AN INTERVIEW WITH YAEL SHENBERGER, ATA'S CREATIVE DIRECTOR
How did the Israeli bucket hat (AKA- Tembel hat) get tino the MOMA?
Obviously, there were thousands of items that were suggested to the curator’s deputy, but only 111 items got in.
The selection process lasted over a year, at first Yaara Keidar, an Israeli curator who lives in NYC, told us about the upcoming exhibition and has told the MOMA's curating department about ATA’s story. We then sent the selection committee information about the company, its history and some examples of our bucket hats. I followed up with them every few months to check our status, and gladly- finally we got the confirmation!
You came here, to NYC, to see the exhibition. What were your thoughts?
I think that the curator did an amazing job, it is a very well- done exhibition. What I was impressed with in the exhibition is the number of layers that each item represents, the exhibition reveals the depth of the presented items which have become part of everyone's life.
You can say it is a fashion exhibition, but in my mind, it is more of a culture exhibition.
Another thing I liked in the exhibition is that there is no hierarchy between the artifacts among items that you might consider as “low” fashion, bought in markets and others you might consider as “high” fashion made by the top designers such as Chanel, Donna Karan etc.
The topic of the exhibition is “Items: Is Fashion Modern?” What is more important for you in ATA’s designs today, to preserve the past or to bring something new, modern and trendy?
In my opinion the garment must come first and fashion second. You can wear “non- fashionable” clothes and still look very fashionable. If the item is with an excellent quality, esthetically good and effortless than you have an item that is priceless and can be used over time.
I keep on having a dialog with ATA’s past, I try to create an esthetic language from one side and combine it with fabrics and tailoring that have an existence that is longer than what fast fashion has nowadays.
When I started to design for ATA I researched the brand’s values as it interests me much more than doing research only on the type of designs or the kind of buttons ATA had used. I was curious why people bought ATA and I have realized that people truly wanted to buy quality clothes in the past.
For me, trends make us all victims- by wearing a trendy item you are enforced to a certain style and next year or even next season you will be enforced to wear a different style.
What do you think define Israeli Fashion today?
I believe the environment we work in is not necessarily based on location. As Israelis we expose to everything that is going on in the world.
But, I also believe that that no matter if you aware of it or not, the DNA of a place really effects the process of creation and esthetics.
What’s next for ATA?
To continue to evolve, grow, be better and expand, even beyond Israel.
