The short film Studio Visit with Michal Hidas is available to watch at the top of the page.
Israeli fashion designer Michal Hidas combines style with a message of peace and dialogue in her unique fashion collections. One such collection, aptly named Bridging, was born out of a creative collaboration with a Palestinian architect from Gaza. For his safety, the architect’s identity remains undisclosed.
During her fashion design studies at the prestigious Istituto Marangoni in Milan, Michal sought out opportunities for creative collaboration with Palestinians. After several rejections, she connected with the Gaza-based architect who would become her creative partner and friend. Through social media, they explored potential avenues for collaboration, sparking a unique creative friendship.
The architect shared with Michal his designs for homes he dreams of building. Inspired by these sketches, Michal transformed them into textile patterns, which formed the groundwork for her Bridging collection. The fashion line serves as a visual testament to their collaboration, bridging geographical and cultural divides through shared creative expression.
For her second Bridging collection, Michal expanded her collaborative network. She worked with a Palestinian creative partner and a Jewish calligrapher from Jerusalem, adding more cultural layers to her pieces. This collection was also profoundly influenced by Hidas’ volunteer experiences with Syrian war refugees in Leros, Greece, and in an Israeli hospital.
Such collaborative and humanitarian efforts did not go unnoticed in the fashion world. Hidas’s brand, HÍDAS, received the “Fashion Humanitarian Award,” presented by ‘Runway the Realway’ during New York Fashion Week 2017. The award underscores her dedication to creating fashion that transcends aesthetic appeal, embodying themes of peace and unity.
In the accompanying video, Hidas elaborates on her mission of spreading peace through fashion. She passionately believes that everyone can contribute to this noble cause, adding their unique stitches to the fabric of peace. With each collection, Hidas continues to redefine the runway, turning it into a platform for dialogue and mutual understanding.
The featured video Studio Visit with Michal Hidas is part of the web series Yotsrim by Shachaf Dekel. Yotsrim includes five seasons and 73 episodes. The series won the Best Documentary award at the NYC Web Fest in 2019.
