MAY 16th, 2025
VOL. 008
Written and published in collaboration with ‘Not Just A Label’ - Read this article online here
Henry is a 27-year-old designer from Israel. He combines his love of sports with a passion for high-fashion and craftsmanship. He designs imaginative and innovative pieces, drawing elements from contemporary athleisure, sports equipment, and tailored menswear.
Tell me a little bit about the origin of your brand - what inspired you to begin designing?
My first collection was my graduate project from when I did my BA in Fashion Design at Shenkar College in Ramat-Gan, Israel. It was a womenswear collection which merged high fashion silhouettes with elements from sports and traditional athleisure.
Sportswear was the core focal point for this collection as it is something which is recognizable for me. Growing up I was an athlete; I grew up in athletic disciplines from gymnastics to martial arts. I took these things that are close to my heart and made the connection with the women's wardrobe. I took my love of sports and my love of fashion and merged them!
What is currently motivating your practice and what are your goals?
At this moment right now, I'm at a place where I’m really experimenting to discover what kind of designer I would like to be and developing what exactly it is I want to offer to my audience and potential customers.
I use my graduate collection as my baseline, upon which I can keep working and expanding. I'm not trying to be the most experimental or avant-garde, I want to take the style I developed with my graduate collection and alter it to create pieces for a female audience, mostly.
Where do you seek inspiration day-to-day, and how is this incorporated into your work?
I take inspiration primarily from the athletic world. Brands like ‘Alo Yoga’ and ‘Nike’ produce clothes for all women, even those who aren’t actually into sports.They are successful brands because of the way their clothing fits and flatters - customers will buy the clothes simply for the style and wear. The world of sportswear is not only practical, but also fashionable in its patterns and designs.
I use all of these elements of contemporary sportswear and adapt them to create high-fashion pieces. For example, I made a vest with pockets placed to replicate the human abdominal muscles. Another piece is inspired by the crunch machine equipment that you find in gyms. I took inspiration from the way the machine straps around the body to create a unique form for the garment.
I recently designed a tailored waistcoat with a decorative pocket on the back that replicates the pockets on sports leggings and shorts where you would put your phone whilst you exercise. The pocket has no function, it is just a decorative element.
So do you see yourself only going into the luxury market or do you also want to create more ready-to-wear pieces?
It's kind of in between. Whilst it is important to me to make sure I am selling my work, I do think experimenting is crucial because eventually we always want to see something new, either as the designer or the customer. My work is my passion, but it still has to be practical too.
I am a designer who mostly would like to sell my work in the luxury market. You need to find the exact balance of imagination with simplicity as that is what is mostly recognized in the luxury wardrobe right now.
Do you see your brand remaining centered around experimental high-fashion, or would you go in any other directions such as the athleisure market?
I think mostly high-fashion, not athleisure.
When I did my degree, I had an option to also take a sportswear course but I decided not to do it. This was because when it comes to successful sportswear brands like Nike, what makes their product so desirable is because of the technology they can use - they have processes of making patterns and pieces that I am not currently able to do. I think strictly making sportswear might overwhelm me, whereas focusing on luxury fashion gives me a lot of space to get creative.
Why is it that you like to work with leather in particular?
Leather isn't typically what you see in sportswear, and it’s a great material to achieve a clean finish and good design. It’s another way I can incorporate my own creativity into sports patterns.
Leather itself is a desirable material and especially if you treat it properly, you reach a great product.
When we speak about leather, it comes with the use of animals. Leather is expensive and I want to be production-efficient, therefore the most important thing is to use it properly and effectively. Since I am the one who produces everything, from the patterns and designing to the cutting and sewing, I source all my materials myself from local suppliers, which are all legitimate, ethical businesses.
It’s important for me to create high-quality pieces for my brand, it’s actually what prompted me to study fashion. I remember being a 12-year-old kid and seeing things in stores that I desired. Now that I’m on the other side as the designer, I want to create things that are well made and visually impressive.
Could you talk me through like a little bit of your creative process?
It all depends on the piece itself, what I’m surrounded by, and what is inspiring me at the time.
I usually begin designing on a mannequin. I’ll start with the initial shape, for example the neckline or silhouette, and then slowly new ideas will come up as I'm working. I’ll either be following some sort of reference or inspiration, or the answers will come whilst I’m making things with my hands.
The pieces themselves are moulded on the flattering shapes of both womenswear and menswear - for example the neckline of a basic tank top. I then add my creative flourishes on top of the design such as metalwork, pockets, and technical details. I like to incorporate a lot of details as it really adds to the craftsmanship and creates a more luxurious, experimental piece.
