Rummaging through the edgy collections or latest sneaker drop at Dover Street Market, there is a surprise: a rail of streetwear by Israeli menswear brand, Adish. It’s the first Israeli label to be sold in the discerning store.
Amit Luzon, 25, and Eyal Eliyahu, 26, are the design duo behind Adish, who are bringing a Middle Eastern twist to track pants, sweatshirts and more. “We didn’t see any aesthetic that spoke to us as Israelis or from the Middle East,” says Luzon, who started the company with Eliyahu just three years ago, after their post-military service travels across the Americas. (They have been friends since they were teenagers).
Inspired by the technical virtuosity of cult Japanese streetwear brand, Undercover among others, Adish blends streetwear looks with local ancient craftsmanship from Israel and the West Bank. Hand embroidered Palestinian patterns adorn zipper jackets to navy wool overcoats, say, whilst oversized tassels hanging from hoodies are hand woven by Bedouin women in the Lakiya Negev Weaving factory — usually made for carpets.
Each pattern tells a local story. Take the boxy jackets whose stripes symbolise the feathers from chickens raised in Palestinian homes and surrounding cypress trees. Logo’ed bucket hats feature the name of the collection, Sea of Sand, in Hebrew or Arabic (135€) and slouchy sweaters feature the region’s recognisable rooftops (735€).
“Our style reflects what we wear,” says Luzon from their Petach Tikvah studio. He sports a black Adish logo t-shirt with Undercover black cargo shorts and Nike trainers. Eliyahu teams navy cargo shorts with a white tee, Comme des Garçons x Nike trainers and an Adish logo cap.
Yet behind the easy-to-wear pieces, the duo’s fashion statements are political ones. “We can write messages on the hoodies and t-shirts and simply communicate with customers and the world,” says Eliyahu.
Their name, Adish, means apathetic in Hebrew, he explains. “We want to be apathetic to the politics around us that separates us and causes violence and bad things.”
Instead, by working with women and a Palestinian partner across borders and cultures, they want to show how Israelis and Arabs can work together as, Luzon says, “we’ve never done it here.”
Building trust is the key, he says, adding that their Libyan and Iraqi heritage makes them sensitive to being Jewish and Arab. The duo opened an embroidery workshop in Bethlehem’s Dheisheh refugee camp in March so their artisans can work together instead of at home in disparate West Bank villages.
Yet their collections are not just about politics, they showcase other aspects of Israel too. A beige hoodie refers to the colour of the country’s sand, whether on a Tel Aviv beach or in Be’er Sheva. Whereas red for turtlenecks to t-shirts represents the Kabbalistic motif for good luck.
Kick-started by funding from friends and family, they now support themselves from selling their collections. Self taught, they design with handpicked fashion students and graduates from nearby Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. Whilst their complex production network across checkpoints and no go zones is managed via hand and taxi.
With fashion activism flourishing, Adish has had a fast pick up after only four collections. The label counts over 15 landmark stockists including the Opening Ceremony store in Covent Garden as well as Dover Street Market. (The collection can only be bought in Israel from their studio as, says Luzon, local stores eschew emerging designers.)
“It feels like a global take on menswear right now,” explains Damien Paul, head of menswear at Matchesfashion.com, which will be adding the Israeli label to Gucci, Burberry and other luxury designers in January 2020.
‘We picked up Adish because it has an interesting background story which we know our customers will find engaging,” says Paul, who selected 14 styles for the store including embroidered trousers, jackets and hoodies with the oversized hand woven drawstring. “I love the fusion of tradition with more modern elements.”
Tailoring is a new way forward for Adish as, says Luzon, “it’s more interesting. “ Riffing on the psychedelic vibe of Israel’s Woodstock, the 1978 music festival at Nuweiba in the Sinai Peninsula, then under Israeli control, the ankle-skimming embroidered chinos and handmade patterned shirts with unusual colour combinations show an increasing sartorial confidence.
As to other ambitious plans, these range from opening more workshops, even one in Gaza to holding their first runway show at Paris Fashion Week Men in the next three years. Watch this space.
Find out more about Adish here.
Adish can be found in the Basement, Dover Street Market, 18-22 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4DG and from January 2020 on Matches Fashion.
