Marissa Shapiro

Whether you're a believer in astrology or not, there is something oddly powerful about those horoscopes hiding in the back section of your daily newspaper. We've taken these twelve star-studded Zodiak signs and matched the personality traits associated with them with some of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv. From slipping onto a hidden rooftop as a Cancer, to making an entrance at one of Tel Aviv's leading boutique hotels as a Leo, here's a pairing you'll definitely want to savor.  

For decades, Israeli fashion has had a look and feel all of its own, partly by necessity and partly by design. Schools like Shenkar College of Engineering and Design and Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design have produced world-renowned talents and every year, provocative and forward-thinking Israeli fashion just keeps delivering. Here are the most exciting Israeli born and bred creators bringing their vision to the fashion scene locally and abroad.

The case for self-care is no better made than in Tel Aviv. Hot, sticky weather, impatient drivers, noisy streets, and uncurbed dog droppings can drive a person mad. Instead of dwelling on the negative stuff, we've rounded up some of the best treatments, foods, clothing, and lifestyle changes that help you be your best self and stay in the light.

Muslin Brothers, the edgy and raw effort of design talents Tamar Levit and Yaen Levi, came together in 2011 to produce cultural commentary through fashion and performance art, and have been going ever since, presenting two collections annually. With a successful collaboration with Grey Goose in the bag and an upcoming partnership with a Chinese retailer that’s still under wraps, the young brand is going places, bringing Tel Aviv’s influence to new horizons. We had a chat with the design duo about their latest collection. Why did you name your brand Muslin Brothers? Muslin Brothers is a play on words.  Muslin is a textile originally from Mosul, Iraq. Because of its simple and light weave it has two uses – in its luxurious version for men’s button up shirts and in the more quotidian as material to ‘draft’ garments.  We see ourselves as the brotherhood of the first prototype garment.  From the start we knew that we preferred to use an alias than our names for the brand. Muslin encapsulates an essence far bigger and more relatable than simply ‘Tamar and Yaen’.   Likewise, why is your winter 2018 collection called AS WE GO? With this collection, we started by researching a few different items that didn’t necessarily have a common thread. Eventually we decided to work with all of them, and let the clothes themselves be the evolution of this collection. We started with fisherman gear, army jackets, and accidentally-bleached trousers. The collection we ended up with became a collage

One can barely get down the block without tripping over a dozen prams – and for good reason; Basel is north Tel Aviv’s upscale pocket of family-friendly goodness  Shop   Alef Alef © Guy Kushi & Yariv Fine   Alef Alef (9 Ashtor Haparchi St, 03-6046095/alefalef.co.il) is a women’s boutique selling beautiful clothes and shoes that you want to wear now.  Owned by two grads from Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design, who believe in keeping business local – you’ll be supporting reliable Israeli companies by shopping at this chic outpost. Stella and Lori (10 Eibschitz St, 052-3655902/stellaandlori.com) stocks the Tel Avivian female uniform. Owned by sisters and named for their grandmothers, the shop offers multi-seasonal clothing that remains separate and above the fast-fashion fads. Things Of The Past Ancient Jewelry (32 Basel St, 03-6023125/dvarimshelpaam.co.il) sells antiques with a focus on European jewelry. Quirky finds like a dolphin-shaped emerald ring or a ‘poison ring’ from England make the shop a true treasure hunt.  Kids Fashion   Flamingo © Uri Taub   Coolyco (18 Ashtori HaFarhi St, 03-5465225/coolytogo.com) is THE store for kids’ toys according to moms, which makes sense because they have thought of everything.  From gifts for new mothers to nursery design and handmade dolls, this not-exactly-cheap shop is exactly what new parents need. Flamingo (38 Basel St, 03-6123115/flamingokids.co.il) sells clothing for spirited kids with a no- rules philosophy and a soft spot for c

Since its inception, Verner has stood apart from the rest of the retail scene in Tel Aviv, connecting fashion fiends to the international brands they love.   Anat Katz and Shira Dolinger – the women behind Verner – set out to differentiate their shop by more than just the designers they carry in their luxe shop, located one block off Rothschild Boulevard and across the street from the chicest delicatessen in town. Verner is all about adding a healthy dose of culture, style, design, and most important of all – inspiration – to the shopping experience.   Verner is following in the mold of iconic boutiques like Colette in Paris and 10 Corso Como in Milan to create a place where the experience of visiting Verner is not about consumption – it’s about the holistic experience of entering the world as Verner sees it. To get there, Dolinger and Katz joined forces with Israeli art advisor Sarah Peguine to bring the best of Israeli contemporary art inside the shop. The trio of ambitious women have embarked on a series of three art events, in which emerging artists add their touch to the store’s existing architecture. © Vera Vladimirsky This year sculptures and paintings are on display through the holidays by the buzzed-about multidisciplinary artist Aviv Grinberg. The artist, known for his oversized pieces, has scaled down to accommodate the shop’s layout, making use of the high ceilings and street-facing windows to show glowing sculptures of stylishly reincarnated cleaning materials

