vests, layers, and light jackets can be worn year-round as ways to conceal a weapon; and women are looking for attractive and functional bags to wear on their bodies as an alternative.
SHELLY BONEH is an industrial designer who founded and manages Hamel Tifira, creating army uniform tactical add-ons in a room housed at Bezalel School of the Arts. She says that many of the school’s fashion design students are looking closely at her creations.
“The last couple of months, designers seem more interested in bulky fabric and army wear, army products, many pockets, Velcro, adding on to the fabrics, tactical clothing, bags, and fanny packs,” she notes. “Ora fabric – the common fabric we use for army equipment, which is somewhat bulky and with one side waterproof – has become a trend. A few designers have asked me to source the fabric. It is waterproof, heavy, and durable, and it will change the way we design clothes.
“Tactical uniforms have padded knees for kneeling, and Velcro on shoulders to switch logos for easy identification,” Boneh says. “While this is not popular yet, it probably will enter the general fashion world in a year or two. Cargo pockets, zippers, uniform-looking jackets, and cotton khaki are comfortable and inspired by army uniforms.”
Although off-duty soldiers are unlikely to want to wear hunter green, since that is what they wear every time they are recalled to the reserves, for civilians who want to show solidarity, the color has become very popular. Walk into any store, and you will see a bonanza of olive-green dresses, khaki pants, military-style jackets, shorts, blouses, and some colorful variations on camouflage patterns.
RACHEL GETZ SALOMON, head of the fashion department at NB Haifa School of Design in Ma’alot Tarshiha, explains the phenomenon. “Wars and trauma historically influence art,” she says.
“During World War I, women opened their husbands’ closets and wore their clothing to work. They took over the jobs that their husbands had left when they went off to fight. If they worked in the fields or in factories, they dressed in pants.
“During World War II, Nazis were very exacting about how they dressed. People were encouraged to dress elegantly, and the silhouette became more tailored. Bomber jackets, sunglasses, and boots made their way from the military to civilian wear, becoming cool and sexy,” Getz Salomon says.
“Unfortunately, we are still in the middle of it. But in Israel, we adapt quickly. The dress that Alon Livne made for Eden Golan exemplifies the pain and trauma. Aesthetics that reflect the trauma also helps us process the trauma. The community saw this dress and could suddenly deal with their feelings and even heal a little, recognize their own pain. The strips on the dress resembled bandages. People saw it and intuitively understood it,” she says.
“Even Marc Jacobs came up with a ready-to-wear line that referenced the aesthetics of Oct. 7,” the fashion educator says. “He used colors like stone, dust, and ash. He made it a significant part of his collection. In our school, we are seeing the students explore how the war influences fashion, body image, and culture.”
Identity branding
A number of experts point out that there is a tremendous influx of jewelry and accessories that have become symbolic of the war, from the dog tag “Bring Them Home” to broken hearts, Stars of David, maps of Israel, and yellow ribbons. Everyone wants to wear the war effort and contribute any way they can.
“Hats, tattoos, bags, and T-shirts display quotes from Psalms, and slogans that have stuck like ‘Yachad Nenatzayah’ (Together we will win) are very popular these days,” says Dahlia Weisman of SafeHeart, a social media expert, fashion stylist, and personal shopper.
Enosh, Israel’s leading mental health organization, sells T-shirts that read “Ain lanu eretz aheret” – “We have no other country” – as well as cups and mugs that not only reflect positive Israeli messages but also support social inclusion, recovery, and the well-being of people with psychosocial disabilities.
In Israel, color is the new black
Naomi Avigal, owner of the Mela Boutique in Kfar Saba, says that since Oct. 7 her shop has been exploding with color.
“For 21 years, women have been walking into my store asking if I have a dress or blouse in black,” she says. “Suddenly they want pinks, florals, happy prints. Happy colors and happy socks – even men. It is as if they know that ‘popping a color’ is a quick mood-booster.”
Ronen Chen, one of the most widely distributed and internationally known fashion designers in Israel, says sales of evening wear plummeted at the beginning of the war.
“People were getting married in the field and on army bases and weren’t dressing up,” he explains, adding that since the Home Front Command has approved weddings in most parts of Israel, the demand for evening wear has come back exponentially; but he also sees his shoppers choosing colors instead of the little black dress.
Avigal surmises that the sudden interest in color is a new way for Israelis to administer self-care through “retail therapy.”
Her collection of leather belts for guns by Italian designer Pistola are also being snapped up by both women and men.
