What inspires you? Pretty much everything! It can be a movie, a book, a walk
around the neighborhood, a conversation with a friend or something as simple as
the weather. It can also come from the process of creating my work—the fabrics
are very important—and sometimes a fabric will give me an idea. Since moving to
Brooklyn, I enjoy my work even more. There’s such a creative feeling I get meeting so
many interesting and amazing people.
Where do you find your fabrics and materials? I’ve been collecting them for
years! Because I’m making more and more pieces every season, I look for something new almost everywhere I go. I love fabrics or materials with something unique,
something special and I often hand-dye them to add another layer of personality. I
used to go to flea markets and make special trips to vintage stores, but I’ve learned
that you can find inspiration almost anywhere.
How do you think your childhood
influenced your art? I grew up on a
kibbutz in Israel, which was pretty much
heaven for a child. It was a lot like a farm.
We played in bare feet, rode bikes in the
fields, climbed trees, picked flowers, but
mainly we just enjoyed being kids. My
parents always allowed me to be free
with my imagination, they encouraged
me to make things and look at the world
with an open mind. I know I kept some
of that playfulness in me—it is very
important for me to keep it in my work.
Growing up around 20 other kids in an
environment where we were supposed
to share everything, my need to be
different pushed me to create.
Did you intend to create your pieces for adults or children? I started making animals and soft sculptures as gifts for friends with whatever materials I had
at home. My designs were always for adults. A short time ago, there was a lot of
demand to make something for children and I realized that kids also like my work, so
I’ve started to focus a lot on creating for them. It’s been a whole new adventure and a
new market, of course. I’ve also been lucky enough to collaborate with designers like
Paul Smith, Anna Sui, Megan Park and Neue Gallerie.
Did you always love to make things?
I did, I was a very curious kid and
always had a need to be creative. I loved
sewing, gardening and animals and
was told more than once that I had “too
much imagination”!
