Born in 1952 in Israel and spending a portion of his childhood in an orphanage, young adult Elie Tahari forged his name on his brother’s free El Al airline pass and flew to New York City where he had no friends, job, or contacts in the city. Today, Elie Tahari is in a rare company with Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren as one of three fashion designers whose long-running profitable companies are owned and managed by the original founders.
In this adulatory portrait, filmmaker David Sereo interviews Tahari who reminisces about his formative years and talks about his professional and personal life. Mixing with Sereo’s casual interview scenes are family photos, runway show clips, vintage footage, and onscreen commentary from designers Nicole Miller, Dennis Basso, and Arthur S. Levine as well as fashion journalists, influencers, and others, including Melissa Rivers who along with her late mother Joan are Tahari fans.
After arriving in New York with $100 to his name, Tahari washed cars, slept in Central Park (where he points out the bench he favored), and eventually found work in a boutique where he came up with the idea to market and design tube tops that became all the rage during the disco era. He opened his own store and went on to become a household name in fashion where his design studio and stores are still located in Manhattan.
His clothes are known for being timeless, classic, and well-tailored. He also has a more moderate line meaning his designs are known to many. Fashion design students and fashionistas of all stripes will be interested in learning more about this seemingly humble man who is living the American dream. Suggested for public library and design school film collections. Recommended