Now reading: sex, religion, and bdsm in the holy land. Felix Petty. Eliran grew up in a strict Jewish family, before leaving religion behind. His work conjures an Israel beyond stereotypes, and Israel as a melting pot, too β something not often reflected in the media. It offers a little glimpse of harmony in a world of tension.
How did you get into fashion? Since childhood I found myself defining what I found and was drawn to aesthetically, in so many aspects, whether it was the clothes I wore, art, and design I found to my liking. After finishing my army service, fashion felt like a natural place for me. What made you want to start your own label? It pretty much happened by accident. At the same time, I was also invited to take part in an exhibition that dealt with defining aesthetics.
The exhibition was cancelled, and I came to the realization that working for a major fashion brand was holding me back. I decided to quit. Although the exhibition was cancelled, I decided to develop the idea and found myself designing a small capsule collection, just to check the reactions it might get from the industry. I guess I had a good intuition about it, because at that time I felt there was a revival happening in menswear. Is there much support for young designers? When it comes to menswear, you can count the independent designers on your fingers.
In womenswear, the field is broader. There is no governmental funding to support young designers like there is in most European countries, but there are some other programes handing grants and mentoring to young designers.
There are a few; the first one is timing. While designers and brands all over the world work by the fashion season calendar and present a collection six months ahead, most brands in Israel present their new collections right before the season starts, so it takes some time and efforts to sync. Another challenge is sourcing for quality fabrics. The selection of high-end fabrics imported to Israel is quite limited, so the growth of a brand relies on importing fabrics from Europe or Japan.
