“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
– Coco Chanel
Touché!
It’s no secret that Coco Chanel was one of the few design titans who always seemed to get it right when it came to understanding fashion and its role in the broader context of the world.
And as fate would have it, it is actually Madame Chanel’s definition of fashion and her timelessly elegant individuality that comes to mind whenever I visit Tel Aviv, where in every corner of the city, from the most modern to the most historic to even the most shabby chic, the height of fashion is always on full display. Hence the reason that, at least in part, I have become quite the cheerleader for Tel Aviv.
Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Stroll the streets of Tel Aviv and your eyes will gravitate toward the carefree, contemporary sense of style that seems inherent to locals – it is an aesthetic born not of convention but instead of the very fundamentals of authentic chic defined by the likes of the late Vogue editrix Diana Vreeland and Princess Caroline of Monaco.
Perhaps, even more importantly, is the notion that the women who adorn the mélange of ‘see and be seen’ shops and cafes along Tel Aviv’s hip Sheinken Street and the high end retail juggernaut that is Dizengoff Street actually sport a number of designs that are homegrown rather than imported.
One such homegrown hotbed of talent is Bait Banamal which is tucked into a trendy gentrified corner of Tel Aviv’s old harbor. A modern day interpretation of a town square, the forward thinking conglomeration of shops was the brainchild of the woman-centric team behind comme il faut, an extraordinary fashion resource that was created by women and uniquely devoted to the 21st century woman and her needs.
Through their work, comme il faut head designers Ira Goldman and Miryam Voskoboynik, both graduates of Shenkar Design College, create designs that balance practicality, femininity and cutting edge style for the modern woman who must play a myriad of roles in contemporary society.
“An independent, self- aware, mature, confident woman,” is how the designers describe the comme il faut woman. “Someone who does not chase trends. A woman who loves and understands quality and fashion and especially our timeless clothes. Someone who is able to adapt her own unique style through interesting combinations of the items in her closet. “
Indeed individuality and adaptability are hallmarks of the comme il faut customer, which is a fact not lost on Goldman and Voskoboynik as they approach each new collection.
“In every one of our collections we consider the genuine woman, all ages, sizes and shapes,” the designers say.
“Since most of our clients are busy women, we try to offer solutions for every time of day, morning noon and night, and therefore our collections are composed of a variety of clothes and patterns accompanied by shoes and accessories.”
“We always emphasize comfort, quality of materials (which are mostly natural) and precise sewing in our designs. We believe that clothes should honor the woman, accompany her being and never give her feelings of being ‘strapped in’ or other discomfort. There is also the desire to create a timeless look. Our social and ecological agenda drives this stance for we believe in buying fewer clothes that will last a long time,” the designers add.
As for the future, Goldman and Voskoboynik see comme il faut continuing to ride the edge of the fashion wave while simultaneously continuing to draw attention to the political and social planks that form the very foundation of the company.
“I would like to continue to develop our sustainability outlook [and] expand our “ecology” line,” says Goldman. “To look for not only organic and recycled materials, this is truly a new way of doing things. I think that this issue in fashion could be fascinating.”
Meanwhile Voskoboynik says that she “would like to see comme il faut expand it’s social activity and develop the business into new directions such as comme il faut home and children.”
Talk about understanding both fashion’s import and impact in the world just as Chanel did. Something tells me that if Coco were alive today she just might have been a part of comme il faut. Even still, I’m sure she’s smiling down at their ever so fashionable efforts.
Find out more about Comme Il Faut at: www.comme-il-faut.com
MoxieQ Rating: Très, Très Chic!