Elie Tahari
| Elie Tahari | |
|---|---|
 Fashion Designer Elie Tahari in his studio | |
| Born |
January 21, 1952 Jerusalem, Israel |
| Residence | New York City |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Spouse(s) | Rory Green (m. 2000; div. 2011) |
| Awards | 2014 Fashion Group International Brand Vision Award |
| Website | http://www.elietahari.com |
Elie Tahari (born in 1952) is an Iranian-Israeli fashion designer. He is the designer of luxury ready-to-wear clothing and fashion accessories.[1] His company is a global luxury lifestyle brand headquartered in New York City with stores located throughout the world.
Early life
Tahari was born in 1952, the middle son of a Iranian Jewish couple.[2] He has four sisters, Aliza, Diana, Shulie and Illana. He has two brothers Avraham and Yosi.[3] The family immigrated to Israel from Iran and lived in a ma'abara transit camp in what is now Mevasseret Zion. In 1953–1957 the family went back to Iran, returning later to Israel. When his parents divorced and his father remarried, Tahari was sent to an orphanage ("Sde Hemed") in Rishon Lezion, later moving to Tel Aviv ("Maon Hayeled"). The following years were spent in Kvutzat Schiller and an Israeli Air Force boarding school in Haifa.
Elie Tahari emigrated to the United States in 1971 with less than $100 in his pocket.[4] Working as an electrician at a clothing boutique in the Garment District of New York City, he began designing his own clothing line after popularizing the iconic tube top in 1973.[5] His namesake label Tahari launched in 1974 with a boutique located on Madison Avenue in New York City.[6]
Career
Inspired by the era’s dazzling disco culture, Elie Tahari created flirty dance dresses and sensual blouses, debuting his first fashion show in 1977 at legendary New York City nightclub Studio 54.[7]
In the 1980s, Tahari turned his attention to the tailored suit. He redefined the decade with more office-centric designs as women joined the workforce and the ranks of the business elite. He was admitted to the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1994. In 1997 he teamed with Andrew Rosen to launch the ready-to-wear label Theory.[8]
The 2000's saw an expansion of his brand into men's ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry, footwear and home goods. In 2012 Elie Tahari was a guest judge on the America television series Project Runway All Stars[9] which aired on Lifetime. He collaborated with Kohl’s DesigNation in 2014[10] and launched ET Sport in 2015.[11]
Today, Elie Tahari oversees a global luxury brand, designing collections inspired by his belief that “clothing should let a woman’s true beauty shine through.”[12] Impeccable tailoring, sensual fabrics and unique details continue to characterize the modern, sophisticated collections for which Tahari is renowned.
Philanthropy
Elie Tahari has been involved in many philanthropic endeavors during his design career.
- Elie Tahari has been actively involved in Spirituality For Kids, an educational non-profit organization founded in 2001.
- Elie lends his support to and is involved with the Children of Chernobyl Foundation.
- In 2011 Elie Tahari created a limited edition T-shirt to benefit “Key To The Cure” with Saks Fifth Avenue and Friends of Dana-Farber to fight women's breast cancer.[13]
- Starting in 2012 Elie Tahari has worked closely with the Worldwide Orphans Foundation.[14]
- Elie is involved with Save the Garment District, focused on preserving the fashion centrality of New York City.[15]
- In 2013 Elie designed a license plate for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Plate program benefiting amfAR.
Awards & Recognition
Throughout his fashion career, Elie Tahari has been consistently recognized as one of the top design talents in the business.
- In honor of 40 years in the fashion industry, Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared “Elie Tahari Day” in New York City on September 4, 2013.[16] The event was marked with the debut of the Elie Tahari Edition 1974 – a one-off capsule that featured reworked pieces from the designer’s archive.
- In 2014, Elie Tahari was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor[17] which pays homage to the immigrant experience and the contribution made to America by immigrants and their children.[18]
- Elie received the Brand Vision Award from the Fashion Group International in 2014.[19]
- In 2005 Elie was awarded special recognition from the Women’s International Zionist Organization.
References
- ↑ "Elie Tahari: Fashioning success". CBS News. June 5, 2012.
- ↑ Jewish Fashion Mogul Reveals Why His Family Left Iran in 1950s
- ↑ Fashion; At Gucci, Calvin and the Rest, 50% Off Is the Norm
- ↑ "Fashion industry looks to keep up in NYC". am New York. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ Kennedy, Pagan (2012-08-17). "Who Made That Tube Top?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Elie Tahari Designer Profile". The Cut. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ Karimzadeh, Marc. "Elie Tahari: A Well-Suited Life". WWD. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Theory Works To Evolve Its Brand". Fashion Times. 2014-09-06. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Watch There's No Business like Sew Business Full Episode - Project Runway All Stars | Lifetime". mylifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Kohl's and Elie Tahari Debut New DesigNation Collection | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Elie Tahari launches Elie Tahari Sport". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week". mbfashionweek.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ Studio, Q Digital. "Jennifer Hudson key to Saks' Key to the Cure campaign". LadyLUX - Online Luxury Lifestyle, Technology and Fashion Magazine. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Seth Meyers, Diane von Furstenberg, Elie Tahari, and More Show Their Support At The Worldwide Orphans 9th Annual Gala". InStyle.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ Center, Save The Garment. "Elie Tahari's $35,000 Dress That Will Help Save the Garment Center | Save the Garment Center". savethegarmentcenter.org. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Michael Bloomberg declares September 4th "Elie Tahari Day" in New York City". Jewish Business News. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "NECO | Medalists Database". NECO. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "NECO | NECO's Mission". NECO. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Diane von Furstenberg to Take Home Superstar Award at Fashion Group International's Night of Stars". Fashion Times. 2014-06-16. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
External links
- https://www.elietahari.com/
- History of Tahari Suits
- Elie Tahari at the Fashion Model Directory
- The Marker Week, economy supplement of the newspaper "Haaretz",16.7.2009 – report by Raz Smolski- in Hebrew