She also sells soft-flowing jackets by Italian and Israeli designers that are just long enough to conceal a pistol. In the winter, sweaters and multi-color hoodies also serve the purpose of concealment.
In menswear, she says she sees tactical waterproof pants becoming more popular.
Ironically, as we see trends of displaying our Jewishness and wearing color in Israel, Jews in the Diaspora are not as public about displaying Jewish-identified jewelry and prints. According to an American Jewish Committee survey, 42% of Jews say they feel unsafe wearing Jewish symbols in public since the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent rise of antisemitism.
YIGAL AZROUEL, an Israeli designer with a studio in New York City’s Soho, has been living in the US for 24 years. Originally from Ashdod, he closely monitors Israeli current events. His brother was one of the lucky ones who left the Supernova music festival before the attack to go home and celebrate Shabbat.
He says that in New York, the color of the moment is still black, which he describes as a steady color in his collection. As for form, he says, “The uniform inspires me. My designs tend to be minimalist and functional with a fashion element in it. A jumpsuit, a romper – I deconstruct military clothes with lots of pockets. And a leather jacket. The feminine side also reflects empowerment: a strong woman who knows what she wants.”
Azrouel has a lot of Jewish customers. “Fashion helps them feel confident,” he says. “It empowers women. With a war going on in Israel, women here want to feel more powerful.”
Spirit of volunteering and innovation
Ya’ara Keydar is an Israeli fashion historian and curator. She says that after Oct. 7, the spirit of volunteering and innovation was immediately embraced by Israeli designers, fashion houses, and design schools that contributed their time and talents to the war effort, showcasing the true spirit of Israeli fashion.
“Today, fashion items like T-shirts, military tags, and pins serve as a powerful symbol of community and solidarity,” Keydar explains. “They support the return of the hostages and symbolize the resilience of the Israeli people. People are even choosing to get tattoos that symbolize this difficult period in Israel’s history and also document their own experiences. This shared fashion language is a testament to the strength of clothes in expressing sentiment and identity.”
One Israeli clothing brand, Holyland Civilians, according to Getz Salomon, took the concept of casual street wear and set out to distinguish itself from non-Israeli brands. They assumed a “holy” identity, branding their clothes with words like “holy” and with symbols such as bleeding broken hearts.
“We are searching to wear something that says who we are and where we are from,” she says. “Actress Noa Tishby wears Holyland Civilians clothing.”
Keydar, who is focusing on World War II fashion history for her PhD at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says that war has been a great influencer of fashion.
“We can see how they ingeniously crafted clothing, makeup, and accessories during severe raw material shortages,” she says. “For instance, Elizabeth Arden’s Victory Red lipstick, initially marketed to female soldiers and later to the general population, was chosen explicitly because Hitler notoriously disliked women wearing red lipstick, making it a symbol of unity.
“During the war, the silk and nylon industry also shifted to produce parachutes and other military supplies,” Keydar said. “Women, unwilling to appear in public without stockings, found a particularly creative solution in ‘liquid stockings,’ which were painted on the legs to create the illusion of wearing actual hosiery.”
Don’t freeze – hug
Bayla Lewis, an Israeli who designs sustainable women’s wear under the brand name of Buzz & Luna, was preparing to go to a trade show in London the week of Oct. 7. Her initial reaction was to freeze.
“All I wanted to do was hide,” she remembers. “My husband had to go to the army. I went online at midnight, and I didn’t know how to process it. My initial thought was, ‘Aren’t there more important things than clothing?’
“A few weeks later, I started speaking to creators and designers. They said, ‘You specifically have to get out there and keep going because the enemy wants to destroy all beauty. You get out there and do what you’re doing.’
“So I made myself a sweater. It was a one size for all. I wanted to make people feel like they were part of something bigger than just themselves. I wore it, and a friend took a photo. Suddenly, I got three orders. I called it ‘the cuddle sweater’ because we could all use a hug somehow.
“The experience was beautiful and brought the community together,” she recalls. “Suddenly I had fan girls. I renamed it the Armonette (for Armon Hanatziv, her community). My husband was away. I felt powerless. But I had people taking care of me. And I was able to ‘give back,’ and it was a beautiful feeling to bring the community together in a tiny way in my world. That should always be what this is about. And suddenly I was flooded with ideas on merging the creative and the utilitarian.”
Lewis says that she originally began designing items to augment people’s existing wardrobes. As she built her brand, she found that fashion created “answers.” Her kimono dress comes in two parts. The outer kimono top with elongated, airy sleeves allows a choice of pants or a dress as an under-layer. The wearer can mix and match patterns to customize the look.
