Photos courtesy of Andrew Werner
Photos courtesy of Andrew Werner
On November 15, Israeli fashion crossed the Atlantic and arrived in New York City at the Tel Aviv Fashion Show Benefit for Sharsheret. At Greenhouse, a swanky bar in Soho, I was ready for my first foray into the world of fashion. Feeling pathetically out of place with my Kiki Riki, black cardigan, black pencil skirt and flats under the bright green disco lights, I still had high expectations. I was expecting to witness the cutting edge Israeli style, kosher food, and extraordinary entertainment.
The crowd was filled with a mixture of fashionistas, hipsters, and young professionals—a diverse crowd, many of whom were of Russian-Jewish descent. YaJu Events by Yanna Begelman & Julianna Tyumentseva and Kievglam.com presented the fashion show. Health and Wellness and Spin Green were the primary sponsors. Tickets began at $36 per person in a last minute benefit for victims of Hurricane Sandy. (VIP tickets were $90). Raffles were auctioning a variety of gifts, including hair services at Sally Hershberger, a celebrity hairstylist who reportedly charges $800 per haircut and among other feats, gave actress Meg Ryan the “Sally shag.”
The party officially began with a performance from hip-hop violinist Sarina Suno, who performed to Eric Prydz’s dance hit “Pjanoo” on her electric violin. With her endless cascading waves swishing around her knees, she pranced around the dance floor as she played feverishly, finishing off to a thunderous applause.
The fashion show began as the models sauntered down the runway with up-dos and neon colored-lipstick ranging from bright bubblegum pink to mint green and orange. The clothing seemed to be architecturally minimalist with solid blocks in gray, white, black and occasionally orange, teal blue and green. The collars on several shirts were jagged around the edges and the belts displayed strategically placed zippers in the shape of the letter V. There were also some eye-catching jewelry such as a curved multi-colored necklace on the collar of one dress and a purple braid necklace adorned on another. Though most of the clothes were personally not my style, I appreciated its concept of simplicity with an edge of chic.
As Israel engaged in Operation Pillar of Defense during the same week as the show, it was moving to see a country celebrate its artists through their creative works in spite of the terror they face every day. The Israeli designers should be given their due credit.