April 25, 2011

Shopping: Only by Israel

by Olivia Gingerich

http://www.jewishjournal.com/ tribe/article/shopping_only_by_israel_20110425/

Dive into all things Israeli this month in support of the country’s 63rd birthday. From the unique and creative beauty of Israeli fashion designers’ lines to Israel-based organizations that have made it their mission to help the less fortunate, these pieces reflect the Jewish state’s enduring and innovative spirit.

Israeli designer Yigal Azrouël embraces the breeziness of spring while honoring his trademark shabby-chic style in his line of women’s and men’s clothing and accessories. His pink Metal Taffeta Skirt ($515) accentuates a slender physique with its crinkly texture and body-hugging fit. yigal-azrouel.com

The NU Campaign believes in making people human billboards for various causes such as Jewish Heart for Africa, an organization that provides rural African villages with sustainable Israeli technologies such as solar energy panels. This T-shirt ($19), like all other NU shirts, has the “human story” printed on the inside so that the wearer always carries the message. All NU Campaign shirts are manufactured and printed in Israel. nucampaign.org

Leave it to an Israeli to twist together harsh metals and chains and somehow make the result look soft and feminine. From her studio in Israel, Nava Glazer handcrafted her Gold Plated Satin Finish Flexible Cuff ($108) starting with an urban-bohemian brass bracelet and adding 24-karat gold plating. Her consistently trendy pieces have drawn in celebrities like Sharon Stone, who has been photographed wearing Glazer’s combination bracelet/necklaces. navaglazer.erayo.com

Enjoying the lush hints of currants in the 2006 Tzora Shoresh ($37) will go beyond pleasing your palate — the Jewish National Fund has partnered with Tzora Vineyards to donate $1 of every bottle sold in the United States to helping the people of Sderot, victims of ongoing rocket attacks from nearby Gaza. israeliwinedirect.com

The sharp angles and modern aesthetic of the black fabric Kisim Babushka Bag ($142) spices up a traditional favorite with a nod to Russian bubbes. The bold look shows exactly why designer and Kisim founder Yael Rosen attracted attention when her handbags appeared in “Sex and the City.” raincollection.com

AHAVA’s Hope Blossoms bath salts ($22) provide the skin-soothing, muscle-relaxing benefits of Dead Sea salt, and the Israeli company is doing even more for the body by donating part of the proceeds of all sales of this item to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. ahava.com