“These days, I think people are looking for easier, simpler items,” the fashion designer explains. “They want something functional. Can I run in this? Can I hide my phone? My gun? I’ve been thinking of getting a gun. My kimono dress can also cover sidearms comfortably.”
Lewis adds that as well as being accessible and able to hide something, post-Oct. 7 clothes are comfortable and elegant – something you can fall asleep in that won’t look slept-in when you wake up. Functional clothes are often one-size-fits-all to accommodate stress weight gain or loss.
Noga Ron, marketing manager of Mia Inspiration, says that “functional” defines the recent looks coming out of the brand. Deep cargo pockets, military-looking jackets and vests, skirts that with the flip of a zipper turn into pants, and pants that appear to be half skirt/half pants are hallmarks of the Mia look that seems to appeal to women of many generations, as well as to those of religious backgrounds.
Might, optimism, and individuality
Ira Goldman, a freelance fashion designer and teacher at two of the top design schools in Israel – Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and the Shenkar School of Engineering and Design – says that war fashion has traditionally brought a balance of might and optimism to clothes during wartime.
Nylon, she points out, initially invented for parachutes in World War II, replaced silk for stockings, a trend that lasted for many years. She says that fashion is also affected by the economics of war. Shortages of available fabric during World War II created strict guidelines as to how much fabric could be used for each design – which affects the shape of the designs.
“Pencil skirts replaced full skirts during World War II,” Goldman says. “Tailored jackets with padded shoulders and women wearing trousers helped them look and feel strong as they replaced men on the assembly lines in factories, but they used jewelry to express their feminine side.”
When the war was over in the 1940s and ’50s, Dior came out with tiny waists and full skirts, using lots of fabric as women went back to their home, hearth, and husbands.
In Israel, companies like ATA were created after World War II. They designed work clothes for the pioneers, as well as work uniforms. Although the shapes and the availability of material has changed, they are still designing “work-inspired” functional clothes – many in a signature blue color.
As for where the trends will take Israel, Goldman says she expects Israelis to continue to seek out cheerful, bright, and pastel colors.
“Designers intuitively reflect reactions to the unexpected, unstable, and frightening realities,” she says. “Fashion design shifts with the current events, and the trends come in waves. War fashion balances strength (cargo pants) and optimism (happy colors).
“A newer trend is deep pockets for women. Women’s pockets were traditionally shallow because women always carried purses – now women want deep pockets.”
As cellphones have become larger – and with Israel’s population statistics showing that the Jewish state is more prolific than other Western countries, requiring more baby paraphernalia – she says Israeli women are specifically looking for clothing with lots of pockets, even on dressy gowns.
HADAS KHUR is an Israeli American studying fashion design at the NB Haifa School of Design. As a soldier in the Israel Air Force in 2015 – and a self-proclaimed fashionista – she says the army rules of hair up, only pink or white nail polish, subtle jewelry, and the same clothes every day was challenging.
“I felt my individuality being sucked out of me,” she recalls. “I made a small case for the dog tag I wore. It was green with flowers on the outside and pink on the inside, which represented me: army on the outside, feminine within. They said I couldn’t wear it because it wasn’t regulation.”
Her final project for a course in corsets consisted of pink chiffon tulle framed in recycled army belts, with inscriptions reading, “If fashion is a mirror to our soul, who are we in army uniform?”
Since Oct. 7, her designs reflect the heroic women in the army and the women lookout soldiers in the Southern Command who warned their male commanders about the impending attack but whose voices were ignored.
She says her designs are coming from that place. Pink, loose, chiffon, soft – with cargo pockets, covered by corsetry and a crinoline made of army belts.
“It represents the hard and soft of male vs female,” she says, “and freedom and individuality vs the ‘cage.’”
Khur believes that the physical and mental health of female soldiers in high-pressure shift jobs – like the border and war room lookouts, who in Gaza were ignored and killed or taken captive on the Gaza border – should be of major concern to the army. There is often isolation, long shifts, and strict rules, even restrictions on moving your head. She points out that this level of intense surveillance is day in and day out for two or three years of army service. Khur’s design reflects the dichotomy of the cage and freedom.
Keydar sums it all up: “Fashion is the first armor we wear when we leave our homes. It greatly influences how we feel about ourselves and how others perceive us when they see us.”
Israel’s fashion world has risen to the challenge of how to wear the war, bear and express its pain and trauma, and armor all of us to defiantly move ahead with hope.
