# Maskit > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Maskit > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Maskit.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maskit > Source revision: 1357139114 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Advert|date=February 2022}} {{Short description|Israeli government-owned fashion house}}[[File:Maskit 2.jpg|thumb|Maskit House in [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem)]] '''Maskit''' ({{langx|he| משכית}}) is an [Israeli](/source/State_of_Israel) fashion house founded in 1954 by [Ruth Dayan](/source/Ruth_Dayan), the first wife of [Moshe Dayan](/source/Moshe_Dayan). It was the first fashion house in [Israel](/source/Israel). Maskit produces textiles, clothing, objets d’art, and jewelry. ==Etymology== thumb|150px|Maskit dress, 1956 The [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew) word "maskit," meaning an ornament, or something small and beautiful, appears in the [Bible](/source/Bible) 14 times.[https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephdeacetis/2017/05/16/how-an-israeli-luxury-fashion-brand-transitions-to-modified-heritage/#11a310087875 How an Israeli luxury fashion brand transitions to modified heritage, Forbes] ==History== [[File:Ruth Dayan at maskit.jpg|thumb|Maskit founder [Ruth Dayan](/source/Ruth_Dayan) and [Miss Israel](/source/Miss_Israel) 1956, Sara Tal, with Maskit tunic]] During the early years of the state of Israel, Ruth Dayan recognized the artistic skills of many new immigrants, particularly in decorative arts like embroidery and crafts. In 1954, she established Maskit with the aim of blending modern European patterns with ethnic embroidery traditions.[http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/maskit-the-revamping-of-israels-first-ever-fashion-house/ Maskit: The revamping of Israel's first ever fashion house] In 1955, Dayan met fashion designer Finy Leitersdorf, who designed clothes and accessories for Maskit over a period of 15 years. The two collaborated on a joint exhibit of Maskit designs at the Dizengoff Museum (today the [Tel Aviv Museum](/source/Tel_Aviv_Museum)).[https://www.haaretz.com/2013-11-22/ty-article/.premium/reviving-the-maskit-brand/0000017f-da81-d42c-afff-dff342d90000 Breathing new life into legendary Israeli fashion brand Maskit], [Haaretz](/source/Haaretz) In an interview in 1966, Leitersdorf spoke about the "Israeliness" of Maskit clothing. It was not just the [Yemen](/source/Yemen)ite embroidery, she said, but the "range of colors - the desert brown, the impure black inspired by Bedouin tents, and the eternally changing blue of the Mediterranean." She also cited the loose design, appropriate for the country's hot climate.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160729092326/http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/a-leitersdorf-showcase-1.379537 A Leitersdorf showcase, Haaretz] Clients such as [Audrey Hepburn](/source/Audrey_Hepburn) attest to the worldwide success of Maskit in the 1960's. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Maskit employed 2,000 people, with ten stores in Israel and one in New York. Maskit garments were sold by Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.[https://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Fashion/McQueen-to-Maskit-The-mind-behind-the-brand-348614 McQueen to Maskit: The mind behind the brand] The company closed in 1994 but it was reopened in 2013 by Nir and Sharon Tal, who had worked for Deloitte and Alexander McQueen. One of the investors was Israeli businessman [Stef Wertheimer](/source/Stef_Wertheimer), founder of the industrial tool manufacturer [Iscar](/source/Iscar).{{Cite news |last=Friedman |first=Vanessa|title=Fashion During Wartime|date=15 July 2014|newspaper=NYTimes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/17/fashion/despite-tel-aviv-bombings-the-fashion-show-goes-on.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719072012/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/17/fashion/despite-tel-aviv-bombings-the-fashion-show-goes-on.html|archive-date=19 July 2014}} ==See also== *[Israeli fashion](/source/Israeli_fashion) *[Economy of Israel](/source/Economy_of_Israel) *[Culture of Israel](/source/Culture_of_Israel) *[American–German Colony](/source/American%E2%80%93German_Colony), where Ruth Dayan opened a Maskit branch and the "Keren" restaurant, a pioneer of Israeli fine dining ==References== {{reflist}} Category: Israeli design Category: Israeli fashion Category:Clothing companies established in 1954 Category:1954 establishments in Israel Category:Clothing companies of Israel --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Maskit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maskit) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maskit?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.