WHEN ISRAELIS win prizes in international competitions, it reflects favorably not only on the individuals concerned but also on Israel and sometimes the firms they work for, the places they received their education or the sports teams they play for. At the first International Art & Fashion Design Competition in Bilbao, Spain, both Israel and Shenkar College reaped the benefits of the individual and combined talents of Israeli designers. Of the 30 finalists, eight were from Israel and all of them were students or graduates of Shenkar College.
Tatiana Pogrebnyak, who won first prize in the outfit design category, was also a finalist in the accessory design category. The winners in the accessory design category were also from Israel - Meital Zano and Yael Sarfati. That is quite a feather in Shenkar’s cap, and a form of indirect marketing. That such a high proportion of Israelis, all with a Shenkar background, were among the finalists, will undoubtedly cause more foreign students to consider studying fashion and jewelry design in Israel. Those who do decide to study in Israel will get a different perspective of the country than what they see on their television screens.
The other Israeli finalists in the contest were Jan Farhi, Maria Lavigina, Shani Cohen, Vered Gantz, Inbal Dymshitz and Ya’ara Dahan. The contest is to be held every two years, and is intended to give designers aged 18-35 a springboard toward commercializing their collections and bringing them to the attention of the media and the wider public.
THE WELL-DRESSED man in Jordan will soon be wearing suits that are made in Israel. Yossi Jerudi, proprietor of Jerudi Fashion Ltd., a high-class menswear manufacturing company, has signed a contract with Sevim, one of Jordan’s leading clothing stores, to produce 700 cool-wool suits that will retail for 800 Jordanian dinars each.
Jerudi, who is a designer as well as a manufacturer, is optimistic that if the suits sell well in Jordan, other Arab states will also enter into business transactions with him. Jerudi outfitted Maccabi Tel Aviv’s basketball players in the business suits they wear when they travel abroad; this was no mean feat, since most of the players are way beyond average size.
FAST-FOOD company Karnaff is expanding and will open eight new branches by the end of 2008 at an investment of NIS 11 million. Beersheba, Eilat, Petah Tikva and Givatayim have been selected as locations for the first four stores, which are scheduled to go into operation within the next two months. The Karnaff chain specializes in salads, meat sandwiches and roll-ups; it already has four outlets in Tel Aviv, one in Ramat Hasharon and one in Ramat Gan. Proprietors of the chain are Aroma Israel and Shlomo Adamski.
AS PART of its strategic-marketing policy, Shilav, the children’s wear company, has entered into an arrangement with Haver, the defense establishment’s consumer club. Members of the standing army, and pensioners who once were, will receive discounts of at least 10 percent on all purchases. Each month, Shalev will also introduce a new range of specials at prices that have already been reduced but will be reduced even more for Haver members.
FOR THE second consecutive season, television personality Rodrigo Gonzales will be the presenter for Segal Menswear, one of the more popular Tel Aviv outlets for men who want to be well-suited. Gonzales will receive $20,000 for showing the world how good he looks in a suit or in some of Segal’s more casual apparel. Gonzales was photographed for catalogues, the print media and the Internet in solo shots and alongside international model Eva Don.
MEMBERS OF the general public who are asked to contribute to Variety, the organization that cares for children with special needs, usually do so by purchasing a Variety pin in the shape of a heart at their local supermarket. The price is so symbolic that when it’s included with grocery purchases it’s not even noticed. But today, Thursday, Variety is selling something more valuable than its little gold heart. It’s selling a 10-milligram flacon of Angel Perfume by Thierry Mugler at public auction to which the leading socialites who live in the coastal plain have been invited.
This is no ordinary bottle of Angel fragrance; it’s a limited edition in which the perfume has been aged for 23 weeks in a cherrywood casket to give it a very special aroma. As it is, Angel has a captivating je ne sais quoi bouquet, but if this is extraordinary, the additional Angel offshoot is even more so.
The starting price for this pure perfume is NIS 1,200, but organizers of the auction are certain that the final price will be much higher, not only because the women invited are all people of substance who have contributed generously to Variety in the past, but because there is more than a little brinkmanship involved in competing for a rare fragrance encased in a breathtaking bottle.
