bridal

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From Israel With

Love

Karen McDonough | JNS.org

B

erta Balilti presides over an internationally successful
business, creating luxurious and glamorous wedding
gowns sold worldwide. From her fashion house in the
southern Israeli port city of Ashdod, she exports gorgeously
detailed gowns to boutiques and stores in more than 20 coun-
tries. Visitors can feel the love on the company’s social media
sites from more than 1.2 million followers — most of them

Wedding gown designer
Berta Balilti brings her
dramatic creations to brides
across the globe.

(875,000) on Instagram — who routinely gush over brides from
around the globe pictured in Balilti’s dresses.
Berta Bridal’s gowns aren’t your mother’s wedding dress.
Balilti is known for her shapely modern designs with signature
daring bare backs, dramatic trains and intricate lace and tulle.
And she has found her place in the multi-billion dollar wed-
ding industry — $60 billion a year in the U.S. alone for gowns
that start around $8,000. With the worldwide appeal of her
designs, Balilti’s spot as a high-end wedding gown designer has
helped place Israel at the top of bridal haute couture fashion.

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36 January 28 • 2016