When globetrotter Stav Friedman landed in Is rael in January, she was shocked to see so much plastic waste wash up on the shores of our beaches, strewn across the sand.   After searching social media for groups focused on lowering plastic waste in vain, she decided to start one such group herself. Plastic Free Israel was born. “I want to spread the word that everyone can do their part and get involved,” Stav says. After years working as a biologist and a wildlife observer in the Philippines, Stav saw how a grassroots anti-plastic movement gained steam and replicated the group in Tel Aviv. Monthly Plastic Free Israel beach cleanups are gaining traction and their July cleanup included 75 people who picked up 1,000 kilos of trash in just 2 hours. The group is expanding and collaborating with environmental enthusiast group Tel Avir, and each day Stav receives dozens of messages about joining the group. Plastic Free Israel is working with plastic pollution researchers in Israel to add definitive data about the waste that Israel is leaving on its shores. Stav’s advice for people looking to cut down on their waste is to “be prepared and aware. Once we realize how much trash we’re creating and where its going we can think about what to do,” she suggests. “If we look for alternatives, they can exist. All it takes is a conscious decision.” Check out facebook.com/plasticfreeisrael for more info, and on September 14 & 15 join in on the Flashmob Coastal Cleanup Day

Wracking your brain for the perfect gift right before the holidays is neither fun nor functional. On top of that, who needs more “stuff” anyways?  Instead, how about the gift of learning, seeing, tasting, or doing. We’ve searched high and low, and prepped a list of the best local experiences that can be given as gifts for the high holidays this year   For the person set on getting in with the art crowd Those city insiders who always know what’s going on? Well, they didn’t get that way without doing some serious research. Let local guides take you around town to the White City’s hottest galleries to see the work of established and upstart artists alike (purchase of artwork not included!) Sarah Peguine © Pavlina Schultz Oh-So-Arty, Locations around the city   For the fashionista you can’t shop for Head over to the Noga-based studio of Efrat Ezuz to make fine jewelry that can be enjoyed until next Rosh Hashanah. Workshops range from four to twelve people with light refreshments included, making this a great group gift for anyone looking for a day of chic camaraderie.  © Hila Shayer eFrat ezuz, 3 Poriya St, Jaffa   For the person not afraid to get a little dirty At the very southern edge of Tel Aviv lies Benyamini Ceramics Center, hosting ceramic workshops, open studio hours, lessons, lectures and master classes for all levels of experience. This is the kind of gift that pays back in spades - think of all the bowls and teapots you’ll receive from your new ceramic artist frien

This spring, the Israel Festival celebrates its fifty-seventh year and Israel’s 70th birthday with performances that are intended to provoke, spark, and engage international and Israeli audiences during its run in Jerusalem from May 23 to June 16.   How does Israel Festival Artistic Director Itzik Giuli know that he has done a good job with a festival whose reputation precedes it? “We measure success by the energy and response of our audiences,” he says. The festival’s programming is meant to "open up a different way of seeing things. Things that are challenging, exploratory, and change [our] way of doing things."   Giuli has screened hundreds of submissions and crisscrossed the globe to find contemporary art that expands the Israeli artistic landscape and our exposure to international art. "I try to find things that have a distinctive artistic point of view and a coherent language," Giuli explains. "Things that are different from other materials that you’d see on a daily basis in Israel." This impetus to seek the unseen is what’s keeping the festival fresh and exciting year after year, even though Giuli won’t let on to how he thinks the festival’s founders would feel about the show today.    The Israel Festival also marks seventy years of Israel-French relations, “an opportunity to create a more thorough and massive cultural exchange” with support from the Ministry of Culture.   We've secured some specific recommendations for the not-to-be-missed performances this year:   Mu

As we all struggle to make sense of ‘truth’ and reality in today’s tumult and as social media has given everyone a platform to direct their public narrative, it is quite natural that documentaries have increased in popularity as a mode of storytelling.   This spring, Docaviv, Israel’s largest international film festival, marks its twentieth anniversary, standing out as one of the world’s leading documentary film festivals and as a beacon for cinephiles across Israel. Despite its humble beginnings as a niche festival, it has become an international ‘happening,’ opening its doors to more than 56, 000 attendees last year.     Family in Transition © Roy Rot   The festival hosts a number of world premieres among the 120 films shown (thirty percent of which are Israeli) at twelve locations in Tel Aviv, along with artist talks and curated programs. Underscoring Docaviv’s prominence among festivals like the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and Vision Du Real, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has identified Docaviv as an Academy Award-qualifying festival in the Documentary Short subject category; the film that wins the Best Documentary Short award at Docaviv will be automatically eligible to submit for Oscar consideration.   “I have always seen film as the method of ultimate art making,” noted Karin Rywkind Segal, Docaviv’s Artistic Director. Responsible for the programming of the entirety of the festiva