It takes a tower
If the Tower of David’s stone walls could talk, they would tell the story of thousands of years of fortitude, shelter, conquest, victories, history, and so much more.
For this reason – and the fact that physically the compound is a breathtaking edifice providing a dramatic, intriguing background – we chose to do most of the photography for this special Magazine at this dramatic gateway to Jerusalem’s Old City.
Stephan Spivak, a staff member at the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum, assisted The Jerusalem Post in the photo shoot. He has friends who were taken captive on Oct. 7 and shared how the photo production at this site represents Jewish resilience and determination throughout the ages.
“On top of the Phasael Tower, built by King Herod 2,000 years ago, fly three flags: the flag with the emblem of the Tower of David; the flag of Jerusalem; and the flag of the State of Israel. From this point, you can see the whole of Jerusalem – both old and new. And from this point, there is also the vantage point over the archaeological garden that shows the many different layers of Jerusalem’s history – a city that has been destroyed and yet has been rebuilt from the time of the kings of Judea until today.
“Seeing Noam [Ben David] looking so strong and resilient; seeing Mia with [Schem], her sister, and mother looking so defiant under the flags and surrounded by Jerusalem’s history, gave us hope that those who were wounded will stand strong again – and that Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Elkana Bohbot, Eliya Cohen, and all the hostages will be reunited with their families and home as soon as possible,” he said.
Meet our designers
- Alon Livne – A talented artist, Livne began pattern-making and sewing while a teenager and quickly gained momentum as an imaginative and artistic fashion designer. Specializing in bridal couture and evening wear, he is the designer of choice for celebrities who want to make a lasting impression on the red carpet, such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and other A-listers.
- Buzz & Luna: Bayla Lewis – Lewis started her company to highlight the individuality and uniqueness of her customers, with the goal of bringing people together. She uses colors to express emotion. Her collections are designed to help people envelop and express themselves in colors.
Different combinations of colors, often meaning different things to each person, are a catalyst for many of her collections, which are made in small-batch quantities to preserve the unique and intimate feeling at the heart of each collection.
- Renuar – One of Israel’s largest fashion chains, fashion retailer The Renuar Group operates both Renaur and twentyfourseven chains. With fashions for men and women, Renuar’s designers incorporate modern trends with comfortable everyday and dressy ready-to-wear selections.
- Mia Inspiration – Designer Osnat Mishanya creates bright fashions that combine style, comfort, and innovation. These include basic asymmetric jackets, shirts, and dresses; skirts that double as pants with deep cargo pockets; workout wear; colorful purses; bright, comfortable shoes; and chunky accessories.
- Ronen Chen – One of the most well-known and widely distributed designers in Israeli fashion, Chen prides himself in having a diverse selection of classic and basic clothing for women of all ages and sizes.
- Brager: Nina Broder – Brager was the name of Broder’s great-grandmother, a seamstress who escaped Hamburg during the Holocaust and landed in London with her precious sewing machine.
Broder described her brand as an extension of herself. As she became more religious, her designs reflected her spiritual changes. She enjoys creating “statement pieces” and making women glow and feel good.
Broder modeled her fashions along with Noam Ben David, who was shot by Hamas terrorists while attending the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7. Broder said she found great meaning in designing for such a special survivor in her great-grandmother’s memory.
- Hadas Khur – An up-and-coming designer who prides herself in using nature as a focal point in her work, Khur is a third-year fashion design student at the NB Haifa School of Design. Her clothes are designed to make people think, laugh, and feel fabulous, using unconventional and sustainable materials.
- Lian Mizrachi – An haute couture evening and wedding gown designer, Mizrachi created a wedding gown dedicated to Operation Swords of Iron. It was modeled by Jessica Elter, whose fiancé was killed on Oct. 7. The gown was showcased last year in a Tel Aviv fashion show dedicated to Hamas massacre survivors and victims.
- One of a Kind: Tehila Rosenbaum – Rosenbaum, one of Israel’s premier headscarf designers, has been creating colorful headwear for five years in her Nahariya studio. From headbands to full, glittery scarves, she enjoys working with a combination of different fabrics, as well as sequins, for a luxurious look.
- Oshrat Mishal – Besides elegant wedding attire, Mishal designs glam cocktail and evening gowns. Her IDF wedding gown was featured at a Tel Aviv fashion show benefit for survivors and victims.
- Yael Harris Resnick Art – Resnick, a multi-media artist, paints, designs, and is well known throughout the Judaica art community for her detailed Israeli-themed trivet runners.
