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TEL AVIV’SBRIDAL

COUTURE

The buzz around

Think you’ve exhausted the wedding dress market?

Think again. All eyes are on these Israeli bridal designers

changing the game...

HFM WEDDINGS

he fashion scene in Israel has slowly been growing since labels such as Maskit and Gottex were founded in the 50s. But thanks to celebrities like

Beyoncé (who decked her Mrs Carter Show world tour with designer Alon Livné ensembles) and Chrissy Teigen and Khloé Kardashian, who often rock Yigal Azrouël on the red carpet, Israeli fashion houses are having a moment –and that includes their bridal couture, too. When supermodel Bar Refaeli wed this September, she traded in her Chloé wedding gown after the ceremony for a dress made by Tel Aviv-based designer Inbal Dror.

“I wanted to feel sexy during the dance party so I chose a second dress that almost looks like a nightgown. It’s simple, sexy and comfortable without being flashy,” Bar tells us. Here, HFM introduces Inbal and some of her compatriot couturiers, fast becoming firm favourites in the wedding world, thanks to their feminine cuts, use of lush textures and exquisite detailing.

T

WORDS: Delphine Chui

‘The fashion in Israel is influenced by the culture so our aesthetic can

make a bride really stand out’

BERTA BALILTI

Israel’s biggest bridal designer has been in the business for almost two decades. Based in the

city of Ashdod, Berta Balilti knew all she wanted to do was design wedding dresses since graduating in fashion at Tel Aviv’s Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. The Berta bride? “She’s sophisticated and wants something sexy but classy. She wants vintage style with a modern fit,” Berta tells us. “The secret to finding the perfect dress is to always keep up to date and not be afraid to make bold decisions. Your perfect look may be one you’ve not seen yet so go out and constantly find

new looks and styles. The fashion scene in Israel is very alive and vivid and we’re all

influenced by the culture and hot climate so our aesthetic can make a bride really stand out.”

Available in various stockists across the UK. Visit bertabridal.com

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HFM WEDDINGS

INBAL DROR

Eight years ago, Inbal Dror designed her first wedding gown for a friend and hasn’t looked back since. Born in Ashdod, Inbal moved to Milan for four years after studying design. Now, her

swoon-worthy dresses are renowned for their figure-fitting silhouettes and gorgeous detailing. “We love weddings in Israel. They’re huge events with hundreds of guests and there’s a lot of talent here – the world is suddenly taking note,” Inbal tells HFM, fresh from creating Bar Refaeli’s gown. “There are fewer high street chains here than in Europe so small designer boutiques are the go-to places, which makes for a wonderfully eclectic fashion scene. Plus, here in Tel Aviv, there’s a real ‘anything goes’ attitude and people don’t mind taking risks, so my wedding gowns are always romantic with a sexy twist.”

Inbal Dror is available in the UK exclusively at morgandaviesbridal.co.uk; inbaldror.co.il

ZAHAVIT TSHUBA

“I was born into the fashion industry because my mother was a designer and taught fashion, and my family owned a textile house so I’ve been breathing fabric dust since I can remember,” says

Zahavit, who opened her own bridal couture house five years ago. “I recognised that there was something missing in bridal dresses. They always looked the same and I had so many ideas of how to change them and bring some different touches to traditional looks.” All creations from this Tel Aviv-born designer are custom made according to exact measurements, and she describes them as being for the “fashion-forward bride”. “The Israeli bride prefers a simple dress rather than a heavy, dramatic, long or poofy one, so mine are a combination of fine silk fabrics with a bohemian unstructured look,” she tells HFM. “Thanks to social media and the internet, Israeli fashion is finally getting exposed to everyone and the fashion coming out of our small country is becoming known to the big world.”

Zahavit Tshuba is available in the UK at Les Trois Soeurs bridal boutique. Visit lestroissoeurs.co.uk; zahavittshuba.co.il

CHANA MARELUS

At just 26 years old, Chana is the newest designer on the block but she’s already making waves in the wedding world. “I used to

doodle all the time as a child so I went on to learn fashion design and sewing,” says Chana. I designed my first dress when I was 16 and friends and family always asked me to design them eveningwear and bridal dresses.” It was after her own wedding in 2013 that she launched her company, encouraged by her husband. “I started off from the living room in our own bedroom apartment and have slowly grown. I come from a religious orthodox home so my aim was to combine high fashion with a more modest approach to suit the needs of the community I come from but without compromising the design and quality of a haute couture gown.”

For more information, email chanamarelus@gmail.com; visit facebook.com/mareluseveningwear

JULIE VINO

Having started her brand in 2008 in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, it wasn’t until 2014 that Julie set her sights on an international market. Fast

forward a year, and her dresses graced the catwalk of New York’s Bridal Fashion Week last October. “Designing a dress for a woman’s most important day is always such a positive experience,” Julie tells us. “I try to highlight the most beautiful aspects of the female figure and emphasise femininity in my designs, choosing lavish fabrics to create a whole new texture. Weddings are so important in Israeli and Jewish cultures and we have so many skilled seamstresses and embroidery specialists to help bring our designs to life.”

Julie Vino is available in the UK at serendipitybrides.co.uk; visit julievino.com

‘We have so many skilledseamstresses and embroideryspecialists to help bring our designs to life’