Sol Gruffy

Israeli designers have been world renown for a long time now. With Hed Mayner kicking off Paris Fashion Week, and Shahar Avnet dressing Beyoncé, the Jewish mind knows no limits. But you don't have to be Beyoncé to be the best dressed one in the room. Now that we can finally conceive summer coming to an end, with winter just around the corner, we decided that it's the perfect time to dust off those mediocre tanktops, and make room for a new wardrobe. Here's all the inspiration you need to survive the coldest months of the year in style.

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The notorious Tel Avivian Street may have given you the notion that it is completely made out of bus stops, strip clubs and drunken people getting sick in the wee hours of the night. You just might be surprised to find out that this traffic-ridden street is so much more than its initial first impression; with its founding in 1911 as part of the first expansion of Tel Aviv, it was called "Derech Hayam" (Sea Road) and its purpose was to connect between the city streets and the Mediterranean Sea. Allenby has a huge concentration of buildings for preservation - 53 in total, that's more than a third of the buildings in Tel Aviv. If you raise your eyes to the skyline you'll witness some of the oldest and most fascinating buildings in the city, housing businesses that have stuck around for over 50 years. In the past 10 years, Allenby has enjoyed a cooler reputation with nightlife hotspots springing up like mushrooms, and rent prices being raised by the minute. Let's find out just how much you've been paying attention.  // (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk')); //

Picking the right hummus spot in Tel Aviv can be as crucial as picking the name for your first born - you cannot make any mistakes or you will be scorned for life. Answer this extremely important quiz and you just might be crowned as your group's leader. // (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk')); //

Do you think that these little hearts are terribly cheesy and not even a logical representation of the human heart? Do you think that these rounded lines embody all that is wrong with our destructive capitalism? Well, think again! Judging by the latest trends on Instagram, the sweet icon seems to be getting renewed interest. Taking cues from the once-popular "I love Mama" tattoo professed on the bulging biceps of delinquent sailors, the new trend of minimalistic hearts for millennial Tel Avivians is all the rage in a whole-hearted new way. But before you make an appointment at one of Israel's best tattoo parlors to engrave this simple but distinct symbol on your bod - here are some heartful references that are easy to love

The Jewish brain has been gifting the world with brilliant inventions for decades. Now, Israelis are taking over the world with their fashion skills. From high couture to artistic design, we've got the lowdown on our very own Israeli fashion designers that have made it abroad. Here are the 5 Israeli fashion designers who became international superstars and continue to thrive outside of the Holy Land.

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The perfect combination of a market bar with a Turkish restaurant, from the owners of Cafe Yom Tov. In the culinary section, you can find fish patties and grape leaves, and on the alcohol menu, there is draft beer and chasers of all kinds. With rotating local DJ's and chill, hip-Turkish vibes, this is the perfect spot for a mid-week night out with a market atmosphere.

For the first time in Israel, Jeff Koons, one of the world's most influential and famous American artists, will exhibit at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art this March The artwork of Jeff Koons is considered one of the most expensive in the art world, and he consistently breaks sales and visitor records at his exhibitions in the world's largest and most celebrated museums. This March, Jeff Koons will be coming to Israel for the first time, for his solo opening at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Koons is considered one of the most influential, popular and controversial living-artists in the world. His art is unique and unusual and he is considered a cultural phenomenon whose work echoes and influences beyond the boundaries of the art world. Jeff Koons at Rockefeller Center © Mike Coppola/Getty Images Jeff Koons, born in 1955, in York, Pennsylvania, is an American neo-pop artist, who started in the 1980s exploring the significance of art and spectacle in a media-saturated era. He did so by adopting aesthetics that escalated consumption culture, which has only intensified during this decade. Koons' work has been produced with extreme perfectionism, which has given them a religious-like aura and attracted art collectors and the general public alike. Bear and Policeman, 1988 © Jeff Koons The exhibition "Jeff Koons: Absolute Value – From the Collection of Marie and Jose Mugrabi" will be on display in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art's gallery, in the museum's large exhibition space, which span

