Liz Martinez was recently in Sydney for the first time with her trunk show. everAFTER caught up with the young Israeli designer who is already making an impact on the international bridal wear stage. 

www.lizmartinez.co.il

A little bit about Liz Martinez...

Liz Martinez's work has evolved from sewing her own designs in her bedroom at her mother’s apartment outside of Tel Aviv, to becoming one of the hottest brands on the international bridal fashion scene.

Her youthful passion and creative spirit along with her sense of elegance and glamour are the leitmotif in all her collections.  

The use of unexpected materials, unconventional cuts, strict attention to details and the ability to flow with current trends, have placed Liz Martinez as one of the most significant, fresh, and innovative designers to come out of Israel. 

For Liz Martinez, every design is the quintessential expression of a woman’s inner beauty and seductive nature. Each dress is a reminder of how a little girl’s dream can become a reality; for a bride it could mean her wedding day, for Liz it is a flourishing, successful fashion house.

The 2018 collection photoshoot...

The new collection, which was shot in Portugal by renowned fashion photographer Dudi Hasson, showcases a wide range of the collection's pieces. It also maintains a sexy but elegant look that has become Liz Martinez's trademark.

Martinez describes the shoot, "I drew inspiration from nature and the multicultural urban environment in which I live. For example I transformed the urban scenes and the pictures in the well-known neighbourhood 'Chela-zona J' in Portugal, into a film-noir, dreamlike backdrop for this photoshoot." 

What inspired you to become a wedding dress designer and to take the bold step to make it your career?

From a very young age, I knew I wanted to be a designer. I started making evening gowns for women in my neighbourhood. They used to come to our apartment to be measured and to choose fabric. One morning, my brother who was visiting from France (who was also sleeping in his old bedroom which had been turned into my sewing room!) stepped into the living room, to find 20 women waiting in line. At that moment, he knew that we may just have something good going, and that's when it all changed. We moved into a beautiful studio and started to build our brand.

What inspires you?

I find inspiration in nature and in the surroundings where I live and create. Israel is a tiny country, but in it, you will find every possible landscape you can imagine and a unique fusion of cultures, flavours, colours, sounds and religions. Sometimes I start sketching and I have a need to bring the sketch to life or other times when I'm shopping for fabric as soon as I look at it, an idea starts formulating. My designs are based on what the fabric seems to be telling me it wants to become.

In my collections, I tend to play with layers of tulle and nude 'illusion' fabric as well as hand embroidered and beaded solstice. I love using unexpected elements and cuts when I design a gown or think of an entire line. I find that the edginess of metallic silver beads or stones coupled with the effects of layers of silk tulle can create an entire new form of expression that even surprises me when I look at the final result. Illusion is the most interesting fabric to work with because you can use it to elevate any design and create unique looks that make the person wearing the gown, become an integral part of the design.