Out of exhibition – Lea Gottlieb, Kaftan with jeweled breastplate Israel, 1992 Viscose Voile Miriam Ruzow collection in memory of Lea Gottlieb. Courtesy of Design Museum Holon.
A wide kaftan bearing a jeweled breastplate, inspired by the one worn by the High Priest, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel. It is characterized by “oriental” cuts and ornamentation inspired by the Jewish world. The kaftan is part of the “Jerusalem of Gold” collection, central to Lea Gottlieb’s oeuvre.
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1918–2012 – Hungarian-Israeli fashion designer, founder of the iconic swimwear brand Gottex, and a pillar of Israeli fashion. Born in Hungary, Gottlieb, along with her husband and their two daughters, survived World War II and immigrated to Israel in 1949. In 1956 she and her husband founded the Gottex company, which became the highest selling swimwear brand in the country. In the 1980s, the company’s heyday, Gottex sold beachwear in the most prestigious fashion department stores in the world. Despite the international success, Gottlieb turned down offers by haute couture designers Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin to design for their labels.
