BY CELINE F.M. BURK

I

sraeli designers are working
fast and furiously to put a
very small country on the
world-wide fashion map.
Israel contains so many na-
tionalities, backgrounds and
cultures compressed into a small
region that an "Israeli look" per
se is impossible. But this variety
and divergence of backgrounds
turns out to be Israel's forte in
fashion design.
Israeli designers have many
sources of inspiration for their
work — from historical sites to
the varying colors of desert,
landscapes that juxtapose East
and West, the blend of religions,
languages, food and customs.
Binding these diverse elements
together is the Israeli's in-
credibly fierce attachment to
the land.

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Jewish News

Several designers have recent-
ly gone back to their origins by
taking the ancient art of
Yemenite embroidery and incor-
porating it into very modern
designs. These designs under-
score that at all times, Israeli
designers remain sensitive to
their environment.
Terrence Kavanaugh, head of
the department of textile design
and fashion design at Shenkar
College in Tel Aviv, says, "There
are visual elements here that
never leave the consciousness
of the designer: the intensity of
the sun, the sea and land-
scapes, the folklore, the tradi-
tions handed down through the
generations. All these inspire
striking designs, with brighter,
more striking colors."
Shenkar College of Textile