Rakefet Bahir, jewelry and clothing designer
Rakefet Bahir, jewelry and clothing designer
Female Issues at a glance
On my journey as the AMRIA brand owner, besides my personal development as an independent business woman, I focus on meeting my female customers, getting to know them a little more. To me, this is a real bonus of being an industry professional. Every client is a world in herself, a woman with a story. In the new corner "Female issues at a glance”, I will turn a spotlight on different clients in which they can tell about themselves.
Today, I am hosting Rakefet Bahir.
My name is Rakefet Bahir, I am a 52-year-old mother of two adolescents aged 15 and 18. I live in Ramat HaSharon.
Work
I am a fashion designer, I studied for this in Shankar Institute. Alongside my studies and for the past three decades, I have been designing costumes for television and movies. In addition, over the past four years I have been designing jewelry for 108Beads, my very own brand.
Independence, Empowering Your Family
My husband is working in the General Security Service. Because of his profession, we lived in various places around the world for many years, including Singapore, Kenya and the Netherlands. During these years, the frequent transitions forced me to reinvent myself several times. I always dealt with design, but I had to make adjustments in a way so I could design from anywhere in the world. Over the years, and especially in the years abroad, I have designed clothes, and in recent years I have also been designing jewelry. The frequent moving from place to place made it necessary for me and the children to adapt time and again to a new place, new friends and new language. Under these circumstances, I became very close to my children. In the early years they were at home, and my career was placed aside. Alongside the difficulties of residence away from family members and friends, there were a lot of positive things. Each transition gives the possibility of a new beginning. Of course we traveled a lot, and the kids acquired several foreign languages.
What insights did you gain with age?
I think it's very important to engage in what you love and what you are good at, even if life takes you to different places and makes it seem quite impossible at times. It was very important for me to keep working. The years we spent abroad were great and we experienced amazing things, and gave our children and us as a family precious tools for life. At the same time, the price I personally paid in my professional life was not easy. My career stopped in the middle. Every time we returned to Israel, even if for a year, I returned to my work as a clothing designer. However, due to the prolonged absences from the country, I had to start repeatedly from the beginning, and despite my seniority of many years, had to work as an assistant, and not as a primary designer.
Dealing with difficulties
The long stays abroad taught me a lot about myself. I had to come to terms with new things every time, and I understood that I had a lot of strength. I am a very optimistic person, and see every event, even if it appears in the form of an obstacle, as an opportunity for something new. When I encounter difficulties, I usually consult with my parents. My father is a professor of physics, a very analytical and intelligent man, and my mother is a dance teacher, and she is a very creative person. This combination always helps me to gain a good understanding.
Fashion and shopping?
I really like fashion. I love elegant clothes. It is very important to me that a garment is good, high quality, with a touch of street wear. I buy most of my clothes overseas, at the occasion of my husband’s traveling. I plan ahead when it comes to my shopping. When I go abroad, I have a list of the things I want to purchase, those I know I will need in the coming season, a belt, a good bag, a leather jacket, boots. I am ready to invest in these items.
I must say that I am not always trying things on. By virtue of my work as a clothing designer, I see what will be good on me. I know my body structure well and understand fashion cuts, and almost always know what will work.
I also purchase online, mainly from brands I know.
Why did you purchase AMRIA shoes?
Before I knew the brand, I used to purchase from Emanuel, a different shop in Israel. I really appreciate quality, it is actually the most important aspect to me in a product, and surely so when it comes to my footwear. I was looking for shoes that would be elegant and well-designed. AMRIA combines quality with the latest fashion.