TIW: When I think of Tel Aviv, a diverse, vibrant coastal city with a progressive culture and economy comes to mind. For those unfamiliar, could you help describe the current fashion scene in Tel Aviv. Are there any specific cultural, social, or geographic influences that you see in local fashion?
Hagit: The most influential is the weather. Israel is very hot, almost all year round. The fashion adapts to that - less layers and more playing with silhouettes, making things breathable as a survival method. That being said, Tel Aviv’s fashion is very diverse, with a lot of young designers. Thus, the scene is ever-changing and evolving.
TIW: And where do you think HOKO fits within this scene?
Hagit: I try to focus on creating flattering, timeless pieces and less on what’s on trend. I have an intimate boutique in a developing artistic neighbourhood. We manufacture in small quantities, with great emphasis on quality and details.
TIW: Do you think there’s a difference between HOKO’s identity in Tel Aviv versus its identity internationally?
Hagit: A lot of my inspiration, as well as my store's aesthetic, comes from overseas. However, when I’ve had the opportunity to show my work outside of Israel, I could see how the Middle East does influence me - my choice of fabrics and the casual nature of my clothing.
TIW: Browsing through HOKO’S collections, your designs initially appear quite simple. However, upon further inspection, the details are extraordinarily unique and intentional. What is your mindset when creating a new collection? Are you driven by a specific concept, or do you let ideas flow naturally?
Hagit: The hardest thing is creating something that appears simple, so it’s a great compliment. I do feel that through the years I’ve created a personal line that flows through the collections. It doesn’t always follow fashion trends and is uniquely identified with my brand.
In general, I let ideas flow and form into garments, by adding and subtracting as part of the process with my team. I endeavor to challenge myself on each collection, playing with shapes, volumes and cuts that I haven't tried before, whilst trying to keep it minimalistic, geometric, and nonchalant.
TIW: On that note, do you think you create best when you’re relaxed or under pressure?
Hagit: The best ideas come when I’m relaxed, on holiday, walking around drinking a cup of coffee. So the core elements for a collection are created that way, but when it comes to production,everything is under pressure - and in a good way. Translating different details into tops, dresses, pants, and keeping everything cohesive is a hard and intense process.
TIW: For your most recent A/W 2021 collection, you collaborated with photographer and art director, Tal Brushel, and dancer, Chiaki Horita. The images elicit an ethereal feeling and remind me of a dream-like experience in nature. How did that collaboration come about? And what exactly was the concept?
Hagit: The exciting collaboration with Tal was actually initiated by the Australian magazine, The Inspired Co. They created an international project, bringing together artists from the same city, from different genres. Together with Tal, we approached Chiaki, a professional dancer from the renowned Batsheva Dance Company. Stepping away from the hectic pandemic-filled life in the city, we wanted to capture nature, movement, and air. The forest scenery was also the perfect backdrop to the general feel and color pallet of our AW21 collection.
Image courtesy of Tal Brushel
From HOKO’s A/W 2021 Collection
Image courtesy of HOKO
Hagit at her boutique in Tel Aviv
TIW: In your earlier collections, the color-schemes were primarily neutral, mostly black, white, and grey. Yet, in your more recent collections, vibrant colors seem to have made their debut. Take us through your evolution as a brand, particularly in regard to color.
Hagit: When I started my brand, I wanted the silhouettes and shapes to be the focus, and me loving black and white married perfectly to keep the color as the background. In recent years, I started inserting colors in a muted way, realizing it could enhance and diversify my range. Growing more confident in my designs and my brand’s identity, I felt that color will not take away from what I’ve built. In my last collections I grew bolder, and I’m happy to have done so. Of course, I still have almost all articles in black, alongside any other color.
TIW: You launched HOKO in 2010, after graduating from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. Were there any challenges you faced as a new designer and entrepreneur, and how did you overcome them?
Hagit: The textile industry in Israel is very small. Finding the right production associates took a long time and many trials and errors - insisting on the quality of sewing, as well as materials, was a bumpy ride. I’m very proud of the team of professionals I assembled around my brand. It still feels like a small family business.
TIW: At what age did you discover your passion for creating? Are there any childhood experiences that you think contributed to the designer you’ve become today?
Hagit: I come from a family of scholars, the third of four siblings and first one to not be interested in school at all. I was fortunate enough that my highschool had an art major program. It was the first time I found anything to be exciting in school. Fashion was always my creative outlet, combining it with my passion for art led directly to my years in Bezalel Academy.
TIW: Israel is known as a multicultural hub and linguistic melting pot. But with cultural diversity often comes a diverse range of opinions. As a fashion designer, is it important for your work to be accepted by everyone? Do you design for a specific type of person? Or do you simply design according to your individual taste?
Hagit: As a principal, I design clothing that I love. I try creating a broad range of silhouettes, from fitted to oversized, in order to cater to different body types, as well as accommodate our client’s mood.
TIW: What do you hope people think and feel when they see or wear your designs?
Hagit: I think that the best would be that my client would feel comfortable. Usually, it’s a combination of things - a flattering silhouette, unique detailing, high quality materials, and keeping it simple. We’d hope clients feel that we put a lot of thought into our work.
TIW: How do you envision the future of HOKO in both the local and international market?
Hagit: I‘d love to introduce Hoko to more clients and more markets, around the world and here in Israel. Expanding into accessories and shoes is another goal that I have.
Editor’s Note: At The Int’l Whisperer, we do our best to maintain the original integrity of our content. Interviews are edited for clarity only. While many of our subjects are interviewed outside of their native language or use their own local variant of a particular language, we recognize this as authenticity and refrain from “standardizing” their original expressions, syntax, or spelling.