Something old, something new

Trumpledor Vintage showcases its costumes with a ‘Purim Katan’ fashion show.

By ARIEL DOMINIQUE HENDELMAN
Sashaying down the shuk runway (photo credit: NECHAMA JACOBSON)
Sashaying down the shuk runway
(photo credit: NECHAMA JACOBSON)
In the Holy City, where the intersection of old and new is evident in every storefront, vintage clothing seems a natural fit.
The idea that what’s old can be new again, can be timeless even, speaks to the heart of Jerusalem itself.
Trumpledor Vintage embodies this notion as it dresses the residents of its Nahlaot neighborhood and beyond.
“I started working at Trumpledor in 2009, and then I had a vision to grow this. I thought it could be something awesome.
This is when vintage was really taking off. I saw that it could be something good,” owner Shira Kaplan said.
Kaplan and her husband, Avi Friedman, own Trumpledor in conjunction with business partner and Fashion Institute of Technology graduate Jordana Rabinowitz, who brought her local fashionista flair to the store when she joined the couple last year.
With Purim on the horizon, Trumpledor launched its costume collection in style with a fashion show at Coffee Roasters in Mahaneh Yehuda on February 23, Purim Katan (or “Minor Purim,” held in leap years in Adar I). Featuring 12 models, each with a distinct and bold look, Purim has never looked so couture.
“Purim is hag hayad-shniya [the secondhand holiday] – every secondhand shop is booming for the holiday,” Kaplan said.
“We collect costumes the entire year – we have a storage space full of unusual clothing. Purim costumes make the most entertaining fashion show. In the past, we did vintage fashion shows, and we kept thinking that we had to do it again. This is really fun and different.”
Rabinowitz added, “We did a few fashion shows three summers ago to promote Trumpledor, but Purim is the biggest point of the year for us. We get more women coming in than men generally, but everybody comes for Purim because everybody is dressing up and everybody is looking for something a little bit different.”
With this fashion show, Trumpledor was able to promote not only itself, but other local businesses as well. The area around Coffee Roasters was buzzing with people waiting expectantly for the show to begin. Roasters, which hosts live music every Tuesday night, was the perfect venue for such a show.
“Over the past few years, the shuk has really become the epicenter of all things cool in Jerusalem. Teaming with another small business and celebrating Purim Katan in style seemed like a great way to launch our Purim collection in an interactive event,” Rabinowitz explained.
Throughout the event, drummer Eli Schabes and his band Faloop played vintage-style swing tunes that kept the rhythm going well into the after-party. The show itself was brief, yet astounding, and the hard work that went into creating each look was clearly evident.
“They all have elaborate makeup, hair and accessories,” noted Rabinowitz. “We looked for models who were not only tall and striking, but people who would really create a show.”
Some of the looks featured included model Mushkie Haskelevich as Marie Antoinette and Ayo Oppenheimer-Abitbol, wellknown in Jerusalem for her Acroyoga with Ayo classes, fittingly kitted out as an acrobatic Superwoman, with a red top hat and even a hula hoop. Haskelevich commented that being a part of Trumpledor’s fashion show felt like being a part of the fashion future of Jerusalem.
Hair and makeup artist Ateret Violet Gurian commented, “This is the only event that has pulled me out of my long hiatus of makeup artistry. In the States, I did a lot of runway and film makeup but here, I haven’t done a lot. They told me they needed a Marie Antoinette style, and I couldn’t say no to that. It took about 45 minutes; the hair took another 20.”
Hair and makeup for the show was no small task; each look was an in-your-face statement. It was for this reason that choosing the right models was essential for the Trumpledor team, as the costumes were so elaborate and bold. As Kaplan explained: “The costumes are so wild that we didn’t want the costumes to wear the models.”
Model Batya Amin, who walked the runway outfitted as a “Bolivian woman,” said participating in the fashion show made her feel empowered and inspired. The energy from the crowd was palpable, with Trumpledor engaging a number of local small businesses and freelancers. Local music producer and mixer Jonathan Friedlander handled the sound, Jeff Handel of Handel Productions did the videotaping, and Nechama Jacobson of Nechama Jacobson Photography captured each moment with her lenses.
“I think this event is great,” said Jacobson. “It’s wonderful to see locals collaborating together. The shuk is the epitome of commerce in a way, and it’s wonderful for everyone to partake, share space and provide for each other. It’s such a supportive environment.”
Overall, Trumpledor managed to encapsulate the spirit of Purim in Jerusalem with their show, while showcasing a killer line of costumes. Model Nina Rabinowitz, who walked the runway as a ballerina/bear hybrid, noted, “The trick with Purim costumes is not the idea, it’s the execution.”
Rabinowitz echoed this sentiment: “No costume is bad as long as it’s done right. You could be a Disney princess, or something else that’s been done a million times. But if you do it accurately, put in the time and the research, don’t buy it pre-packaged and really get into character, it’ll be good no matter what.”
Owner Friedman said, “Generally, Trumpledor is the bestknown vintage store in Jerusalem. After being around for six years and seeing a lot of places open and close, this show stands as a testament to what we’re doing. When people think of Purim costumes, they might think plastic masks or shiny capes, but the stuff we create is from real clothing. It’s authentic.”
Style changes in the malls every season, but vintage clothing – like Jerusalem itself – is timeless.
In Jerusalem, where the style is as rich in variety as the people who inhabit it, Trumpledor fashion stands a cut above.
Gurian summed it up: “The energy that emanates from events like this leaves you with an aftertaste – you have to come back for more and more. It’s the opiate of the vintage fashion world."
For more information or to buy your very own Purim costume, visit Trumpledor Vintage at 18 Nissim Bachar Street in Nahlaot, or go to www.trumpledorevintage.com