because the design was nice or
the color new, even if the work
was not up to standard. For me,
this was unacceptable."
With the expansion of the ex-
port market in the 1970's, Refua
demanded quality control stan-
dards that would eventually allow
the Israeli knitwear to compete
successfully on the European
market, where quality control
and assurance are norms of the
trade. After three years, her work
paid off in an almost doubled
production rate and increased
revenues.
Today at Polgat, she is in
charge of the colorful and
youthful-looking Carrerra line.
Her emphasis has changed
slightly, from designing a line of
clothes to more general, overall
fashion, which involves catering
to the needs of the Israeli con-
sumer. "You don't just sell a gar-
ment, you sell a dream. And I
need to be sure that that dream
is the right one," says Refua,
who has the thrill of seeing her
work on the streets of Israel
every day in the ready-to-wear
she coordinates and promotes.
It's young, vibrant, capable of
turning heads or drawing a gig-
gle from a passerby. But most of
all, it sells. It's the new Israeli
fashion at its best and it's called
Rosh Indiani (Indian Head). Led
by a young, dynamic Israeli who
can't seem to sit still for more
than a few minutes at a time,
Rosh Indiani tends to take a
tongue-in-cheek approach to
clothing. Born in Tel Aviv to
native Israelis, Nissim Mazachi,
the firm's founder, always had
dreams of doing something
creative. But it wasn't until in-
juries sustained in the Yom Kip-
pur War kept him in the hospital
for six months that he began to
think seriously about his studies
and a career.
He continued his studies dur-
ing his long rehabilitation and
was finally granted a degree in
industrial management in 1976.
He promptly began his own bus-
iness with 10 meters of denim
and a few old sewing machines
financed by a loan from his
brother. With jeans the standard
wearing apparel in Israel at the
time, Mizrachi marketed a line of
denim clothes with unique
touches — contrasting stitching,
front pleats, kimono-style
jackets — that he sold by the
piece to boutiques around Tel
Aviv.
The hand-to-mouth business
that didn't have a name grew in
popularity as more and more
boutiques began asking for his
merchandise. At this time he
was literally a one-man show,
doing everything from designing
to sewing and hand-finishing the
products. When he found inter-
esting Indian head penny but-
tons, he promptly made them
the focus of his new denim
jacket.
A short time later, the press
discovered his line of clothes
and wanted to do a feature on
his business. Needing a name
for his operation, he chose Rosh
Indiani.
Supple Skin
Keep your skin well watered
for softness and suppleness.
Experts suggest the following
ways in which you can nourish
your skin with water:
Steaming: Place a few tea-
spoons of herbs (camomile,
rosemary or thyme) in a bowl.
Pour boiling water over the
bowl and hold a towel over
your head, making a tent.
Steam your face for 10
minutes, being careful not to
get too close to the steam,
blot dry and apply an
astringent.
Rinsing: After washing your
face with soap, be sure to
remove all soap film by
thoroughly rinsing your face
with tepid water.
Misting: Mist your face
regularly, to rehydrate the skin
for a fresh, glowing look.
Shops
Begadim
Benetton
Bette Appel
Chantel Gifts
Chefs de Cuisine
Chocolatissim o
The Clothes Pin
Computers & Concepts
Feldman Galleries
R. Grumet
Hersh's
Jonathan's Salon
Leger's Lingerie
Lufino's Salon
The Male Room
Marni
Mr. Alan's
Naomi's
New York Bagel
Peanuts
Sacchi
Stage & Co.
Sundance Shoes
Widenbaum Jewelers
Take a
walk
tho
Orchard Lake Rd., South of Maple
West Bloomfield
August 1986
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