The Poli House Boutique Hotel by Brown Hotels is launching the Rooftop Brownch: a delicious and luxurious brunch dinner served on Fridays on the most fabulous rooftop in Tel Aviv The Poli House Hotel is an architectural gem towering over Magen David Square in the heart of Tel Aviv. Known for its iconic restoration of the Tel Avivian Bauhaus structure, its thoughtfully-designed rooftop houses a heated infinity pool and a luxury cocktail bar. The hotel is now launching a new brunch hosted on the bar every Friday between 10 am to 4 pm, with a menu balancing between the healthy and the particularly sinful, accompanied by creative cocktails (just to make sure you start off your weekend right). Poli House © Assaf Pinchuk The special brunch starts with a morning cocktail or soft drink and coffee or tea, a bread basket with a selection of colorful spreads and handmade jams, and a yummy main course menu including: beef fillet salad, a club croissant with chicken breast, French toast with seasonal fruit, and an Israeli cheese plate. Brownch at the Polihouse © Tal Azulay Couples are welcome to elevate the heavenly experience with a double spa package that includes the brunch, a massage, access to the spa facilities and the heated pool. Brownch at the Polihouse © Tal Azulay Price per diner: NIS 95. Double Spa Package Price: NIS 750 for a couple. Poli House Boutique Hotel by Brown Hotels, 1 Nahalat Binyamin St, Tel Aviv. For reservations: 03-7105000 

Get your nostalgia glands ready: Iron Maiden are finally coming to IsraelThe Iron Maiden band will perform in Israel for the first time in 2020 with their successful worldwide tour: LEGACY OF THE BEAST WORLD TOUR. With the full band in tow, enjoy vocalist Bruce Dickinson, guitarist Adrian Smith, and bassist Steve Harris - at the huge Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, worthy of the immortal band’s greatness. Iron Maiden, Saturday, May 30, 2020. Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Tickets starting at NIS 290

Tel Aviv-based designer Dana Cohen has found a way to connect her two conflicting passions: sustainability and fashion. The result is beautifully unique "Fast fashion" is this elusive term that we all know has something to do with pollution and global warming, but never seem to over think while we finalize our next ASOS order. While environmental activists focus on raising awareness on the extreme dangers of mindless shopping, and fashion industries enjoy the profit of oblivion, the solution might come from innovative young designers, who look not only to create a sustainable future, but also make sure your wardrobe is unique, can survive through more than one laundry cycle, and perhaps many seasons of changing trends.     City Growth © Rotem Lebel After graduating from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in 2015, 30-year-old Israeli designer Dana Cohen spent a meaningful student exchange experience in Amsterdam, where she was exposed to the sustainability movement and found a new sense of positivity in the fashion world - deciding to play by a different set of rules. Driven to make a change in the fast fashion industry, she developed a procedure which gives a new cycle of life to old clothes: discarded knits are shredded into monochromatic fibers and then felted into a new, recycled form of textile. This metamorphosis is illustrated by new knits that are integrated with the recycled textiles. The process includes a combination of machinery and handwork which gives a

Israeli musician Atar Mayner has an elusive quality that is extremely rare; when many Israeli musicians seem to have a sense of impostor syndrome in trying to mimic American hip-hop, Mayner's production style has an authentic beating heart and soul. An interview with the still-underground homegrown hero Mayner has a sort of shamelessness and directness that gives him a rare authenticity in the Israeli landscape; his obsession with music started as a kid, growing up in the Amuka community in the Upper Galilee, “As a child, I entered this world mainly through obsessively listening to music. I would burn discs that my brother bought and listen to them on my Discman. I started playing music when I was 14, on the guitar and drums, but I didn’t specialize in anything. A few years later, the computer came into my life, I was recording, using music software and producing. When I got to the army I stuck with the computer and it has been my main focus ever since.”  Last year, Atar came out with his debut album and everything seemed to fall in place; a collection of songs that are a perfect blend of R&B, hip hop and soul music written in Hebrew, garnered rave reviews from the mainstream media and hardcore music critiques as well, and a tight group of followers know every word of his songs by heart. He is the younger brother of Israeli fashion designer Hed Mayner, who was nominated this year for the prestigious LVMH Fashion awards. You can’t help but wonder what secret ingredient the tal