This is hygge - Israeli style: Scented candles © Lili Finkielsztein On a cold day there’s nothing better than dimming the lights and enjoying a candle’s glow. Candle Room’s soy-based candles evoke the coziest feelings that the Middle East has to offer. Let the aromas create a warm atmosphere - recommended scents are sandalwood & tonka and oriental amber.  candleroom.net/054-4804790 Stylish pillows When you’re stuck inside all day, who wouldn’t want to lean on and look at an extra chic pillow? A cushion from Knots Studio will add a layer of high-design hygge.  If their nautical themed pieces resonate with you, Knots also makes stools and cushions.  knots-studio.com/052-3586326 Scarves for inside & outside Bundle up on a cold day with a scarf from Gily Ilan.  Dress up what you’re already wearing at home, and when you’re finally ready to put on real clothes to brave the outdoors, keep the elegant scarf as part of your look.  gilyilan.com/054-6455888   Luxe sweaters Just because you’re inside watching movies doesn’t mean that you should ignore how you look. Just the opposite is true if you are invested in hygge. Update your wardrobe with a luxe sweater from Duende made from alpaca, wool, mohair, and cashmere.  duendefashion.com   The warmest blanket Add a layer of sumptuousness to your home with a blanket to cuddle up with on the couch. Look no further than La Porte Blanche’s quilts and blankets in muted colors, the effect is a new essential that looks like it’s been in

With its quaint boutiques and local feel, this charming enclave is always buzzing.   Shop   Yooletta Courtesy of PR             Yooletta (19 Masaryk Sq, 03-6168446/ yooletta.com) is a paper boutique selling goods from internationally-recognized brands like Rifle Paper Co.  Just entering Yooletta puts you in a giving mood, so you have a reason to wrap gifts in their lovely wares. Oaky (86 King George St, 03-6700990/ oaky.co.il) is a home goods store that invites that feeling of ‘hygge’, Tel Aviv style.  Focusing on materials that have a connection to nature with high practicality, this is the place to find the perfect finishing touch for your home.  Nook (5 Malkhei Yisra’el St, 03-5277177) is a gift shop focused on selling designs that reflect Japanese refinement and French je ne sais quoi. Combining elements of the east and west, the store supplies high-quality goods that make the perfect gift. Andy Ve Eirn (75 Frishman St, 077-4006351/ andyveeirn.com) is local fashion at its finest.  Focusing on quality textiles, the brand is all about classic, feminine, and comfortable clothes for everyday.  The monochromatic style guarantees that your purchase will remain timeless.  Baby Rock (77 Frishman St, 03-5541955/mylittlebabyrock.com) is an organic clothing store for on-trend babies. The young mothers who created the brand set out to create original designs without sacrificing style, which Baby Rock has in spades.   We Love Plants (73 Frishman St, 054-6828355) is the urban housepl

Entering the tiny enclave of the burgeoning Noga neighborhood (meaning “Venus,” the planet, in Hebrew) one instinctually know something’s brewing, in the best way. The area is rife with artists and designers – people who thoughtfully curate their lives and have very deliberately chosen to build a community, tucked away in a corner of the city, where they can work and play.  Walk through the American Colony on your way in or out of the neighborhood – the European-style homes facing a landscaped courtyard are an architectural delight.   Nosh   Strolling in from Eilat Street, you’ll find Cafelix (15 Sgula St, cafelix.de), the beloved shop with the best beans and baristas in town. Don’t be fooled by other Cafelixim, this is the original outpost and its roasting facility is a few streets over. Order a cortado and a cannale.  On the other side of the lively square is freelancer’s delight, The Urban Bakery (14 Nitsana St, urbanbakery.co.il). With Parisian pastries and plenty of tables and outlets, the airy café is the place to get work done. Have a coffee in the morning, small sammies in the afternoon, and a chilled glass of wine come evening.   Urban Bakery       Get to werk   Just across the street is where Noga goes to workout. Iyengar Yoga Center (11 Nitsana St, yoga-center.co.il) offers a variety of classes in the mornings and evenings.  Pilates on Noga (11 Nitsana St, 052-3502165, facebook.com/PilatesOnNoga), does the same in an intimate studio focused on reformer-only class