Tel Aviv Fashion Week

Dec. 5, 2011 by poppy in Fashion

As I sit here freezing my bits off at my desk (albeit in an amazing sweatshirt) I can't help but pine for Tel Aviv Fashion Week and wonder why I can't be tottering about on the beach in between shows RIGHT NOW whilst eating hummus and...errr...drinking gin.

Tel Aviv Fashion Week seems like ages ago now, if you follow my outfits then I'm sure you noticed the smug beach dress shots that punctuated the recent scarf/coat combos and if you follow me on Twitter then you'll have def seen zillions of pics from the catwalk. But this is the first time I've had more than 30 seconds to BLOG about it.

So how was it?

Well I love Tel Aviv and I've always enjoyed shopping there, whether it's rummaging around the markets in Jaffa or picking up yet another Gideon Oberson bikini. It was an easy sell. Fashion + one of my favourite cities + a break from the bitterness of London = GET ME ON THAT PLANE.

This was Tel Aviv's inaugural Fashion Week and I'd like to think that one day I'll show off about being there (more so than I already have) as I do believe it could grow into something quite special. Yes, it was an Italian designer (Roberto Cavalli) that stole the show...but that's not to say that the Israeli designers that filled the agenda for three days weren't something to get excited about.

Meeting Cavalli and hearing his excitement for Tel Aviv Fashion Week was a real highlight of the trip, he genuinely enthused about Israel's design talent and textile production. As you can imagine the show was pretty awe inspiring, I instantly wanted to throw everything out of my wardrobe that didn't involve animal print or feathers...

But there were plenty of breathtaking shows - Dorit Bar Or's collection was my fave which was quite 'surprising' for me. I knew she was a huge celebrity in Israel but when a sleb releases a Fashion Week collection you're never sure if you're gonna get something TOWIE-esque or something the real fash-pack would lust after. Dorit (or Dodo to her mates) is seen as the most stylish woman in Israel and this was her first collection, so the local anticipation was similar to Victoria Beckham's first collection at NYFW. The entire collection was black and gold and it really was gorgeous...plenty of floaty maxis, delicate embroidery and embellishment.

There weren't necessarily key strong 'themes' that we saw across the designers, but when there were references to middle eastern influences such as an Ishtar's collection it all seemed so natural and authentic as opposed to the 'tribal', 'ethnic', 'desert' trends we see on the British high street. Oh and there was sheer fabric EVERYWHERE. Most designers wanted you to embrace having your nips/arse on show.

I didn't take a great deal of pics (catwalk lighting is a nightmare, daaaahlink) but these were some of my fave looks from the shows...

Ishtar Ohayon Miri Zwillinger Netanel Zikri Shai Shalom

The trip wouldn't have been the same without my girlies....Gabriele, Natalie, Jenni and Xenya made the trip. We basically spent the week crying with laughter/stuffing our fat faces. As anyone who has ever been to Israel will tell you, it's all about the food. It's the food that makes you research your next flight back as soon as you land at Heathrow. In my humble globe-trotting experience, nowhere in the world holds a candle to it. (You should def check out Natalie's blog for better pic-a-tures).

I'd go back to Tel Aviv anyway, it's a fun city with great people and unlike anywhere else, but having fallen a little bit in love with some of their designers I'll def be adding TLVFW to my fash calendar if they'd have me back. Regardless of gorgeous dresses, where else can you justify wearing flip flops at a Fashion Week because you don't want sand in your Loubies?!