There are things that do not wait for the right time. Inbar Noy, 28, from Ganei Tikva, did not wait. After seven years of military service as an HR officer, intensive reserve duty during the first half-year of the war, and alongside her studies in communications at Reichman University, she decided to fulfill the dream that had accompanied her since she was five. In April 2025 she launched SWAN, a women’s fashion brand born from a desire to create unique clothing with class, not necessarily driven by trends. And she did it while the country was at war, while her husband was fighting in Gaza, and while everyone was telling her it was not the right time.
Inbar grew up in Kibbutz Dvir in the south, and the dream of fashion accompanied her from a young age. From fourth grade she would sketch the designs she imagined, and she enjoys designing and styling people around her according to each person’s body shape and characteristics, so they feel their best. But life took her on a different path - seven years of military service, including roles as an HR NCO in Battalion 890, HR officer in the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit, and assistant HR officer in the Paratroopers Brigade. She was discharged with the rank of captain.
About three months after her discharge, and two days after she and her husband, a career combat officer, got engaged, the war broke out. At that time, they were on vacation in the Maldives, and after many attempts to return home quickly to enlist, they landed into the new reality in which Inbar served as an HR officer in reserve duty for the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, and her husband was fighting in Gaza. At the same time, she also began her communications degree at Reichman University.
At the end of the first maneuver, around March 2024, Inbar decided she wanted to change direction and follow her dream. “I have always wanted to work in fashion, and I dreamed of opening my own women’s fashion brand,” she says. “My husband supported me throughout the entire process. The moment I was discharged and understood that this was the direction I was choosing and that I wanted to pursue fashion, it was clear to both of us that I was going to go for this dream and make it happen.”
Shortly after the first maneuver, she began working on her clothing brand through a collection design course she took at Shenkar College, alongside her studies at Reichman. There she learned how to create a collection from scratch and took it a step further. She began working with a pattern maker who helped her develop the collection from sketches into garments, and from there she selected fabrics and created designs in a sewing workshop. All production was done in Israel - pattern making, sewing, and fabrics.
She launched the brand under the name SWAN (swan), named after her nickname “Barburi” (little swan). The goal of the collection is to be unique but elegant, not necessarily trend-driven, because not all women have the same body and every woman can flourish and feel good in different cuts. The entire collection is limited edition - no more than four pieces per size and color. “The idea mainly comes from being tired of arriving at places and events and discovering that everyone is wearing the same dress,” she explains.
The target audience at the moment is women aged 18–40 who want to stand out at events and enjoy wearing special clothing. The designs are suitable for everything from 12th grade prom to events, and even for brides who want outfits for wedding-related occasions. The average price for a dress, a top-and-pants set, or a skirt is between NIS 200 and NIS 650. The entire collection is available on the website or for rental through the Instagram page.
The official launch of SWAN took place in April 2025, after more than a year of work to produce and refine the collection. Inbar admits that the biggest challenge was starting a young business during wartime. “The intensive reserve duty really challenged me in my ability to stay fully attentive to the needs of the business in its early stages. Competition in this field is high and production costs are high and keep rising over time, but I believe that the items I produce and will continue to produce in the future are unique, different, and reflect my vision and the brand’s vision.”
Today, while working in the marketing team at Terminal X, studying at Reichman University, and serving in the reserves, Inbar manages SWAN and is working on the next collection. “Since I was five, there have been drawings I made of clothes I wanted to wear, and today the drawings I sketch become reality in my brand,” she says. “My goal is for the brand to be a place where women can feel the most special and different from the landscape of big brands with standard designs.”
This is far from the easiest time to start a business, and certainly not the easiest time to launch a fashion brand. But Inbar Noy did not wait for the right time - she created it. And the way she combines reserve duty, studies, work, and the realization of a dream is exactly what makes this story so special.