THE NEW Hamashbir is embarking on a 10-day sale from June 11-21 in which all fashion goods including ladies, men’s and children’s wear will be sold at discounts of 50%, with members of the 365 Club receiving additional discounts of 5%.
IF HAMASHBIR is dropping prices by 50%, the Givatayim Mall is going one better with discounts of up to 70% during a three day Top Sale frenzy from June 17-20.
The clothing industry is going through a rough time in Israel, which explains why so many chains, malls and individual stores are having such huge sales so early in the season. Summer has barely arrived and it’s going to be hot until at least mid-October, so there is no valid reason for trying to move so much stock in such a short time frame other than to try to put food on the table.
AFTER A seven-year partnership with Isracard, through which he established the Shopping Club, David Azrieli, the man behind the malls, is severing his relations with Isracard in favor of Leumicard, with which he intends to initiate a similar operation. Last month Azrieli acquired 20% of Leumicard for NIS 360m.; understandably, he wants to make as much out of the investment as he can.
THE IDEA of wearing recycled bicycle tires on your feet and having soles that curl up over your toes may not sound terribly appealing, but actually Dopies, the ecologically chic flip flops produced in London by Terra Plana and imported to Israel by Dr. Judy Fadlon, look much better on the foot than off it. They’re also very comfortable and likely to produce serious competition for Crocs, which are less aesthetic. The fold-over sole, which fits between the big toe and the second toe, keeps the foot in place together with an adjustable strap positioned at the arch of the foot. Retailing at NIS 189, they are less expensive in Israel than abroad, come in a wide range of colors and are available in most sports shops.
Every morning my husband plays with our baby Benito while I work on the breast pump. He carries Benito when it is time for the yaya to eat her dinner. In fact, people get surprised when they hear that Paolo changes Benito’s diaper. I find it funny because, at home, pitching in is really second nature to my husband.
So, for Father’s Day, I will treat him to a Clarins massage. And for my peace of mind, I’ll also buy him more SPF products that he can use when he’s out playing golf. Happy Father’s Day!
Amina Aranaz-Alunan on husband Rafa
“I ALWAYS knew Rafa would be a great father. His funny child-like nature has always been one of his strengths! He is wonderful with Lucas, very playful, loving and doting in spite of his busy schedule! During our recent vacation, our parental skills were truly put to the test as we travelled without a yaya! As a treat, this Father’s Day, I would like to give him a “self-pampering kit” filled with products from Clarins, Murad, L’Occitane and Clean, and topped off with a bottle of Acca Kappa eau de toilette.”
Olivia Francisco on dad Lito
“MY DAD is special to me because he has everything there is to look for in a dad. From him I learned value for work, passion for sports and hobbies, respect for friends and colleagues, and real love and devotion for family.
I got him Thierry Mugler cologne cause I love its light fresh scent. I hope he enjoys it!”
Kat Tantoco-Lobregat on husband Paolo
“I LOVE him because… he’s my best friend, he’s a great companion, fun to be around, an amazing dad. The list could go on… My gift for him is a Inis Nobile Acqua Di Parma Perfume”
Bea Montecon on dad Bito
“I LOVE my dad because we have the same shallow sense of humor. He totally gets me, that’s why we get along so well. He’s the best! For Father’s Day, I’ll give him Pond’s Age Miracle Cream, because he uses it and I know he just ran out of it.”
Erica Paredes on dad Jim
“I LOVE my dad because he never gave up on me, never doubted me and has loved me even when I was the hardest person to love. He taught me a lot of lessons by example, and has helped me through the many situations I got myself into throughout my life. I never felt like he looked down on me or didn’t take me seriously, even when I was a child. Now, our relationship is a good mix of parent-child and friend. I can talk to him about anything without feeling embarrassed or scared. He’s a super cool dad. He’s been a father figure even to my close friends. He likes to meditate so I’m giving him a Dyptique candle for Father’s Day to help him relax and get in the zone.”
Gec Chia on dad George
“I AM truly appreciative of all the support and understanding my dad has given me over the years. He has served to be an inspiration to me and my family. I am blessed to be his son. I plan to give him my personal favorite: Gendarme Perfume. I also want to give him Thierry Mugler perfume and Hierbes di Ibiza so he has a variety of perfumes to choose from.”
