The looks that hit the red carpet at the Haifa Film Festival

(Haipo) – Once a year, Haifa celebrates cinema, and this year it is doing so for the 42nd time with the International Film Festival. The opening night also became a stage for style, as figures from culture, the public, music and the media arrived on the red carpet. During the evening, a lifetime achievement award was presented to director Avi Nesher, and his film "Our Loves," which had previously premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), was chosen to open the Haifa Festival with its national premiere in Israel.

The red carpet meets Haifa

For a moment, it seemed like Haifa was taking on a different rhythm. Guests arrived for the opening night, stopped on the red carpet, took pictures and talked to us about what they chose to wear. Among the interviewees were elected officials, media figures, musicians, film and cultural figures, public relations people, content creators and guests who came especially for the opening night. Some chose tailored suits, others more casual attire, bold colors, custom tailoring or items that say something about their style. Our goal was not to give grades to the looks, but to reveal the personal choices and stories behind the clothes.

Noga and Yaron Carmi: Between professional coverage and family excitement

Noga Carmi arrived for the evening with her husband Yaron Carmi, co-owner of "Hai Fe" news. The two actually came wearing two hats: on the one hand, as field reporters covering the film festival's opening event, and on the other, and perhaps more significantly for them that evening, as excited parents of their son Omer, who sang at the opening ceremony as part of the Havi Hail ICT team along with Shashi Keshet.

Noga chose to wear red so that she would be easy to spot in the crowd, after initially debating between white and black. Yaron chose an Israeli block. Noga's shirt also had a family connection: it was from the New York brand KES, which belongs to her sister-in-law, who designs silk clothes in Manhattan.

Yossi Shalom, Deputy Mayor and Chairman of Ethos: An elegant suit for the opening ceremony

Yossi Shalom, Deputy Mayor of Haifa and Chairman of Ethos, arrived at the premiere in an elegant, tailored suit. In addition to being a guest at the event, Shalom was among the opening figures of the premiere, and therefore the formal attire fit into the public and ceremonial status of the evening.

On the red carpet, he appeared in a classic look, alongside very different looks seen around him. In his case, the suit accompanied not only his arrival to see the film, but also his role at the event and his official presence on opening night.

Hadas Ben Artzi: Personal sewing instead of another trip to the mall

Hadas Ben-Artzi, a member of the film festival's digital content team, was among the interviewees who stopped by to talk to us about choosing a garment. In conversation with her, the topic of personal tailoring and the desire to arrive with an item that wouldn't necessarily appear on another guest that evening came up.

She spoke about the surprise of being able to achieve a specially created look, and the thought of why she had to go through the hassle of searching through stores and malls every time. For her, personal tailoring offered a different way to approach an event: choosing a garment that was built for her and allowing her to feel that the entire look was more personal.

Tomer Gollum: Tailored pants with a youthful spirit

Tomer Gollum arrived at a block where the pants were the item he chose to tell about. According to him, he wanted to come as a role model, to impress and to arrive with class, but not by using tailored pants in the traditional sense alone. He ordered the pants from London through a person he follows online.

Tomer described them as tailored pants, but looser and more baggy, in a style that combines the tailored look with youthful, relaxed streetwear. For him, it was a way to adapt the look to the festive occasion while staying close to the cut and style he likes to dress in.

Leon Schneiderovsky: Brands That Befit Class

Leon Shnyderovsky, a former contestant on the reality show "Big Brother," a blogger and stylist, is also part of the festival's digital content team. When we asked him about the choice of block for the evening, he explained that he wasn't trying to build a complex story around the clothes.

According to him, he simply chose clothes from well-known brands that suited the look he wanted to create and the status of the venue and event. For him, the choice was to adapt the items to the situation and nature of the festive evening and to create a look that was in keeping with the premiere and the way he wanted to arrive and appear.

Rani Bender, Chairman of the Haifa Economic Society and City Council Member: The Suit as Part of Personal Style

Rani Bender, chairman of the Haifa Economic Society and a member of the city council, said that suits are part of the style of clothing he likes even beyond opening night. According to him, he also likes to wear suits because they make people notice him.

For him, a suit is not an item that is taken out of the closet only for ceremonies and special occasions, but part of the way he is used to dressing and presenting himself. He kept the same tailored style on opening night, so his appearance on the red carpet continued the style in which he chooses to appear on other occasions as well.

Limor Magen-Telem: Former Knesset Member, Tailored Block

Attorney Limor Magen-Telem, who served as a member of Knesset for Yisrael Beiteinu, arrived at the evening wearing a tailored block. She was a model in the past, crowned second runner-up in the Israeli beauty pageant and fourth runner-up in the Miss Europe competition.

