Established in Tel Aviv in 1991, Daniella Lehavi is well known as a pioneering accessories brand in the Israeli fashion scene. The eponymous founder drew her inspiration from her busy lifestyle in Tel Aviv, one that was simultaneously organized, driven and creative. Her timeless and elegant designs convey a strong, earthy and sophisticated look. Her first collection, which consisted of no more than 10 handbags, quickly grew until she was soon creating numerous collections of bags, purses, wallets, belts and other accessories each year. In 2004, the brand expanded its collection to include a line of shoes, including boots and sandals, which soon became part of Daniella Lehavi’s recognized designs. The family-owned company is now led by Ori Lehavi, Daniella’s son, who made it his mission to continue his mother’s legacy after she passed away from cancer in 2013.
“Growing up in an era where women didn’t have such legitimacy to go and open their own business and be independent, [my mother] was pretty much the first Israeli independent designer to open her own company. And because she was a pioneer, it was a very, very difficult process in the beginning,” Ori Lehavi said. “For her, it was about convincing people that design is something important for life and also that a woman can be a good business owner that is reliable and independent.”
Because Daniella Lehavi knew first-hand what challenges working women faced, she created bags that were meant to work for them and meet their everyday needs.
“[My mother] started designing something that is for real people,” Ori Lehavi said. “Soft bags that are good for everyday working women, and mostly bags that people can see themselves using over and over again for many, many years. The design aesthetics became something so strong in the Israeli design scene that everyone recognizes it even without using huge labels and logos all over it. It’s just something very, very recognizable.”
This beloved design aesthetic became Ori Lehavi’s foundation for continuing the brand after Daniella’s passing.
“I felt it was pretty easy for me, after she passed away in 2013, to just take out all the archives and all the shapes that she designed and just build a very strong heritage and DNA base, that from there we can just build on and on for new collections,” Ori Lehavi said. “Some designers work with a color palette or inspiration story or a financial budget, but this is my framework; it’s the archives and the heritage.”
“She didn’t think, and I don’t think so either, that a woman should be a commercial or an advertising billboard for some brand,” Ori Lehavi continued. “I think exactly the opposite. Every woman’s personal style and personality should be reflected in what she’s wearing.”
The studio’s design team, with Ori Lehavi at the helm, still creates a new collection every season. Each collection tells its own story and is characterized by different materials, colors and themes, inspired by different sources and influences. Ori Lehavi and his team most recently showcased their spring/summer 2022 collection and debuted their fall/winter 2022/2023 collection in New York City this February.
“For spring, the main idea was to keep it more natural with earthy tones — this is always our base — then to build on that I added whites which are always beautiful, fresh for spring,” Ori Lehavi said. “Especially after these very rough two years [of COVID-19], I think this spring people will want to hang out outside and show off, I would say, their happiness with whites and brights. Our brights are also earthy; it’s not flashy or neon brights, but there are still some.”
“For fall, it’s a very nostalgic collection for me,” Ori Lehavi continued. “It’s a nostalgic season, and I think this is a very nostalgic collection which is a lot about neutrals. I love the transition from chocolate and browns that we’ve seen in the last two seasons to a more taupey kind of area in colors, which is in the middle between a grey and a brown. I love the pop of navy; I think navy is a good transitional color from spring to fall.”
For Ori Lehavi, the COVID-19 pandemic has also meant finding inspiration from his own community in Israel for new collections.
“Even when you don’t fly around the world all the time and [instead] stay home, you can find the most beautiful things and the most beautiful people, and everything you need is actually 10 minutes around you,” Ori Lehavi said. “So, a lot of the inspiration is the Mediterranean vibe and Tel Aviv, which is the city where I live, and I love it.”
The brand prides itself on creating carefully hand-crafted, small and unique collections. The brand aims to reduce waste and to ensure high-quality, thoughtfully made designs at the same time. The company employs over 60 experts in design, manufacturing, logistics, management, sales, marketing and more. The brand also prides itself on its long-time partnerships with small, local, family-owned factories, across the supply chain. The brand only works with suppliers and manufacturers that can guarantee a safe work environment to all employees.
“On one hand, keeping traditional craftsmanship and maintaining some artisan people who do traditional crafts and keeping those small businesses alive is something that is really important to me,” Ori Lehavi said. “And on the other hand, so is mixing it with the high-end technology of new developments in leather. Nowadays there are amazing technologies that don’t involve chemicals and they make better sustainable materials: sustainable leathers and vegan materials that are more sustainable. So, these are the kinds of innovations that I try to bring into the company.”
Going forward, Ori Lehavi’s main goal is to keep inspiring others with beautiful pieces for everyday use that can be a spark of happiness in women’s daily lives.
“The main asset of the brand is creation and I want to keep creating and innovating and I think it’s endless, what we can create and make people happy with,” Ori Lehavi said. “I hope these are the things people will need and want and these are the things that will keep people busy, not other horrible things happening [in the world]. This is what I feel I can bring to the world, beautiful things that can make people happy and make them realize these are the things we need.”
