Worldwise: Fashion Designer Nili Lotan’s Favorite Things
From Nili Lotan’s Summer 2022 Lookbook.
Simon Elmalem
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Israeli-born fashion designer Nili
Lotan,
known for her luxurious and approachable separates worn by the likes of
Jennifer Aniston,
Emily Ratajkowski,
and
Meghan Markle,
is excited about her Summer 2022 collection. “It’s very much influenced by my lifestyle,” says Lotan, who was inspired by both her Marcel
Breuer
-designed home in Westchester, N.Y., and a friend’s place in Ibiza, where friends and family gather for cooking, singing, and playing together.
In her Breuer home, Lotan designed the collection based on her own needs for summer on either side of the Atlantic. “Long dresses, beautiful gowns,” Lotan says. “It’s the luxury of a lifestyle at the beach, at a beautiful pool, and all the things that you need during the height of summer.”
Lotan also finds living in a Breuer-designed house inspiring. “It makes me appreciate the proportions, the attention to detail, the simplicity, the beauty, the consideration of nature while designing this house,” Lotan says of the home that boasts 180-degree views of the Hudson River.
“If I’m not in my house, I’m in Ibiza,” Lotan says. “It’s the same luxurious experience; very much in nature.”
Lotan recently shared a few of her favorite things with Penta.
Fashion designer Nili Lotan.
Courtesy of Nili Lotan
The best book I’ve read in the past year is…
Patti Smith’s
Devotion. She does such a beautiful job of capturing the spirit of New York. Also the recent
Alice Neel
biography, The Art of Not Sitting Pretty—I bought this immediately after seeing the Alice Neel exhibit at The Met, which I loved. Her portraiture feels so honest and vulnerable. I wanted to read more about who she was.
If I could have a drink with anyone it would be… I’d have a glass of champagne with Yves Saint Laurent at the Ritz in Paris. Yves Saint Laurent is one of my favorite designers of all time and only the sophistication of Paris could match his level.
One trip I’ve taken in the past that I’d like to take again is… Beresheet in Mitzpe
Ramon,
in the Negev of Israel with my husband, David. Beresheet is one of the most beautiful places on earth, situated on the edge of Ramon crater. The desert is a meditative space for me. The minimalist landscape and the dry heat bring me ultimate peace.
My favorite way to relax is… I cook and bake to relax. I have always loved cooking my mom’s recipes. They bring me back to her kitchen, spending time with her. I used to write all her recipes while she cooked them and taught me how. Now my daughters do the same.
The one person I’d love to dress is…
Jackie O
or her sister
Lee Radziwill.
Images of these two women covered the walls of my mood board for Spring 2022. Their elegant, lavish life and travels are where I wanted to be, and the clothes they wore were simple yet chic and elegant.
The one thing in my closet that I can’t live without is… my
Celia Jeans.
Their shape replicates my favorite pair of jeans from my high school years. I feel pulled together and sexy while elevated.
The artist whose work I admire is… Alice Neel. I have always loved portraiture but her work feels so contemporary and relevant. Not just in the subject matter but also in the form, her very visceral and intuitive style.
A passion of mine few people know about is… architecture. When I was 20 and needed to choose a career path, my two options were architecture and fashion design. I am currently designing a home and it feels very intuitive and natural for me.
The thing that gets me up in the morning is… my children. I think moms don’t ever stop thinking about their children, wondering where they are, and hoping they are safe and well. When I open my eyes and enter reality, they are the first thing I think of.
A childhood memory that I treasure is… I grew up in a small neighborhood in a beach town on the edges of the Mediterranean called Netanya. It felt very safe and the families were very involved in each other’s lives. It was very much a community, the neighborhood felt like a shared space to play. These are moments that I miss, the early learning I did here.
The person who has inspired me to do what I do is… my mom. She is the one who encouraged me to pursue my selfhood and my professional life and not to dedicate all my entire adulthood to solely raising children. She is the one that believed that I could do both.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
