NOA  LEVIN  /  CURRICULUM VITAE

GAASH / ISRAEL
I was born in Israel in 1951

1963 –  1966 YAKUM ISRAEL
In high school, I took extra courses in the primary steps of making clothes: sketching, cutting and sewing with industrial machines.

1963  –  1967
I studied Violin Cello and music with Jacob Manse who was a player in the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.

1967
I was the assistant to the painter Josef Loven with whom I studied composition and the use of paints, and where I first took part in performing my first big project. As his assistant, we renovated the Conference Hall in Givaat-Chaviva, the Israeli Labor Party’s assembling center. Technically, we used huge sheets of different kind of color paper and did Origami in Chinese Style.
During that year, I also took a 6 months course in Sculpting in Clay with the sculptor Pinchas Eshet, at the Helena-Rubinstein’s Hall in the Tel Aviv Museum of Fine Art.


1969 – 1971 TELL AVIV / ISRAEL
I joined the Israeli army and served as a secretary in the Ministry of Defense.

1971– 1974 GAASH / ISRAEL
I was put in charge of Decorator of the Kibbutz Gathering Auditorium, where I designed their large space. On each occasion and for all the festivities, both Jewish holydays and other Community events throughout the entire year, I designed the appropriate décor & ambiance. My responsibility also encompassed dealing with the wide range of production needs, including materials and props. A few of those events where preformed together with the Ceramic Artist Orna Levin.

1974 – 1977 GALILEI / ISRAEL
I dedicated much of my time and attention to plants and herbs. I was, and still am, an enthusiast herbalist and have always studied by reading and by experimenting in my own garden. In one project, I grew different kinds of decorative gourds. While they were still fresh and growing, I tied them with a rope, forcing them into growth in amazing shapes. Then when fully grown and dried, I untied the ropes, cut them, and eventually made them into natural containers with tops. I then tattooed these balloon-like container with electric pencil. Last, I painted them with a special transparent ink. One could see, on the final product, the interesting intrinsic structure which showed through the several transparent layers. The final items were impeccable, used as enchanting small jewelry boxes, and they were sold expensively in “Maskit”, a leading Israeli jewelry firm.

1979  -  1980
I purchased my first industrial sewing machine and designed and produced a collection of Canvas Bags. The entire production was successfully sold out.

1981  –  1984  RAANANA  /  ISRAEL
I worked for “Eva Kaplan” – a handcraft and interior design store. I was in charge of the workshop and created articles for interior design, mostly of quilted patchwork. My work included Cushions, Quilted Runners, Bed Covers, and Sofa Covers. I renovated antique chairs, giving them New Looks with Decorative Facade. The materials in use were unique and colorful; silk hand embroidery, Damascus fabrics, and Indian velvet. We also used English fabric; Lora Ashley, and Designer’s Guild.


1984  –  1988  GAASH  AGAIN
As a young mother with small children, I returned to Kibbutz Gaash for a few years where I was in charge of the children costumes wardrobe One main activity during this time was the Israeli carnival of Purim whose planning started months prior to the event. I designed and made the costumes for approximately 100 children between the ages of 2 and 12. During that time I was also the Costume Designer for the Kibbutz Theater.

1984   –   1988  ACADEMY FOR TEXTILE
While in Gaash, I took 3 courses in the Shenkar Academy for Textile & Design in Tel Aviv. I studied fashion sketching, industrial pattern making and free style modeling, the highest course the Academy carries. .

1988   –   1989 TELL AVIV   /   ISRAEL
In order to practice, improve and gain recognition, I worked as a pattern maker for the design team of “Adam & Eve” in Tel Aviv. “Adam & Eve” did Pret a porter for women. We did two collections per year, which were exported to Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the U.S.


1990   –   1991
I was assistant designer to Yuval Caspin, a high profile Israeli Designer, who was commissioned to make outfits for the renowned “Inbal Dance Company”, a Modern Choreography troupe of Yemen Folk Dance. We took antique lace combined with tulle fabric, then dyed it in deferent teas so that we obtained different tones of earth color. I also worked in Yuval Caspin’s studio as a Pattern Maker, doing Made-to-Measure according to the collection of models he had scheduled.

1991   –   1997
During those 6 years, I worked as a Freelancer and completed Costumes, Patterns and Prototypes for all sort of Israeli Fashion Industry and Show Business. Below is a Summery of Productions I designed or produced:

T.V and Video advertisements:
“Tapuzina” - a video clip for Orange Juice which won the 1st place in the Israeli Oscar for this category in1996.
“Apropo” for Elite Co: a video clip for a snack
“Sod”: Washing Detergent video clip
“Paz”: Video Clip for the leading Israeli Fuel Company
Scitex Corporation, Israel's high-tech pioneer,: A campaign in video
“Tapugan”, “Tapuchips” – Both video clips for snack.

T.V series
Ramat Aviv Gimel – a popular “Dallas” style series
Tsomet Maadim (Mars Junction) – a pilot for a science fiction series.


Feature Movies
"A Funeral of a Snake" Director - Dina Tsvi Riklis, Playing, Moshe Ibgi and Rita Shukrun.
“3 Weeks in Jerusalem” – Directed by: Amos Kollek Staring: Faye Dunaway.
“American Cyborg: Steel Warrior” (1994) - Directed by Boaz Davidson for Cannon Films. Playing: Joe Lara and Nicole Hansen.
“Chain of command” (1992-3) - Directed by: David Worth.
Playing: Michael Dudikoff , Todd Curtis and Keren Tishman.
“Golem Bama'agal” (1993) – Directed by: Amos Gitai. Playing: Gedalia Besser, Anat Waxman and Hagit Dasberg.

