Dorin Frankfurt show: the head crowns added a little something special extra to the simple, chic looks. I love the rich hues like violet, cranberry, and navy blue mixed with the pastels!
Which collection is your favorite?
THE DESIGN PROCESS:
So here we have it: The "Natalie" Alex & Eli holiday blazer! Collaborating with the NYC designers felt only natural as I'm a huge tailor freak and I love blazers, trousers, and blouses. After our tailor session, Anna, Aja, and I got right to work in the garment district. We chose the classic Alex & Eli cut: a slim, slightly longer fit. With the tailor, we got the pieces all laid out. Yes, those pieces of paper represent each piece of the blazer with measurements from the shoulders down to the arms! Getting to work right in the design studio really opened my eyes to the world of designing and already, I'm in love with the whole process! After having the blazer cut and put together, our seamstress hand sewed the final touches to the blazer, like the silky buttons. To add a few personal quirks to the blazer, we will have a little horse charm attached to the lapel (I have a weird love for horses) as well as the quote "On Duty!" sewn inside the blazer. Talk about charming! I wear this blazer soo much now. It's just perfect for everyday and it always looks classic and chic. After all the hard work, I'm excited to show the stellar result!!
The designer, Tamar Primak, of Ishtar during interviews!
In between shows during TLVFW, a few us of were invited inside the home of the designer of Ishtar, just off the coast of Tel Aviv. It was exactly what we needed at the time...to escape the fashion week tents and get a taste of the real Israel. The designer's home was just incredible and soo cozy. It's not only her home, but her studio where she embroiders and sews the clothes. I'm obsessed with the intricate colors and details to her denim pieces along with the beautiful, soft maxi dresses. Jenni Lee and I got a bit hands on and decided to go ahead and play dress up. I fell in love with that sheer Ishtar maxi dress and immediately put it on over a little slip. What's cool is that every piece sort of tells a story. The collection as a whole captures a girl in the desert, who has been there all her life, likes to walk barefoot, and is completely free. The way she describes the collection is really beautiful. Over tea and traditional Israeli pastries, we not only discussed the collection, but also got to share stories about this country and how it is viewed to the rest of the world. Tel Aviv is a bit like this little bubble in Israel: a place where you go in the country that is a lot more liberal. After hearing their stories, I knew that there was also much more to Israel that I didn't get to discover yet...there is the Dead Sea...there are the little towns that have completely disconnected themselves from the rest of the world. They really got my curiosity running wild and already, I'm dying to return just to explore everything else I didn't quite get to see this time around.
The Roberto Cavalli show!
Before I introduce you to the new, up and coming designers of Tel Aviv, I just HAD to show you a few images from the Roberto Cavalli show. To have him there to introduce the first day of Tel Aviv Fashion Week was pretty amazing. I'm obsessed with that white fur number and slinky black tank dress. SEXY TO THE MAX. For my first day attending shows, I went with a super simple look: a peter pan collared tank (YES I WORE A TANK AND IT'S NOVEMBER...only in Israel I guess!) along with a silky pair of trousers. My leather jacket is always on hand of course. It was basically the most comfortable, and easiest thing to jump into after I got off the plane. I literally had about 30 minutes to get ready! Thankfully at the tents, I made some great friends which made my arrival that much more inviting! I met up with Poppy (who I shot Mango with earlier this year in Spain) and Gabriele (writing for The Sun) from London. Throughout our trip, we were inseparable. These girls make me laugh like no other! I honestly only want to speak in a British accent when I'm around them, even if I do sound absolutely ridiculous! Together, we bounced from show to show, with mini breaks at the local cafe. It was the only place with wifi sooo those coffee meet ups were kind of a must! I can't wait to share some images of the new emerging designer collections. Those will be next!