While it was hardly the norm for a boy growing up in Netanya, Israel (a small city near Tel Aviv), to dream of a career in fashion, that didn’t discourage Kobi Halperin from either his dreams or from drawing on his surroundings.
“It wasn’t a typical environment for fashion,” he admits, yet his family’s home was filled with pieces — from glass to crocheted items — that instilled an appreciation for fine art. “My inspiration always begins with my treasure box of a childhood. Israel was a true cultural melting pot.”
His observant Jewish upbringing, complete with parents who supported his ambitions, also had a profound influence. “The ritual of getting dressed for Shabbat and family events was a beautiful way to express ourselves and celebrate the moment,” Halperin remembers.
The women in his family, particularly his mother, became his first muses. He watched them transform ordinary moments into occasions through the careful selection of clothing and accessories, teaching him that fashion could be both meaningful and joyful.
After graduating from Israel’s Shenkar College, the country’s leading institution for fashion and design, Halperin faced a defining choice: accept a job offer in Italy or one in New York. He chose New York, drawn by the city’s energy and entrepreneurial spirit. “I instantly felt welcomed and right at home,” he recalls. He spent 13 years at fashion house Elie Tahari, working closely with the designer while honing his creative skills and learning important lessons about the business and marketing side of fashion. He later worked with Kenneth Cole for three years. Both experiences proved invaluable.
Photo by Alex Dani
“I was lucky enough to surround myself with people I could learn from and who could inspire me,” he notes. “In many cases, I also learned what not to do. For me, it was always about embracing every moment as an opportunity to grow.”
After his time at those esteemed fashion houses, Halperin launched his eponymous label, and a significant consumer base followed. “I felt I had a really strong connection to the customers and wanted to continue the relationships I had spent years building,” he explains.
While developing his own line, he gravitated toward an aesthetic he describes as “smart luxury” — a term that encapsulates the modern consumer’s desire for quality, craftsmanship and refined design without inflated price tags. Given the current economic climate, he continues to aim for attainability. “We are living in a moment when the customer wants to feel smart about where she is spending her money,” Halperin observes. “So, it’s about creating a designer-level product with all of the integrity but giving it to the customer at an amazing price point, with all of the attention to detail that our brand is known for.”
Halperin’s philosophy extends beyond pricing to encompass the entire customer experience. He believes that luxury should be democratized, not diluted, and that every woman deserves access to beautifully crafted clothing that makes her feel special. This approach has resonated particularly well in an era when consumers are increasingly conscious of value and authenticity.
Like any new business owner, he faced early growing pains: keeping relationships with stores and customers, managing the business while nurturing creativity and navigating the competitive landscape. His approach is measured and matter-of-fact. “I see challenges as blessings,” he states. “Starting a business while maintaining strong relationships with customers and stores was both exciting and demanding. In this journey, every day brings new challenges, and you need to accept them and see each one as an opportunity to grow.”
This perspective is rooted in the same pragmatic optimism that has guided his career. From choosing New York over Italy, leaving established brands to launch his own line and maintaining creative roles across three continents — including as artistic director of womenswear at the fashion house Ungaro — Halperin has consistently embraced complexity rather than shying away from it.
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Photo by Alex Dani
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That outlook has enabled him to attract a varied clientele. “Every time I visit the stores, I get so much joy to see the collage of people that embrace our brand,” he says. “My customers are incredibly diverse, but they share a kind spirit and love for fashion. They are not fashion victims — they simply want to look beautiful.” Everything, he adds, remains something of a pinch-me moment. “Every day, I’m excited to create. I want to do more, and I feel very lucky to do what I love.”
Timelessness and confidence shape his collections. “It’s not about trends,” he says. “It’s simply about making beautiful, flattering pieces.” He doesn’t think about age or body type; instead, he focuses on helping women feel confident through “classic pieces with a twist that allow the customer to shine and feel her best.”
A self-proclaimed citizen of the world, Halperin raises his two daughters in New York while traveling often to Paris and Israel. Each location contributes something essential: New York provides the infrastructure and business acumen, Paris offers the creative refinement and fashion heritage and Israel remains the emotional and cultural wellspring that grounds everything. At the time of this interview, he was in India, in search of inspiration for an upcoming collection. “I love the idea of bringing art and creativity into a world that needs them more than ever,” he says.
Photo by Alex Dani
Last year was a particularly remarkable one. In celebration of his label’s 10th anniversary, he held three runway shows: one in New York, one in Paris and, for the first time, one in Tel Aviv. Each reflected the unique energy of its city while maintaining the cohesive vision that defines his brand.
“Paris was a lifelong dream that I never thought could really happen,” he says, “but returning home was the most emotional. Presenting in Israel — after everything the country has been through these last two years — surrounded by people who have known me my whole life, being able to feel connected and to hug them, was an incredible gift. I will cherish that moment forever.”
In the same way Tahari and Cole once guided a young Halperin, he now feels a responsibility to pay that support forward. He mentors students in the U.S. and plays an active role in helping guide aspiring designers at Shenkar College. Not only does it bring him joy, it keeps him connected to the priorities of younger consumers.
“Fashion is important, sure, but humanity and integrity matter more.” (On that note, he also uses his platform to highlight the important work of Israel’s national emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, for which he once volunteered.)
So, what’s the key to Halperin’s longevity and success? He says it’s ignoring viral trends in favor of pieces that exude confident self-expression. As he puts it with characteristic simplicity: “I design clothes that celebrate getting dressed every day.” This modest but empowering ambition might be the most luxurious thing of all.