Few people in fashion are better world-builders than John Galliano. Lihi Hod knows this better than most.
After graduating from Shenkar College, the Israeli bridal designer relocated to Paris where she joined his team at Dior for one year. While the stint may have been brief, it “was one of the most formative experiences of my career,” she said, “but ultimately, the most important thing I carried with me was the courage to create a world of my own.”
On Monday, Hod brought that world Stateside, opening NYBFW with the unveiling of her first flagship outside Tel Aviv.
Located in the heart of Chelsea’s gallery district, the three-story space was designed by interior decorator Yael Gutreich Oron to feel small and intimate with warm wood accents and a creamy color palette, “that allows the dresses to become the art,” Hod said.
Graphic black touches throughout nod to Chelsea’s industrial-style architecture, while olive trees bring in a natural element. According to Hod, they’re symbolic of her Middle Eastern roots, which extend to her favorite feature: a wall of black-and-white photos lining the entryway filled with memories spanning her 16 years in business. “I want brides to feel that they are not simply entering a store, but stepping into the history of the house,” she said.
Along with Galliano, another mentor of Hod’s is Giselle Dubois, founder of the nearby salon Spina Bride, with whom she’ll co-operate the store. “Giselle has an incredible understanding of the New York bride and the luxury bridal retail experience,” Hod said, adding that the U.S. is one of her strongest markets, thanks to retail partners like Spina. “Opening our first international flagship here feels like both a celebration of how far we’ve come and the beginning of an entirely new chapter.”
One might even say Hod is embarking on an American odyssey or, “Odysséey,” as she’s dubbed her fall 2027 collection inspired by ‘80s glamourpusses. Coinciding with the presentation that christened her store, Hod also launched a fragrance blending green tea and orchid blossoms, which is available to purchase as a perfume, candle or diffuser.
Because, as Christian Dior — who famously pumped Miss Dior through the vents of his debut couture show in 1947 — would attest, nothing says “welcome to my world” like a signature scent.