I’ve had obsessions with Obsession. I’ve gotten lucky while wearing Lucky. I’ve given in to Very Irresistible and adored J’adore, and Happy always makes me happy. These perfume names all make sense; they describe a feeling, a response, or a theme associated with the fragrance. But gone are those simple days of cohesion. Where once, fragrance names, though always random, were meant to sound exciting, alluring or at least moderately interesting, we must either be running out of synonyms for “sexy” or the industry has just stopped trying. So with the looming threat of a warm, sweaty summer (yeah right, Evanston), here are some fragrances with names so ridiculous that I don’t care how good they smell. Wear at your own risk, lest you have to tell someone you’re rocking “Breeze Machine.”
1. Must by Cartier
Okay Cartier, I have no idea where you were going with this one. Must? Must what? What must we do? It sounds kind of like musk, which makes me think of the mating habits of the puma and not of something I would ever want to smell like. Must doesn’t make me think of an aroma; it seems like an unclear assignment that is impossible to follow. I don’t think fragrances should be obligatory.
2. The Beat by Burberry
I stand with Fergie on this issue: the beat is supposed to be something energetic, lively, fast-paced… it’s supposed to be something that moves. So I don’t understand how scented water can in any way be reminiscent of a beat in the first place. A beat is a sound. Perfume is a smell. I get that some senses work together, but I don’t think this is one of those cases. Furthermore, the description says it has “energy.” I know that’s exactly what I want to smell like; that’s why I bathe in Rockstar every morning.
3. Alien by Thierry Mugler
When I think of things I idolize and aspire to and specifically want to smell like, aliens are ALWAYS at the top of my list. I guess there have been moderately attractive portrayals of aliens (E.T. was cute enough), but I can’t imagine many people aspire to that look when going out. And pop culture and media depictions have given me no reason to believe aliens have a smell worth emulating.
4. Sloth by Gendarme
What do you think of when you hear the word “sloth”? My mental image is something close to Jack Black in Orange County and features such subtle nuances as dirty socks and Cheetos crumbs. That ranks low for me on the desirability index. Again, where fragrance names were once supposed to excite, now they just make me feel like staying in bed for days. I wonder if this comes in Unwashed Sheets?
5. Pi by Givenchy
Seriously. Pi. As in, the mathematical symbol. Now I do not doubt that there are men out there, probably many of whom went to or currently attend Northwestern, who would be entertained and amused by this concept. But I want to know who at Givenchy smelled this concoction and decided Pi was the best way to describe it. There are very few sensory experiences that make me think of a mathematical principle. Men’s cologne is definitely not one of them. Pi isn’t even technically a word: if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that emulating Prince will only lead you astray.
6. Fuel for Life by Diesel
Fuel is something that gives nourishment, makes something move or keeps something going. Fuels that humans need include food and water and semi-regular exposure to bad pop music. Perfume does not equal sustenance. Unless people are drinking this stuff to stay alive, I think this title is kind of misleading. And if they are… I bet it’s not really working out.
7. Cumming by Alan Cumming
Chyeah.
8. Moon Sparkle by Escada
Last, but most definitely not least, is probably the best name ever given to a line of men’s cologne. Moon Sparkle has that edge guys are looking for. Actually it sounds like a name I would have given to a My Little Pony when I was seven. I wonder how many men have the gumption to waltz up to a counter and demand a refill of Moon Sparkle? I have no doubt that that’s something rugged guys should want to smell like. I haven’t seen any commercials for this, but I really hope they feature cowboys and outdoorsmen. Hey Escada, I think you should look into a Bear Grylls endorsement; hunting, rugged men who eat animals alive, like Survivor Man, will be all over Moon Sparkle.
Naomi Watts has a new job as the face of Thierry Mugler’s famous Angel fragrance.
The new mum, who has been off the Hollywood radar since giving birth to little Alexander next July, will be back on the big screen with a vengeance in 2009, with four films currently in pre- or post-production.
However, before then, it’ll be her new Angel perfume ads filing the glossy magazines, with the first set to debut in October.
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