Meet Brooklyn's Hasidic Designers | Style Out There | Refinery29

New York City it's loud fast and colorful it's filled with every kind of style imaginable I'm here to do a story that's quintessentially New York it's one about celebrating tradition or forging your own path this however is not your typical New York fashion story we're headed across the river into Brooklyn to a neighborhood known as Crown Heights it's the epicenter of a deeply observant and mystical form of Judaism where everyday life is dictated by the guidelines of the Torah here two Hasidic Jewish designers are taking fashion inspiration from their faiths a lot of people when they hear Hasidic fashion they imagine what maybe people just dressed in like all black with the stockings maybe outdated shoes nimi and maashjay'eh mothers wives to to rabbis and partners in a new and specialized design business nobody in the Jewish world has like started alive I would appeal to people who aren't even interested in modest fashion what do we want to wear what are we not finding let's just make it ourselves so how do you walk that line between being fashion-forward and also sticking to your traditions we're not about suppressing your beauty or self-expression it's about doing it within the channel Judaism it can be done and I think that's what people are excited about what we're doing in her sedum life is dictated by a spiritual rhythm there is a specific way to do everything from how to pray what to eat and the importance of what you wear you'd say well what does fashion have to do with religion it's just the outside layer but the outside layer is really important it's a reflection of once inside basic laws are covering your elbows your knees and your collarbone it's really at the guylines aren't there to like shackle you down and say no don't even like think about clothing the spirit of modesty it's very confident it's looking very beautiful for me me and musky modesty is about so much more than just fashion it's a mitzvah a commandment or good deed every single Mitzvah that we are commanded both men and women is about a way of connecting to God the Jewish woman actually covering those areas is about keeping the power of who you are and maintaining the power and sacredness of sexuality we totally adhere to all our traditions customs and laws but do it in a more fun open way to help me understand more about Hasidic tradition and modesty me me and mush can invite me to join them at an unusual place a salon for wigs we all cover here with an excuse and it's a beautiful commandment a mitzvah when we do get married it your hair becomes more private and special and sacred thing that should remain between you and your husband and your family this is real here so you could touch it better than my hair there's never been dye it's very like wrong and fine so you just constantly have good hair day so that's what you would think but it's actually know they take maintenance people who like one day you see them they're longer the next place shortly I would get up why not the only thing is that they're like thousands and thousands of dollars each so may not also Ford yeah one for every day I guess some people would see it is almost repressive but tell me about your attitude towards it the mitzvahs that we keep our something that's like beautiful and adds to our life much like wearing a wig it's not about repressing or covering up necessarily but it's about empowering what's actually essentially already there okay so I think we should try on some Styles big you know like amazing like a much more serious business professional with your power bang okay let's do me now I thought they really cool on yeah it's like a personal transformation now we got to get you a long dress other than kids but how does their spirituality gets spelled out in clothing we're obviously always looking back into our customs and laws and it's all about translating everything even people who aren't religious always have to find a way to translate who they are the deeper beliefs into how they dress Muskies like our sample size so we just like show on musk you like what we want to be happening how we want it to be draping and would you like we work with him like on every detail he brings it to life we just designed this about a month ago this is exactly what we wanted to resume it's not a contradiction to be modest and to be trendy or to look good right now there's so much modesty in mainstream fashion the row mary kate nash they love their energy their styled you have Kate Middleton she just does it so well and it's so beautiful and I think it's changing the way people think about clothing and modesty I'm starting to understand the while me me emojis appearance may be dictated by their faith they aren't hindered by it it's something that makes them feel beautiful that they have fun with at a pop-up shop in the neighborhood Mimi and muskie are showing off their latest designs and connecting with a surprising group of women outside of their own community or not the only religion that keeps certain laws of modesty through me Maxie we've found a way to relate to lots of Christian women and Muslim women who also dress modest and who are benefiting from our clothing my faith is most important to me so fashion is definitely secondary but I love you know being able to make this the to work clothing can be this kind of neutral territory that brings cultures together and through this we've connected with so many Muslim women that's why you how much I can't work like honestly you're like the Muslim equivalent of like so much of what we feel and go through valina school and getting rid of the stereotypes it is women we already live in such a binary world you like you're smarter you're sexy you're a good girl you're a bad girl now you're like I'm a former Jew it's amazing to see how this clothing can bring together women of different faiths modest clothing is more than just wearing the right garment it's a representation of who they are as a rested ox Jewish woman we could take inspiration from anything just because we're modest fashion designers doesn't mean you can't appreciate it you can make anything modest and you can take a style and turn it into something that is possible to wear modest it's the way you dress is everything I mean there's a reason why fashion is such a big deal everyone no matter what style you are is interested in to the way to dress to communicate who they are the powerful and confident women I met remind you that fashion is a message to the world about who you are or who you want to be what you wear on the outside should be a reflection of what's going on inside thanks for watching style out there subscribe now for more stylish adventures

Channel: Refinery29

Views: 655,656

Keywords: hasidic hipsters, hasidic fashion, style out there, refinery29, refinery 29, asha leo, mimu maxi, mimi hecht, mushky notik, Crown Heights (Neighborhood), modest fashion, jewish fashion, modest style, jewish style, brooklyn fashion, Hasidic Judaism (Religion)

Id: aD-es0bNxfw

Length: 6min 59sec (419 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 19 2014