Promoting companies
Special Stewardess Uniform - designed for the Marin Food Co.
“Dibur Yashir” – Sculptured disguises in a shape of huge telephones, worn by actors in a street performance For the “Union of Insurance Agents”.
“Otrivin” (nose drops) - Sculptured disguises like huge walking bottles, for actors in a street performance. For “Abudi Promotion Co”.

For Theater
Satirical animal disguises, for “Animal Farm” by George Orwell.
For the Beit Hagefen Theater in Haifa, Directed by: Salim Daud.
“Carios and Bacchus” – A one actor theater show by Dubi Gal (running from 1982 until today)

For boutiques and Fashion companies
Oxygen, Barabas, Shiruzi, all three are significant designs firms.

Private clients
I did Wedding Dresses, Special designs for a transvestite act, Hats, Curtains, Fisherman Trousers, Bathing Suits, Children’s Dresses, Children’s Trousers, Cushions, and Raincoats for both mothers and daughters.

1998   –   1999 BARCELONA   /   SPAIN
In 1998 I moved to Barcelona.
Most of my commissioned designs through that year were for TYC. TYC was a successful Boutique in Carrer Princesa, in downtown Barcelona. At that time, they purchased a collection of beautifully Printed Jersey dresses from the 80’s, which needed alterations because they came in huge sizes and utterly shapeless.
I recycled them totally, cut them and turned them into modern style: Chic’ skirts and Tops. From the original dresses, I preserved only the buttons on the front and the originals collars, which were nice. Hundreds of my newly designed Skirts and Tops for TYC, were sold like the proverbial hot bagels.
In 1999, Pedro Almodovar, the Spanish twice Oscar Prize Winner for Best Foreign Feature, visited TYC shop and purchased a few of those skirts, which one was later included in the movie; Todo Sobre Mi Madre. By the way, ‘Todo Sobre Mi Madre’ won the Oscar Award, 2 Goya Awards, 2 Bafta Awards, Golden Globe Award, Cannes best Director Award and the Caesar Award – I am happy I contributed a tiny item, such as a Skirt, to that thrilling movie.


1999   –   2000   Barcelona
In those 3 years I mainly did my own designs and sold them to several boutiques in Barcelona. Among them were: Soda, Zuza, Otra Vez, Muy Fragile, Le Meme and Leilo. I also did commissioned men suits for the Barcelona Wax Museum. Also in that city, I designed a special line of T-shirts in Cotton, which was first dyed in different colors, and then cut and finally printed with Silk Screen. The designs of prints were of Pen Drawings by Joseph Tany. The printing was performed by prisoners in a rehabilitation center under the supervision of Manuel Morales, a Spanish Painter, Movie Director and a Conceptual Artist.

2001   –   2003   COSTA DEL SOL / SPAIN
As I was interested in seeing more of Spain, I moved to Andalusia, the legendary country of the Flamenco Music where Picasso was born. In Fuengirola, a southern coast town near Malaga, I opened a Boutique and Gallery, accompanied by my friend the painter Joseph Tany. We called our boutique ‘ArteModa’.
The idea was to combine both our arts in the same hall and to add more themes in time such as cinematography, music, poetry, etc. Unfortunately, we had to close down after one year because of bureaucratic problems caused by the politics in this small town.

Soon after, I went deeper into the high land of Granada, where I had a chance to get familiar with the real Andalusia. That remote location gave me time to contemplate and plan on new directions.
In that remote yet beautiful mountain village of Alhama de Granada, I also had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of making patterns. I received a special commission for outfits for an enormous size woman who weighted about 500 pounds. She was a beautiful young lady, with good taste and I made a completely new wardrobe for her that included pants, tunics, dresses, Jackets, ponchos etc. This experience gave me the opportunity to learn and practice design for extra large sizes.

2003   –   2004 ALHAMA DE GRANADA   /   NEW YORK
In the fall of 2003, I joined the painter Joseph Tany for his show in Manhattan. We stayed in New York until the spring of 2004. In that visit, I researched and felt the Fashion World and the city in general with its ambience, style and cosmopolitan approach. I fell in love with New York City and felt that I had to return to make my life and career here. Later, after returning to Spain due to immigration reasons, in the summer of 2004, I started planning my return to New York on both the personal and the professional levels. Meanwhile, back in my village I did special commissions for clients which I still had in the Costa del Sol. Knowing I was leaving, I used the time to work in my own little garden and to soak in the amazing country people and sights.

2004   –   2005 SPAIN   /   N.Y.C
While in Spain, as my plan to come to New York was progressing, I decided to move back to Barcelona for a few months until my leave. There, at a friend’s professional workshop, I was able to better prepare and try new designs. As that studio was specializing in Fur, Leather and Synthetic materials, I did a few Jackets In these materials. I then took the pictures that are on this website.

NEW YORK 2005
This summer I did a Ceremonial Tunic for Amichai Law Levi of the Actors Temple. Then I participate in developing a fashion line for United Creators. I also completed a design for the Off Broadway Theater director David Schildkret and most recently another for Julien David, a Ralf Loren designer.

Message
New York City I believe is one of the few places on this globe where my talent and experience can realize its full potential. It is here, I believe, where I can still imagine and design in a both human and professional environment.

Two Notes:
* Because of my sensitivity to fabric and electric machines, I no longer work directly with sewing machines. Rather, I let others do the assembling of newly designed prototypes in fabric. Still, I do cut all new patterns in paper and I supervise the entire sewing and assembly from start to finish.
* I have found a good Professional for high quality sewing whose excellent work has allowed me to recently complete a newly designed Cloak for an Off- Broadway Installation.