I like to adapt my designs as they go. I may see some visual inspiration or interesting solution in the moment, which might lead me to change the design and add a new element.
Tell me a little bit about the origin of your brand - what inspired you to begin designing?
My first collection was my graduate project from when I did my BA in Fashion Design at Shenkar College in Ramat-Gan, Israel. It was a womenswear collection which merged high fashion silhouettes with elements from sports and traditional athleisure.
Sportswear was the core focal point for this collection as it is something which is recognizable for me. Growing up I was an athlete; I grew up in athletic disciplines from gymnastics to martial arts. I took these things that are close to my heart and made the connection with the women's wardrobe. I took my love of sports and my love of fashion and merged them!
What is currently motivating your practice and what are your goals?
At this moment right now, I'm at a place where I’m really experimenting to discover what kind of designer I would like to be and developing what exactly it is I want to offer to my audience and potential customers.
I use my graduate collection as my baseline, upon which I can keep working and expanding. I'm not trying to be the most experimental or avant-garde, I want to take the style I developed with my graduate collection and alter it to create pieces for a female audience, mostly.
Where do you seek inspiration day-to-day, and how is this incorporated into your work?
I take inspiration primarily from the athletic world. Brands like ‘Alo Yoga’ and ‘Nike’ produce clothes for all women, even those who aren’t actually into sports.They are successful brands because of the way their clothing fits and flatters - customers will buy the clothes simply for the style and wear. The world of sportswear is not only practical, but also fashionable in its patterns and designs.
I use all of these elements of contemporary sportswear and adapt them to create high-fashion pieces. For example, I made a vest with pockets placed to replicate the human abdominal muscles. Another piece is inspired by the crunch machine equipment that you find in gyms. I took inspiration from the way the machine straps around the body to create a unique form for the garment.
I recently designed a tailored waistcoat with a decorative pocket on the back that replicates the pockets on sports leggings and shorts where you would put your phone whilst you exercise. The pocket has no function, it is just a decorative element.
So do you see yourself only going into the luxury market or do you also want to create more ready-to-wear pieces?
It's kind of in between. Whilst it is important to me to make sure I am selling my work, I do think experimenting is crucial because eventually we always want to see something new, either as the designer or the customer. My work is my passion, but it still has to be practical too.
I am a designer who mostly would like to sell my work in the luxury market. You need to find the exact balance of imagination with simplicity as that is what is mostly recognized in the luxury wardrobe right now.
Do you see your brand remaining centered around experimental high-fashion, or would you go in any other directions such as the athleisure market?
I think mostly high-fashion, not athleisure.
When I did my degree, I had an option to also take a sportswear course but I decided not to do it. This was because when it comes to successful sportswear brands like Nike, what makes their product so desirable is because of the technology they can use - they have processes of making patterns and pieces that I am not currently able to do. I think strictly making sportswear might overwhelm me, whereas focusing on luxury fashion gives me a lot of space to get creative.
Why is it that you like to work with leather in particular?
Leather isn't typically what you see in sportswear, and it’s a great material to achieve a clean finish and good design. It’s another way I can incorporate my own creativity into sports patterns.
Leather itself is a desirable material and especially if you treat it properly, you reach a great product.
When we speak about leather, it comes with the use of animals. Leather is expensive and I want to be production-efficient, therefore the most important thing is to use it properly and effectively. Since I am the one who produces everything, from the patterns and designing to the cutting and sewing, I source all my materials myself from local suppliers, which are all legitimate, ethical businesses.
It’s important for me to create high-quality pieces for my brand, it’s actually what prompted me to study fashion. I remember being a 12-year-old kid and seeing things in stores that I desired. Now that I’m on the other side as the designer, I want to create things that are well made and visually impressive.
Could you talk me through like a little bit of your creative process?
It all depends on the piece itself, what I’m surrounded by, and what is inspiring me at the time.
I usually begin designing on a mannequin. I’ll start with the initial shape, for example the neckline or silhouette, and then slowly new ideas will come up as I'm working. I’ll either be following some sort of reference or inspiration, or the answers will come whilst I’m making things with my hands.
The pieces themselves are moulded on the flattering shapes of both womenswear and menswear - for example the neckline of a basic tank top. I then add my creative flourishes on top of the design such as metalwork, pockets, and technical details. I like to incorporate a lot of details as it really adds to the craftsmanship and creates a more luxurious, experimental piece.
I like to adapt my designs as they go. I may see some visual inspiration or interesting solution in the moment, which might lead me to change the design and add a new element.