When talking to her about the outfit she chose to wear, the tailored look was the focus. Alongside bold colors, dresses, and looser cuts seen throughout the evening, Magen-Telem opted for tailored, neat lines. Here too, there is no attempt to give a score or judge the choice, but rather to present the look and the way she chose to arrive for the opening night.

Inbar Ben Zaken: The elegance that continues from day to day

Inbar Ben Zaken, an engineer by profession, arrived in an elegant look that she said was not unusual in terms of her clothing style. This is the direction in which she is used to dressing even on a daily basis. Eran, a dentist, arrived at her side.

Instead of choosing a new fashion image just for the red carpet, Inbar stayed close to the personal language that accompanies her in her daily life. This created a festive look that is not disconnected from the way she is used to seeing herself and dressing, but continues her into the opening night and the official status of the premiere.

Yair Assayag: Freestyle on the way to work too

Yair Assayag, CEO of the Druze Israeli Center, arrived in loose clothing and a freestyle style. According to him, this was not a look chosen specifically for the opening night of the festival, but a style in which he also dresses for work.

In doing so, he brought to the red carpet the look that accompanies him in his daily life and did not try to replace it with another outfit just because it was a premiere. Among the variety of suits, tailored clothes and colors seen at the venue, his choice presented a wider and freer outfit. Here too, the outfit was a direct continuation of his personal style and not an outfit created just for the evening.

Dorit Hordi: Dresses as part of personal style

Dorit Hordi, the public relations manager for the Haifa International Film Festival, was among the interviewees who spoke with us about evening wear. In the conversation, she spoke about her love of dresses and the items she receives and also brings herself.

For her, choosing a dress is not a move that only happens before a glittering event, but part of her style and personal love for this type of clothing. Thus, that evening, she found herself both working behind the scenes of the festival and as an interviewee who stops to talk about what she chose to wear.

Isser Tenenbaum: Haifa rock and roll hits the red carpet

Isser Tenenbaum-Ariel, a musician, creator, composer, drummer and producer, also arrived for the opening night of the festival. Tenenbaum is one of the founders of the band Roquefort and its former drummer, and one of the founders of the "Rock City" music school in Haifa, along with Hadas Ariel.

For the opening night, a rock-star-style black block arrived, directly continuing the musical world he is associated with. In his case too, the garment did not seem like an outfit chosen just for the occasion, but rather a continuation of the personal and musical language that has accompanied him over the years.

Rose Lander: Yellow got a punk twist

Rose Lander arrived at the opening night with her daughter, Michal Tenzer, and chose a look in which yellow was the focal point: pants and a bag in a striking yellow, alongside wavy hair that added a punk-underground touch to the look.

The combination created an urban and free feeling, almost as if she had stepped off the streets of Manhattan and directly onto the red carpet in Haifa. In an evening that featured tailored suits, classic black, and looser cuts, Rose's choice presented a different language – colorful, personal, and less formal, with the yellow and the oval hair becoming the central part of her presence there.

Ronen Beno and Yossi Lubelsky: A Japanese touch on the red carpet

My partner, the painter Yossi Lubelski, and I arrived on the red carpet in Japanese-inspired design blocks, which introduced a slightly different fashion language to the evening. For me, as a stylist and someone who works in fashion, this was an opportunity not only to survey the guests' looks, but also to take part in the celebration itself through our personal choice of attire. Alongside Yossi, who comes from the world of art and painting, a natural connection was created between fashion, art, and design – three worlds that met that evening on the red carpet as well.

Lior Ashkenazi: Sport-Elegant on the Opening Stage

Lior Ashkenazi, who hosted the opening night, arrived in a sporty-elegant style – a less formal look than a full suit, which suited his presence as host of the evening. He was photographed with Selbi Avrahami, a relative who owns a fashion store herself.

Alongside the interviewees who received a separate place in the article, we also met and documented Nogit Altshuler, Yair Hochner, Itzik Tzaig, Tomer Bozman, Silv Avrahami and Shalom Rockmeyer.

And finally – my perspective as a stylist

As a stylist, I believe that good style doesn’t start with a brand name and doesn’t end with what’s trendy right now. It starts with the person themselves – with their character, comfort, confidence and the way they want to present themselves. The opening night of the film festival reminded me how much a garment can tell a story before a word is even spoken. On the red carpet, we saw tailored suits alongside loose looks, bold colors alongside classic black, brands alongside custom tailoring – and most importantly, people who chose to come as they are.

For me, this is exactly where styling becomes interesting: not dressing everyone in the same formula, but finding the outfit that suits the person, the occasion, and the message they want to convey. Because in the end, the clothing may be eye-catching – but it’s the personality that completes the look.