Israeli Styles: From Tel Aviv to the World Wide Web
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
If a leisurely shopping spree in Israel down Tel Aviv’s bustling Dizengoff Street isn’t in the cards, a wide range of fashion-forward accessories, made in Israel by established and emerging designers, can now be purchased at coolil.com.
The brainchild of Eran Shor, a New York-based Israeli marketing professional, Coolil — as in “Cool Israel” — sells the wares of 10 Israeli labels. Among the items on offer are leather handbags and wallets by Daniella Lehavi and Efika, and precious metal jewelry by Augusta and Shelly Assody. Diaper bags by Heidi (apparently all the rage with Tel Aviv stroller moms) and plush toys by Manuella are also available on the recently launched site. Many of the featured brands have had limited or no prior distribution stateside.
Shor, 33, said that there are no plans to expand the site to include ready-to-wear fashions, which, due to sizing issues, can be more difficult than accessories to purchase online. But he did say that he would add at least five more accessories designers to his roster in the next month or two.
While Coolil does sell leather-bound books of Psalms, various Star of David and Hamsa pendants, and bracelets etched with Hebrew prayers, Shor emphasizes that the focus of Coolil is fashion, not Judaica. “I look for cool and unique things that are simple, functional and well designed — things that have a lightness about them,” said Shor, who insists on visiting with designers at their ateliers before offering their collections on the site.
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