To honor the eight soldiers and two Supernova music festival victims who were killed from her neighborhood of Karnei Shomron, she worked on a special T-Shirt and debuted it at The Jerusalem Post photo shoot. It is army green and features the word “HERO,” and in its negative space, in Hebrew, the word “Gibor” (hero).
In response to children’s puzzles found in Gaza that depict Palestinian children murdering Jews, Resnick designed a counter-puzzle of a beautiful map of Israel.
The writer’s last word: How the war was worn
Many years ago, a beleaguered editor-in-chief (me) of a Westchester, New York, tabloid known for its fashion stories received a job offer from Lord & Taylor. They were rebranding their stores and needed a PR manager for nine branches throughout New York and Connecticut. Thus began my illustrious career in fashion – on the other side of the desk.
We held events almost every week that ranged from famous people signing books to seasonal fashion shows, complete with a runway and real models. At one of them, my then-14-year-old daughter was awarded the job of hastily zipping clothes on models before they sashayed their way onto the runway. She and her friends loved looking at the model cards and choosing who should be in the show. It was like teenage Barbie.
Most of the articles I write begin with the curiosity bug in my ear, and this one was no different. I wondered how fashion was and would be affected by Oct. 7, and I began to shop (something I love) and research Israeli designers, interview professors and fashion lecturers, and ask some hard questions. I learned so much about the Israeli fashion industry and its designers and how the war climate affects what people choose to wear.
Some of the educational institutions were so intimidated by the international political environment outside of Israel that they declined interviews, which led me to wonder how the fashion business was being affected. This led to the question I brought to Magazine Editor Erica Schachne and The Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Zvika Klein: Could we do a fashion shoot for The Jerusalem Post Magazine?
This begged the question “Who would be our models?” While interviewing fashion designer Alon Livne about his Eurovision dress, he suggested freed hostage Mia Schem as a model. “Could this possibly come to fruition?” I asked Erica. She thought for a minute and then got her amazing team on it, and before we knew it, we had former hostages, survivors, and heroes ready to model the clothing that retailers and designers provided.
The venues were generously provided by the Tower of David Museum (where better to portray fortitude and resilience?) and real estate agent extraordinaire Kim Bash, who found us a gorgeous, well-located apartment in which to prepare the shoot.
Erica and Zvika both ventured into the heretofore unexplored fashion world, as well as – boldly and sensitively – into the fragile world of those directly affected by Oct. 7. Erica is a master of organization – thank goodness – because I was up to my eyeballs interviewing, writing, procuring clothing, and doing umpteen other tasks. Somehow, day 300 came, and our photo shoot made Jerusalem Post history. It was so much more meaningful than any shoot I’ve been involved with.
May our courageous people come through this war ready to sing, dance, and dress up again. Shall we produce a fashion show next time?
Thank you!
A huge hakarat hatov to everyone who gave of themselves in the most loving, sensitive manner during this photo shoot. Without every one of you, this project would have remained an idea.
First and foremost, thank you to journalist Judith Segaloff, the “creative” who pitched what I initially thought was an utterly crazy fantasy but ultimately worked tirelessly to make it happen. Her prolific writing/coverage elevates the Magazine.
It is always a pleasure to work with the exceedingly professional Caroline Shapiro and the Tower of David team, especially on this challenging endeavor.
The designers
- Alon Livne – who trusted us with his iconic Eurovision gown; fitting Mia Schem; and his input. To Dor Maimon from his studio for helping us move the precious cargo back and forth.
- Hadas Khur – lending us her original creations; helping at the shoot and dressing the models; and participating in the article.
- Bayla Lewis of Buzz & Luna – helping before, during, and after the photo shoot; emptying her closets to help dress the models; loaning us the clothing, steamer, and racks; shlepping; scoping out the Tower of David; and being a rock throughout.
- Nina Broder of Brager – creating custom gowns specifically for this Magazine, helping out during the photo shoot.
- Noga Ron of Mia Inspiration – lending us clothes for the shoot and helping style the looks with jewelry, shoes, and handbags.
- Ifat Pasternak and Dror Hadari Zevik of Renuar – helping procure clothes.
- Ronen Chen – loaning us evening gowns from his eponymous label and his insightful input for the article. Yael Schatz of Ronen Chen for arranging for us to borrow clothing.
- Naomi Avigal of Mela Boutique, Kfar Saba – curating looks and loaning them to us for the photo shoot, and input for the article.
