Israel's first museum dedicated entirely to fashion as a cultural field is expected to open in Tel Aviv in early 2027, marking a new chapter for fashion exhibitions in the country.
The Tel Aviv Fashion Museum, a joint initiative by Azrieli Group and fashion historian and curator Dr. Ya'ara Keydar, will be housed at Azrieli Sarona.
In Paris, London, and New York, fashion museums have long been part of the cultural landscape, while fashion exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art attract blockbuster crowds. In Israel, by contrast, fashion has entered exhibition spaces only through a handful of shows. The opening of the new museum is expected to change that.
The museum is a joint venture between Azrieli Group, led by CEO Dana Azrieli, and Keydar, and the project has been underway for about three years. Located at Azrieli Sarona, it will cover approximately 1,150 square meters across three floors and include exhibition spaces for rotating shows, an auditorium for lectures and events, and a museum shop.
Alongside the exhibitions, the museum plans to offer educational activities, guided tours, and themed evenings. Its founders aim to attract more than 250,000 visitors annually.
Azrieli malls intertwined with fashion industry
The choice of location is no coincidence. Azrieli operates some of Israel's largest shopping malls, and the museum continues the group's ties to the fashion industry.
"The group's malls are spaces where the public encounters brands, designers, and trends from Israel and around the world, and the museum expands on that encounter," Dana Azrieli said.
She also described a personal connection to the world of fashion: Her grandfather, Rafael Hirsch Azrilovich, was a tailor and workshop owner in Poland.
Keydar is perhaps the figure most closely associated with bringing fashion into Israeli museums. Over the past decade, she has curated 12 exhibitions in Israel and abroad, including four presented at the Design Museum Holon: an exhibition dedicated to Ronit Elkabetz, The Ball, an exhibition on Alber Elbaz, and Heroines. Together, the four exhibitions attracted more than half a million visitors.
A graduate of the fashion design department at Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Keydar holds a master's degree from New York University and a doctorate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also trained at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.
Museum will promote Israeli designers, build relationships with institutions abroad
According to Keydar, the museum will present original exhibitions, promote Israeli designers, and develop relationships with institutions abroad.
"Especially in a complex reality, we need spaces of beauty," she said.
Ilan Jarbi, the group's director of strategic content initiatives and a partner in establishing the museum, added that the opportunity to build a museum from scratch makes it possible to rethink both exhibitions and the visitor experience.
The theme of the museum's inaugural exhibition will be revealed at a later date.