"All the women in my family were feminists with red lipstick and heels". Dorin Frankfurt has been designing clothes in Israel for over 35 years. Now her fashion-forward daughter is infusing fresh blood into a capsule collection for the established brand   Everything about veteran Israeli designer Dorin Frankfurt is a bit witchy, in the best sense of the word. From her black raven hair accompanied by her eternal signature red lipstick to her solid self-assurance, one feels the moment you meet her. Our interview takes place in the eponymous name brand's factory in south Tel Aviv, and when Frankfurt tours the crowded corridors, she seems to hover on air, above all the women diligently working at the sewing machines who work for her. The fashion brand is known for its products being designed and manufactured in Tel Aviv. "This was the agenda of the brand from its beginning," explains Frankfurt. Now working closely with the iconic designer is her 27-year-old daughter, Kianne, a fresh graduate from the Shenkar School of Engineering and Design, who also feels strongly about local, mindful design. "It's beyond that," says Kianne, "It's a responsibility. My grandmother also promoted industry where we live". Dorin and Kianne Frankfurt So everything started from the grandmother. Kianne: "Actually, more from my great-grandmother." It's like a dynasty of witches. "You have no idea just how much," Kianne whispers. "My mom knows everything; it makes me a bit nervous. Sometimes she calls m

ZUMU, the first mobile museum in Israel, arrives in Kiryat-Yam with a huge exhibition featuring over 50 artists The exhibit will be on display at the recently abandoned Mythical Ice Factory, and will deal with the subject of "transitions". The exhibition offers the viewer the chance to wander through the various and endless passages between supermarket shelves, and take in the extraordinary power of art to connect between communities. Chen Versano, from a fictitious souvenir shop. Courtesy of PR Among the works created especially for Zumu Kiryat-Yam are a fictitious souvenir shop, a photography work on milk cartons, a chocolate tongues refrigerator, and more. Oded Hirsch, Blue 50. Courtesy of PR ZUMU - Museum on the Move, Sderot Yerushalayim 3, Kiryat-Yam. Free admission. December 6 - January 31. Sun-Thur 8:30 am - 8 pm, Fri 8:30 am - 2 pm, Saturday 10 am - 4 pm. zumu.org.il

The Design Museum of Holon & the Holon Mediatheque present an exhibition surrounding the past decade in the face of time, ten years after the museum's first-ever exhibition A decade ago, in 2010, the Design Museum of Holon presented The State of Things, an exhibition that featured more than 100 objects that reflected the issues of consumption culture and its impact on international design. Ten years later, the State of Extremes exhibition describes the condition of a world that has drastically changed since then, and with it, contemporary design practice. Neil Nenner & Avihai Mizrahi, Black Swan Lifeboat The new exhibition will deal with changes in the world in general, but focus on the field of design in particular in the last decade, featuring over 80 pieces by well-known artists from around the world and Israel. We live in an age of distress. The looming threat of destructive climate change, violently polarized political spheres and cutting-edge technologies that blur the boundary between natural and artificial beings all fundamentally challenge the meaning of human existence, setting the stage for The Age of Extremes to explore and examine the foundational mechanisms that are driving our society to higher levels of extremes. The exhibitions presented in State of Extremes touch on the topical and burning issues of today, both in Israel and around the world, including gender inequality, economic elitism and racial basis that leads to political extremism. State of Extreme

