Mark Goldenberg

It is commonly said “as free as a bird“, but we can freely change it to “as free as an artist“. Art should not have limits and it can be seen on the example of this Israeli fashion designer. Mark Goldenberg was inspired by the work of Russian sculptor Naum Gabo, and as a result came his graduate collection entitled “Woven bird”. This young designer managed to transform his love for birds into a collection of striking women’s clothing. Boldness and uniqueness in his work brought him to the position of one of the finalists of the ITS (International Talent Support).

Wanting to show the vulnerability of birds, the designer was focused on their anatomy and the appearance of their broken wings. Goldenberg is personally fascinated by taxidermists and he compares his work on this collection with taxidermy skills. Every single piece is handmade, first starting from a simple silhouette of thin metallic wires and later the materials (wool and cotton) were sewn by hand or by loom. Garments faithfully resemble the bone structure of birds and everything looks even more realistic with certain areas covered in feathers. Furthermore, vibrant colors (lime, orange, cobalt blue) are responsible for the fact that outfits look like a homage to exotic birds.

This collection consists of remarkable pieces with various details:  dresses with fringes representing feathers on birds’ wings, outer “bones” that emerge from the material and exceptional lime top with the structure of the corset. Therefore, all garments are, in general, a true indication of artistic freedom, but the designer has plans to adapt them to a ready-to-wear collection.

Mark Goldenberg graduated from Shenkar College of Engineering, Israel in 2011. The collection “Woven bird” is the crown of his formal education and it provided him DVF Award for Best Collection and internship at the New York City studio of Diane von Furstenberg. Beside this recognition, it should be noted that Goldenberg was two time recipient of the “Elie Tahari excellence award for fashion design” and winner of “Best Graduate Collection” award in the ‘1Hundred Designers competition’ on LOOKK. His next big step is participation in this year’s ITS, where this exquisite collection entered the final selection.