Hidden within one of Jaffa’s ancient beautiful alleyways made of Jerusalem stone, in an old-timey warehouse repurposed to be stylish and chic, sits a stunning showcase of one of Israel’s most extraordinary fashion icons. Once on the cover of Vogue, rivaling Dior, Givenchy, and Yves Saint Laurent, the aisles of Maskit exhibit innovative and authentic Israeli high-fashion at its finest.
© Shoshana Rice
But taking the journey one step further, beyond the artful elegant cuts and intricate sparkling embroidery, discover the awe-inspiring and heartwarming tale of this Israeli fashion legend. Behind each unique flare, lies an intriguing perspective of Israeli history, both of its founding and the threads that weave the country together today.
Back when Israel was just a newborn, Ruth Dayan (wife of famous general Moshe Dayan) was tasked with allotting jobs for the colossal waves of immigrants. Flustered to find good places for the country’s founding members, she originally set most of them up in agriculture. But one day she took note of some of the remarkable embroideries the diverse migrants wove in their free time and bore an idea. Ruth collaborated with her friend in fashion design, Finy Leitersdorf, and constructed a platform for the new Israelis to put their one-of-a-kind talents to good use. With inspiration the Jewish migrants coming from all over the world mixed with Bedouin, Druze, Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian styles, Maskit began exposing the world to Israel’s beautiful cultural diversity through high quality fashion in 1954.
© Shoshana Rice
During an interview in 1966, Leitersdorf spoke about the “Israeliness” of the clothing, referring not just to the compilation of varied ethnic styles of embroidery, but also the “range of colors - the desert brown, the impure black inspired by Bedouin tents, and the eternally changing blue of the Mediterranean."
From the 1960s to the 1980s, the line employed 2,000 immigrants, opened ten stores across Israel and one in New York. They sold garments to icons like Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue, and worked with big name clients like Audrey Hepburn.
The company closed in 1994 during some tough times for the fashion industry, and despite many proposals, Ruth Dayan was too hesitant to reopen for a multiple decades. Many designers dreamt of restarting the line, but Ruth just didn’t feel it would be right until the day she met Sharon Tal. After working for Deloitte and Alexander McQueen, Sharon hoped to bring her talents back to her homeland ended up having the exact chutzpah necessary to hit it off with Ruth. They reestablished the brand together in 2014 and have been continuing the legacy ever since.
© Eyal Nevo
Doubling as a museum, store, and workshop, the Maskit’s main location in Jaffa is a gem worth exploring. The museum section hosts an array of vintage Maskit dresses, showcasing the original storied 1960s-1980s Israeli high-fashion pieces. A glass wall on the other side of the store allows visitors to watch the art in action. A few women work among six sewing machines, a couple ironing boards, and a table filled with exquisite fabric, stitching away at the handmade embroidery. The embroidery is made almost exclusively in-store and much of the clothing is made to order or be tweaked on site.
© Shoshana Rice
But of course, the clothes on sale are the most dazzling sight. Staying true to Leitersdorf’s “Israeliness,” browse designs mimicking native Israeli flowers, their 12 interpretations of the desert coat, and bridal dresses with sparkling embroidery inspired by the tallit (the Jewish prayer shawl).
© Shoshana Rice
Head down to Maskit Fashion House on Sunday through Thursday 9:30 to 19:00 or Fridays until 15:30. Through the most original, high-quality, and stunning Israeli fashion, come explore a rich cultural legacy alive and flourishing on 14 HaTsorfim Street in Jaffa.