A design by Berta Bridal featured in New York City’s International Bridal Week. Photo: LB & Roberta Sena via Flickr.

JNS.org – Fourteen Israeli fashion designers exhibited their wedding gown designs at New York City’s International Bridal Week, held Oct 10-12.

The Bridal Week is a major annual event in the U.S. wedding market, generating more than $54 million a year, according to The Jerusalem Post. Of that amount, 7 percent is spent by consumers on wedding gowns alone.

The participation of 14 Israeli designers at the event “testifies to the exceptional talent in Israel,” said Israel’s Economic attache to North America, Nili Shalev. “Israeli designers have become popular among American clients due to their innovative thinking and daring designs,” Shalev said.

Yoav Davis, a branding consultant representing one of the featured designers, called Israeli designers “risk takers” because “they can really go the extra mile with doing whatever it is they want to do and just really be kind of extreme.”

“They know how to sell and convince and get someone to fall in love with their merchandise. It’s something that Israelis really have in their DNA,” he said.

Earlier this month, the same 14 designers exhibited their work at a special event organized by the Israeli Ministry of Economy’s Trade Mission in New York, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and the Israeli Tourism Ministry.

Some of the leading Israeli designers who displayed at the event were Pnina Tornai, Alon Livne, Berta, Yaki Ravid, and Galia Lahav. Other Israeli designers included Tal Kahlon, Merav Solo, Limor Rosen, Orabella, Lee Lee Grebenau, Shlomit Azrad, and Yoav Rish.