- Yael & Benjamin Resnick of Yael Resnick – lending us Gibor/Hero T-shirts, worn to such great effect.
- Reut Bitan of Twenty Four Seven – sending us the NOW yellow ribbon and We Will Dance Again sweatshirts.
- Tehila Rosenbaum of One of a Kind – bringing her custom headscarves and wrapping the models for the Return to Religion look.
- Liat Mizrachi and Kornit Digital – providing photos.
Makeup and hair
Thank you for generously donating your time to make the models even more beautiful.
- Ester Abergel, Makeup Boutique School, www.mubyester.com
- Shoshana Abrams, Instagram: @makeup_by_shoshana
- Avigayil Amouyal, makeup artist (specializing in bridal makeup), Instagram: @Avigayil_Amouyal
- Devora Balkind, Instagram: @devora_balkind
- Shana Grajower, Instagram: @hair_by_shana_grajower
- Makeup and hair by Daniella Hersham
- Eden Joseph, makeup artist and hair stylist, Instagram: @edenjos.makeup.hair
- Temima Sheff, Instagram: @Makeup_by_Temima
A special thank you to Adena Hammer (Instagram: @adena_hair_and_makeup) for not just working her face/hair magic but for also organizing and scheduling.
Photographers
Thank you for applying a careful, patient eye to these exceptional photographs, taken under exceptional circumstances.
- Marc Israel Sellem, The Jerusalem Post
- Albina Kollen, Tel Aviv; Instagram: @alkollen; www.behance.net/alkollen
- Yitzchak Woolf Photography, Instagram: @yitzwoolf; ywoolf@gmail.com
- Tzipora Lifchitz, Instagram: @tzipora.il; tziporalifchitz@gmail.com
Thank you to Gett for sponsoring transportation.
Thank you to security, who in their infinite modesty asked not to be named. To Bernie Weinberger and the Lone Soldier Center, and to Rabbi Ian Pear for arranging their volunteer participation.
Thank you to Caesar Premier Jerusalem Hotel for catering the photo shoot.
And thank you to Kim Bash for absolutely everything, going way above and beyond.
‘The Jerusalem Post’
Thank you for bearing with me:
- Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief – believing in this project, securing needed resources, and dispensing advice at all hours.
- Ilana Engel Tal – organizing never-ending logistics with the patience of a saint.
- Moran Snir and David Yaphe – tireless graphic designers.
- Noemi Szakacs – taking the reins when needed, working with photographers and the Hostage Families Forum, social media, and being so pleasant to work with.
- Tal Spungin and Eve Young – social media.
- Galit Sasson – strategy.
- Margaux Jubin, Molly Myers, Rebecca Szlechter, and all the interns.
- Greer Fay Cashman – for rearranging your schedule and commitments to take part and represent us all.
Colleagues
- The Hostage Families Forum for working with us with sensitivity, and for all the arrangements. To the forum’s Rebecca Geller for all of this and for being such a wonderful human to wonder dog Stevie.
- Inbal Dayan and Shirly Bengiat-Yosov – coordinating the participation of our Magen David Adom models.
Family, friends, & supporters
Thank you for volunteering and doing the million things, big and small, it took to pull this off – and with such love and kindness. And thank you for being the best friends/family in the world.
- Chaviva Braun – helping to scout and choose the looks; on the day of the photo shoot, styling and dressing the models, and shlepping.
- Sharon Rosenbluth – organizing and shlepping at the photo shoot.
- Miriam Gold – providing encouragement and organizational support, recruiting talent, and going above and beyond at the photo shoot.
- Roochie Fishel Sinai – volunteering and schlepping on the long, long photo shoot day.
- Coby Shalev – being a never-complaining, always supportive listening ear and, of course, getting up with me at 4:30 a.m. on the day of the photo shoot and volunteering throughout the entire day and subsequent evening.
- Jackie Rebibo – for watching photo equipment, and for being a photo shoot friend.
- Altea Steinherz – ensuring that we put each moment in perspective and made the most of the experience.
- Laura Ben-David – scouting and “trial modeling” at the Tower of David.
- Michelle Whiteman – scouting.
- Tova Gazala – for your presence, insight, and endless empathy.
- Esther and Gary Schachne, my parents – always believing in and encouraging me, and being a comforting presence when the going gets tough.
If we inadvertently forgot to acknowledge anyone, our apologies. We will never forget your efforts.
Acharon acharon chaviv! Thank you to our extraordinary models, and their families, partners, and friends, for honoring us with your presence and trusting us enough to take part in this project.