The Pop-Up TLV event will be held in Israel for the second time, featuring over a hundred artists with a focus on street art and graffiti The project is taking over a four-story building in Tel Aviv with 15 apartments. For six days, the building will become a temporary museum just before its demolition, as part of an urban renewal awareness-raising project. Street artists, painters, illustrators, graphic designers, art directors, decor designers, installation artists, and art exhibitors will be presenting and creating at the event. SPINE, Pop-Up Museum Tel Aviv © Gili Levinson Viewers are invited to roam the apartments, rooms, and corridors and experience an original and innovative event. The act of inserting street art into the space of a house creates an open space that allows 'breaking the rules' and blurring the boundaries between what is allowed and what is forbidden in the art world. Monkey Rmg, Pop-Up Museum Tel Aviv © Gili Levinson THALES+Tal Shetach, Pop-Up Museum Tel Aviv © Gili Levinson Pop-Up Museum Tel Aviv. January 1-6, Tel Aviv. 7 Katsenelson St, 2 pm - 10 pm. popupmuseumtlv.com

Visiting the Dead Sea might be one of the most unique adventures in the world, but not the best location for a culinary experience. This is about to change as Agadir is descending upon the lowest point on the face of the earth Agadir at the Dead Sea. courtesy of PR Agadir, one of the most popular burger chains in Israel, offers juicy burgers piled with whatever topping your heart can imagine. The new restaurant about to open in the Dead Sea is designed by web designer: Uri Ben Dror. Outside the restaurant, there will be a beautiful outdoor seating area on the beachfront, and the delicious dishes will also be available to a delivery service to the hotels. In addition, the restaurant will hold live music events and broadcast sports games on giant screens. Agadir © Eitan Vaxman Agadir opened its doors in 1997 with the first restaurant on Nahalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv, and for over two decades has been one of the best burger spots in Israel, with 14 restaurants across the country, from Haifa to Eilat and now also the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea branch is expected to open in April 2020.

SpareEat is a new Israeli app that allows its users to buy excess food from the current day from restaurants, bakeries, cafes & more, for cheaper - while fighting waste An app that enables users to buy fresh food at a cheaper price, while businesses can enjoy an additional monthly income without wasting an enormous amount of fresh food on a daily basis? Sounds like a total win-win. Altogether, SpareEat benefits the environment and fights against wasted food in Israel. Just launched, it has already partnered with huge names in the Israeli food world, including Super Yuda, Aroma, Ca-Phe Hanoi, Japanika, and more, while also accruing more than 1,000 users who downloaded the app within its first week. SpareEat When downloading the app, it checks your location so you can see all the restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, bakeries and hotels closest to you with available excess food to offer. You can choose the food you want to purchase and pay directly through the app, pick it up, and return home with your delicious food, while saving some serious cash and helping the planet. Heck, even gain some bragging rights with your friends.  Going forward, SpareEat plans to bring in more partner businesses in Tel Aviv, and later hit up other cities across Israel. Let's get the word out on food waste, and use real solutions to act on (with all due respect for sharing posts on Facebook), so we can have a real impact on food waste in Israel. SpareEat Download the app here: http://onelink.to/sp

The new winter collection by acclaimed Israeli designer Alon Livne was inspired by a historical story that took place in 1590 in Scotland, where, according to stories, a group of women, led by Agnes Sampson (a Scottish healer and purported witch), was accused of witchcraft and betrayal by the King of Scotland, James VI and betrayal of the monarchy. Alon Livne 2019 © Adi Segal These women who were suspected of stirring up storms in the sea and causing the ship's fleet to drown, were accused of doing so by performing a worshiping ceremony for the devil that included dance and sex during which they were marked by him in intimate areas of their bodies. Alon Livne 2019 © Adi Segal These signs, which were discovered on the women's bodies, were the ultimate proof of their guilt, and the group was executed. According to the story, Agnes's spirit is still wandering in the palace gardens. Alon Livne 2019 © Adi Segal The collection, "Aconitum", is named for the flower known by its form of seductive petals in deep crimson. It is a particularly poisonous flower, also known as the Devil's Cloak, by which competitors concocted poisons from in the Middle Ages. Alon Livne 2019 © Adi Segal The collection consists of 30 ensembles, including jackets, pants, shirts, coats, bodices and lavish evening dresses, in black, white, silver and red. Each garment in the collection is crafted from a variety of materials that were assembled together and sewn with meticulous sewing techniques. Alon L