Heroines

A fundamental question echoes across the exhibition’s multiple spaces: What is the role of fashion when darkness descends upon the world? The garments and fashion accessories on display encapsulate personal stories of inner fortitude, survival against all odds, and the brave choice to maintain a semblance of humanity. All these stories are centered on a common element: fashion’s unique, life-giving force, its secret charm, and enduring allure. The exhibition allows us to engage with these stories through the lens of time, and find inspiration, vision, and faith in the human spirit. Alongside these personal tales, fashion is revealed as a course of action that strengthens national morale and nurtures a sense of belonging, emboldening citizens on the home front and soldiers on the front lines, and carrying messages of love and belief in a brighter tomorrow.

Heroines is a tribute to the ability of individuals to redeem themselves through imagination, creativity, and indomitable strength. It unveils fashion’s capacity to instill a sliver of optimism and sustain the human spirit, even in the darkest of times. It is an invitation to feel the stories behind the textiles, to draw courage and inspiration from the past, and to place trust in a future yet unwritten.

The exhibition’s story begins with the Prague couture scene in the pre-war years. The Dr. Shulamit Katzman Lower Gallery is dedicated to “Stitching History from the Holocaust”, an original exhibit created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, which tells the story of Jewish fashion designer Hedy (Hedwig) Strnad. The Strnads perished in the Holocaust, but evidence of Hedy’s talent was preserved all those years in a lost envelope with relatives in the United States. Jewish Museum Milwaukee brought her designs to life, and following that project, eight clothing and accessory ensembles were created in Israel, true to the cuts, techniques, and raw materials of the period. The exhibition features unique reconstructions of clothing ensembles, fashion items, and original objects.

The Dr. Abraham Margalith Gallery features 14 personal items from the Yad Vashem collection, each telling a story of survival on European soil. These are tales of human strength, resilience, and the will to cling to life. Among the items are a makeshift bra sewn from a coat lining, a pendant sculpted from bread, and a belt crafted from electrical wires.

The Peripheral Corridor presents a 54-meter journey following the women on the American and British home front. The hardships, uncertainty, and longing led these women to find creative ways to encourage themselves and boost both personal and national morale. Among the items on display are handbags made from telephone wires, original US Air Force makeup compacts, and stocking painting kits.

The Upper Gallery is dedicated to life after the war. The longing for new beginnings clashed with the shortages on the home front and ongoing rehabilitation processes, but thanks to boundless creativity, various raw materials were transformed into new designs. Wedding dresses were sewn from parachute fabric, and new gowns were designed from silk escape maps. Fashion emerged to survive the inferno and connect to life beyond the war.

The exhibition concludes with the inspiring story of Holocaust survivor Lea Gottlieb, who immigrated to Israel destitute and founded the Gottex swimwear empire. Her iconic collections, drawing on art history, flowers, and traditional handicrafts, are showcased in a gigantic swimming pool. Gottlieb’s designs graced the covers of world-famous magazines and were worn by supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, and the late Tami Ben-Ami. The exhibition also features the models adored by Princess Diana.

In tribute to the remarkable women of October 7, the Lab Space will host the “Iron Swords Heroines” exhibition conceived at “Shalhevet,” a creative-rehabilitative center for disabled IDF veterans. The Center’s members selected stories of heroines that inspired them and dedicated the exhibition to the women who thwarted the terrorists’ actions on that Black Sabbath and saved the lives of many.

This is the fourth exhibition conceived by fashion historian and curator Ya’ara Keydar for the Design Museum Holon, following Je t’aime, Ronit Elkabetz (2018), The Ball: Fashion & Escapism (2021), and Alber Elbaz: The Dream Factory (2022). As with her past exhibitions, this one also extends across the entire museum, accompanied by tailored lighting and sound works that transform the visit into a stroll through a parallel historical dimension. The exhibition was created in collaboration with leading cultural institutions in Israel and worldwide.

Artistic Director: Shmuel Ben Shalom | Graphic Design: Studio Etc. | Artistic Display & Mannequin Sculpting: Victor (Vivi) Bellaish | Historically Accurate Designs & Recreations: Moni Mednik | Corridor concept and reconstructions: Idit Barak | Music Composer & Audio Guide: Oren Barzilay | Lighting Design Shai Starker | Gottex Fashion Photography Ben Lam | Assistant to the Exhibition Curator Noam Levy | Curatorial & Research Assistants Omer Attias, Lee Meri, Lee Gazit | Installation & Production Jack Robinson Ltd., Bimot 88 Ltd, Sharon Sechter Design Ltd., Nimrod Jack Eliezer | .Lighting & LED screens Danor Theatre and Studio Systems Ltd | Loudspeakers & Installation Morel | Lighting Adjustments Yaron Levin | Projections Multifec | Accessories Design Ruth Philosoph | Set Decorator Hai Dorany | Conservation & Display Preparation, Gottex: Shaked Arkin | Special Projects: Din Vidavski, Alon Ben-Ami Eriksson, Nadav Machete, Max Glazirin | Mount Making: Ran Slapak | Language Editing & Text Consulting: Tamar Tauber-Pauzner, Phd |  English Translation: Daria Kassovsky | Content Consultant: Sahar Shalev | Assistants: Nati Ben Hanan, Saray Cohen, Hili Harel, Yasmin Tobi Profesorski | Video Production and Editing: Eran Levi |  Printing: Line Cut | Copyright Legal Counsel: Saar Pilnner | Display Dolls Painting: Techno Laser | Graphic Works: Ma’ayan Aks, Neta Hadar, Alice Debellis | Painting of Exhibition Galleries: Hadar Avraham Ltd Painting of Exhibition Galleries: Hadar Avraham Ltd | Technical Drawing & Imaging: Perdarg Sotric

The exhibition was made possible through the generous donation of Marianne & Doron Livnat 

We extend our gratitude To the Schusterman Family Philanthropies – Israel for its generous support of the museum’s exhibitions. | To Batia Shani for her generous donation | To the Chair of the Museum Friends, Galia Harel Dor, and the Friends of Design Museum Holon for their continued support