The white gown carried the names of victims, hostages and destroyed communities, its fabric also marked with Stars of David and the words Am Yisrael Chai. Created by Israeli bridal wear designer Yaniv Persy, the ensemble was worn by fashion influencer Hofit Golan at a 2024 Academy Awards party.

The words printed on the gown spoke to the horrors of October 7, 2023, while also evoking Israeli resilience. Draped over Golan’s shoulders was a shawl—part tallit, part keffiyeh—Persy’s poignant expression of a prayer for coexistence.

Showcasing the dress was a “significant moment in my career,” said Persy, who has flagship stores in Tel Aviv, Dallas and Barcelona. “The dress made an impact. It gave a legitimate platform to other designers and artists to show what they really feel.”

Over the past two years, Israeli designers have turned fashion into a reflection of national emotion. Alon Livne’s dress for Eden Golan at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest resembled torn bandages;  the yellow ribbon pins worn by those who advocated for the hostages’ return were first produced by industrial designer Shaul Cohen; and hostage dog tag necklaces were created by marketing executive Tamir Raicher.

“War influences fashion in various ways,” said Liraz Cohen Mordechai, Israeli fashion researcher and founder of Fashionating by Liri, a company that provides tours and educational programs around Israeli fashion. After the Hamas attacks, clothing and jewelry had messages of hope, solidarity and victory, she added. “Together we will win,” for example, was a popular slogan on T-shirts.

“We’re in a different wave of feelings two years later,” she said. “Israelis are looking for escape from the reality. We want our clothing to bring some joy.”

Many Israeli designers are now shifting to subtle messaging that nevertheless still reflects resilience and national pride.

The continued use of yellow is one example: Former hostage Noa Argamani appeared at TIME magazine’s April 2025 gala in a butter yellow maxi dress by Israeli designer Eli Tala.

“For Israeli designers, using the color yellow might be a double context,” said Mordechai, referencing the hostages as well as being cheerful and trendy.

She also acknowledged the hearts decorating Israeli designs in 2025. “Our heart is broken,” Mordechai said, “and now we need to mend it.” This past summer, for example, Tel Aviv-based fashion brand Stella and Lori created a “Lavi of Zion” T-shirt, which has an embroidered lion with a crack in its heart and a yellow ribbon tied around its tail.

Solidarity messages continue to feature prominently in T-shirt collections. American Israeli multimedia artist Yael Harris Resnick created an army green shirt with the word HERO in bold capital yellow letters and the Hebrew equivalent, gibor, embedded within the English letters, while Holyland Civilians’ tops sport a single word—either HOLY or BELIEVE. And as the remaining hostages began returning to Israel in October, designers responded quickly. Stella and Lori, for instance, launched a “Time for Peace” T-shirt line featuring embroidered doves with yellow hair—a nod to President Trump’s hairdo—holding olive branches.

Such messages are rooted in current events and Jewish pride. “It’s not enough just to design beautiful clothes,” Persy said. “It’s also important to bring out our beliefs and our message to the world.”

Abigail Klein Leichman lives in Israel and writes regularly for The Jerusalem Post’s Friday Magazine, the Jewish Standard, Hadassah Magazine and other publications.