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A new fashion ambassador

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A new fashion ambassador

At only 30 years old, Hadar Gertler can check off a major success after her first modest dress collection, launched just two months ago and already attracting significant interest in Israel, the US, and the UK. Hadar, who originally studied government and international relations, and worked for several years as an investigator at the Ministry of Defense, dreamt of becoming an ambassador. A small twist in her personal life made her into a different kind of ambassador.

“A few years ago, I met the man who would become my future husband, an ‘Oleh Chadash’ from the U.K”, she shares. “He comes from a secular, very Zionist family, whilst I come from a more traditional family. But even as a child, I knew there was a part of me that yearned for spiritual growth.” Hadar comes from a family of seven siblings, some secular, some religious. “I always wanted to observe Shabbatbut when you’re single, these aspirations are put on hold because you live alone and work all week. On Shabbat, loneliness speaks the loudest.”

“I love dressing up and fantasizing about what I’ll wear each day and how to style it. Then I realized how frustrating it is to dress modestly and have no options to express yourself through clothing.”

But her internal ‘GPS’ as she describes it, pushed her to find someone who also wanted to grow spiritually. “On my first date with him, he asked me two significant questions,”what are you looking for?” and “where are you ‘at’ with religion?”‘ Without hesitation, I told him right away that I really wanted to get married and that I had a strong desire to grow spiritually and become more religious, A month later, we started observing Shabbat together and quickly understood the purpose of our relationship: to build a Zionist, Jewish home in Israel.

OMID by Hadar – Leah Dress Green (Credit: Rotem Lebel)

This pivotal moment in her personal life also led to a profound  shift in her professional life.“At a certain point in the relationship, I decided to take on modesty. I remember telling God that I would do it to receive him as my husband. At the time it felt like a sacrifice as there was such limited choice and no beautiful, high quality modest clothing in Israel. Then I realized my mission: dressing modestly should not have to be a sacrifice. Women shouldn’t have to compromise.”

“I love dressing up and fantasizing about what I’ll wear each day and how to style it. Then I realized how frustrating it is to dress modestly and have no options to express yourself through clothing.”

Then came OMID by Hadar

“The idea to design a collection began to sneak into my head. About two months after I took on modesty, we got engaged, and when I told my fiancé about it, he said, ‘Go for it.’ That happened exactly two years ago, and at the time, we were living between Tel Aviv and London, where his family lives. I remember spending the holidays there, and women would come up to me and ask where my clothes were from. In Europe, it’s not a problem for women who dress modestly because there’s such a wide variety, and due to the cold weather, everything is modest. That’s where my journey began.”

OMID by Hadar Anna Dress (Credit: Rotem Lebel)
OMID by Hadar – Leah Dress (Credit: Rotem Lebel)

The OMID brand (which means ‘hope’ in Persian) was born, she says, out of a sense of mission. “I know this might sound cliché, but my spiritual connection is very strong. It’s not just a religious faith; it’s a belief in the path. I began a journey that started with figuring out which cuts I wanted and the fabrics to use. Dressing modestly comes with the challenge of overheating -especially in Tel Aviv! So it was important to me to maintain very high quality with amazing, breathable fabrics. Nothing is compromised. It shouldn’t be transparent, and it should be comfortable, pleasant, romantic, and suitable for businesswomen. My inspiration comes from existing dresses that I love but feel are missing something—perhaps the belt doesn’t sit right, or the sleeve isn’t precise, or the bow is disappointing. That’s where it starts, and I pour my heart into every piece of clothing until its perfect.”

“Whenever I mention I own a modest clothing brand, there’s often a raised eyebrow,” she shares. That’s why, for her, the brand is intended for all women who want to dress beautifully without revealing too much, from secular to religious, without any stigma. “I’ve been wearing my clothes a lot recently and seeing the positive feedback from those around me. It’s important to show that there’s another way, and this doesn’t necessarily come from a religious place—it’s about beautiful, flattering fashion for women.”

Hadar explains that her broader target audience stems from understanding that ultra-Orthodox women have their regular places to shop. “There are all the stores in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, and I respect them and admire them.. My dream is for there to be even more options and to finally break the stigma that ‘modest = unattractive’. But my main focus is on women who struggle with modesty, like I did I used to love wearing backless dresses, and suddenly going into a store and feeling lost is a very challenging experience. I want to reach every woman who’s looking for a dress, even one who loves a backless dress but has a family event where she wants to wear something more modest.”

The business operates between Tel Aviv, London, and Poland, and her small, dedicated team is currently launching a second collection of dresses in time for the high holidays, available on the brand’s online store. “I manufacture in Poland, and it was important to me that the factory I chose treated its workers well, with good conditions. I’ve already visited the factory three times to make sure all the conditions are up to my standard I consider it more of an atelier than a factory. I believe that every component of your brand, from the smallest to the biggest t, including in the production chain, defines what it will be and what it will become.”

OMID by Hadar – Leah Dress Green (Credit: Rotem Lebel)

Like all of us, October 7th caught Hadar in a state of great anxiety. “I’m ashamed to say that on October 8th, my husband and I got on a flight to London and fled. But the moment we landed, we quickly understood that we had to return We felt a void in our stomachs and asked ourselves, what have we done?” She says this is a feeling she’ll never forget. “I think that was when I realized more than ever that we have no other country, that this is our home, and that when things are hard, we need that’s the time to be here and strengthen The State of Israel it, because we don’t have the privilege of being anywhere else.”

What is it like being newly observant in Tel Aviv, especially during such a challenging time?“If we’re talking about being a different kind of ambassador, then I am committed to showing that it doesn’t matter if you’re a traditional or secular Jew. These definitions don’t change anything. It’s cool. Wearing a kippah is cool, and so is observing Shabbat. We have many friends who come to Friday night dinners, and it opens up a whole new world for them. My husband and I can’t contribute anything in Bnei Brak, for example, because there’s already plenty of religion there. But in Tel Aviv, it’s becoming more and more of a trend, everywhere you look. 

Do you encounter conflicts or comments?“I think everyone encounters conflict. If you see me in my day-to-day, I still wear pants and head coverings like bandanas, headbands, or hats. One day I went to buy a chair for my desk at a furniture store, and somehow during a conversation, when I mentioned I’m religious, the salesman said, ‘But you don’t look it.’ I asked, ‘How do religious people look?’ He replied that he expected something different. And maybe that connects to the earlier question about being religious in Tel Aviv. It doesn’t matter, because in the end, we’re all Jews. And every time there’s a conflict, I’ve committed myself to the principle of ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ In the end, whether we’re ultra-Orthodox, religious, or secular, we all need to love and respect each other. If we’re not united, we have no reason to be here.”

Speaking of a different kind of ambassadorship, Hadar Gertler’s designs are already reaching the US, UK and Australia, and they are expected to expand to more countries in Europe, Canada, and South Africa soon. “My dream is to reach every corner of the world, to every Jewish woman—but not only. To every woman who wants beautiful, modest fashion.”

Is there any concern about branding the brand as Israeli or Jewish, especially given today’s geopolitical situation?“I’m not trying to change people who don’t like us. But I do want to reach people who are open to seeing things differently, who will know there are good things in Israel, and hopefully, I’ll succeed in changing something. I’m not hiding the fact that this is an Israeli and Jewish brand, in fact, I make sure online to make it clear that OMID is an Israeli company. Before the war, my target audience also included women from the Arab world and the Emirates and hopefully one day Saudi Arabia – I hope that will come true I’m proud that it’s a Jewish and Israeli brand and welcome any woman who wants to support and buy, regardless of religion.”

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