A Top Designer in the Making

When Yotam Solomon became the youngest designer to show at Los Angles Fashion Week, it became clear the Israeli-born designer would keep on growing. The 23-year-old prodigy has since become a celebrity favourite, dressing young stars like Twilight’s Nikki Reed and Victoria’s Secret Angels.

Shalom Life caught up with Solomon – who continues to promote eco-friendly living through his brand – to talk about his recent LG commercial with fashion icon Victoria Beckham, his childhood in Haifa and his upcoming projects.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a fashion designer?

I had a great niche for fashion from a young age. Growing up, I wanted to first focus on my musical studies. Since I can remember I predicted trends and analyzed ensembles, always thinking about ways to better garments and accessories.

Fashion is an amazing art medium that affects our society and allows us to express our style and aesthetics on a daily basis. We can really achieve so much through fashion which reflects our ideas and beliefs. It’s my great pleasure to work with my private clientele as I am commissioned to design custom made Avant Garde designs as well.

You were just featured in a series of vignettes and commercials alongside Victoria Beckham for the LG Lotus Elite. What was that like?

It was a great pleasure to work with Victoria Beckham, as she is a true icon and an amazing individual. LG is a wonderful brand, where I had a wonderful experience shooting with director Doug Keeve and the amazing team that has produced this segment. It is all about fashion and technology and I'm looking forward to expand my career around this innovative practice.

You’re one of the youngest designers to show at L.A. Fashion Week. What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers?

I believe one of the most important steps in success is working with a meaning, where you’re able to have a cause by helping others, and creating a unique product that can better the environment and our society.

Its important to work with others and make connections with the correct individuals. Always push yourself to the next level and accept constructive feedback.

What was it like growing up in Haifa and has that influenced your designs?

My childhood memories compose a beautiful story that I will cherish forever. Haifa is a majestic harbour city in Israel. I grew up in the Carmel mountain in a modern architectural style penthouse that overlooks both the mountains and the Mediterranean sea.

I was strongly influenced by my European roots, Israeli culture, and the Middle Eastern cultures at the same time. There are many ideals and different flavours that I was able to be lucky enough to grow up with, which have influenced my development as a musician and as a designer.

A lot of young Hollywood actresses like Nikki Reed are wearing your collections. What do you think attracts them to your line?

I'm very grateful for all of the continuing support to myself and the line. I enjoy designing fashions that are unique and comfortable, and I believe people among celebrities are noticing my unique style that is made with all natural materials. My designs are crafted and made here in Los Angeles, my clients appreciate these facts.

I know that nature inspires you. How do you adapt that into your collections?

I enjoy researching nature and different cultures for inspiration. I create defined themes in which I use my inspiration to create the different collections

Nature is all around us and for me it’s an amazing tool from which I draw many ideas. For example, for Spring 2009 I created a collection called Stone and water. That season I was deeply inspired by water and the shapes it creates in stone formations. There are many examples of this process around the face of the planet.

After deciding on using the hues and shapes from the stone and water theme I realized that stone and water are also the components of swimming pools. Living in Los Angeles, where a large number of the population owns swimming pools, I expanded my natural ideal into a cultural trend and used both elements to create my collection. I enjoy using these natural aspects and turning them into a cultural ideal in fashion.

As a violin and viola player, does music impact your lines?

Music inspires me in so many ways. I'm always around music, especially while working. There are many genres I enjoy listening to, while each and every genre affects me differently. It is amazing to see how listening to different music affects my style of design.

Who are some designers you admire?

I was recently mentioned in an Israeli article titled: Israeli Designers who captured the world, written by Mako which is an Israeli television network. In the article I was mentioned along with Elie Tahari, Yigal Azrouel, and Alber Elbaz where I have been following all of their great talents. One of my biggest inspirations is Hussein Chalayan, who is a talented visionary individual.

You already have a clothing line and a footwear line. What’s next for you?

I have created a Women's ready to wear line along with our famous foot wear line when I founded the company. Since we have created a secondary Women's line (YOTAM SOLOMON 2) which has sold out this past season being a contemporary priced line that holds the same components of the main designer line yet offers simplified wardrobe options. I have recently soft launched a Men's line that I'm very proud of, currently only available to our private clientele.

The next step is building an international business and being able to cater to more diverse demographics around the world since we offer made to order designs that deliver within two weeks.

For more on Yotam, visit www.yotamsolomon.com.