LADY OF THE DAISIES: The daisy was the favorite flower of the late Israeli designer Lea Gottlieb, founder of the international Gottex swimwear brand. An exhibit titled “Lady of the Daisies” at Design Museum Holon in Israel pays homage to Gottlieb and her swimwear and beachwear designs. The exhibit runs through May 4 and showcases the history of the 57-year-old Gottex brand through costumes, inspirational photographs, illustrations, films and catalogues. Work on the exhibition began more than six months ago with the process of sorting and selecting pieces from Gottlieb’s archives.
The main gallery includes 100 swim and beachwear designs in addition to works of art that acted as original inspiration. Curated by fashion researcher Ayala Raz, this aspect of the exhibition pays tribute to the life and work of Gottlieb, who sold her wedding ring to buy a single sewing machine and fabric to start a new life in Israel in 1949. The second gallery focuses on contemporary design and Gottex creative director Molly Grad’s transformation of the Gottex brand in recent years. A specially commissioned style designed by Molly Grad will be presented, and the unique piece will be accompanied by Grad’s sketches, illustrations and quotes to represent her world of inspiration. “The illustrations in the exhibit are like my fingerprints, a representation of my personal process and primary experience as an artist and creator. They are not indicative of a specific moment or time, but rather an ongoing approach,” explained Grad.
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Galit Gaon, chief curator of the museum, described Gottlieb as putting “Israeli fashion on the map with her elegant and flattering designs that have sold in over 80 countries.”
“This homage to the work of a trailblazing woman who led a vision of design and industry in Israel is an important evolutionary step in the life of the museum,” said Gaon.
The exhibition will open as part of Holon Design Week and is part of the wider vision of Design Museum Holon and the city of Holon to promote Israeli designers and fashion industry. The museum courtyard is devoted to an active design experience for the general public, with exhibitions also showing in many of the city’s other galleries.