Instruction:
Yossi Katsav and Jacqueline Sofer

The Israeli man is educated from infancy to be strong in body and mind. The image of the warrior and the occupier is the ideal, all of which connect to the universal model and is expected to be both a breadwinner and popular among the female sex, not worthy of crying or revealing emotion, even in moments of crisis.

Israeli men are forced to pay a heavy price for the roles they are required to fill.

The project deals with the longing for a safe place that allows for the discovery of flaws, vulnerabilities, emotions and weakness, within an intense and tense Israeli reality.

The men’s collection, which is made entirely of natural fabrics, linen, cotton, wool and silk, alludes to motifs from the models of Israeli masculinity over the years. From the Black Panthers to the IDF soldiers, each of them represents a spirit of a different period in Israel.

The colors are soft and reflect an Israeli atmosphere through references to the desert, military uniforms and a Tel Aviv street. In some models, woolen ropes knitted by prolonged handwork are sewn to each other in a unique technique, so that the raw and rough material creates soft and delicate shapes that form a bridge to the emotional world. Elements of tearing the fabric and seams reveal the exposed skin as it moves.

It’s a true story about a complex character, about a hero who is also fragile, painful and sometimes exploited.

Photo: Ido Lavie