made in tlv: belle & sue

made in tlv is a new series in which I'll be talking to Israeli creatives and lifestyle entrepreneurs that catch my eye and excite my taste buds.

When I first heard about Belle & Sue it was like something fell into place. Not only was a designer clothing e-shop a necessity not met in Israel up until now, their name was just so... perfect. I had to meet the minds behind the site and get some answers. Inbal Boussiba (aka Belle) was nice enough to chat with me.

Hi Inbal, first off- I'm curious about your backgrounds...

I work in fashion buying, I attend all the important fashion weeks for years now. Shira [her partner] is a fashion consultant abroad and also teaches at Parsons in New York.

Well, how did it all start? Was it always your dream?

We are best friends since age six, and we always knew we will do something fashion related together. this specific idea came just a year and a half ago and since then it's been a whirlwind to get it done.

You really filled a void in the market, do you have any specific goals besides being a fashion e commerce site?

We wanted to create an intimate space on the web, where people will feel good buying clothes and spending time. That's why are models are "real people" - one of them was actually pregnant while we shot, the other is a mom. we strive to create a friendly vibe, with a name and a voice behind the products.

The trench coat I bought fit surprisingly well for my size 14, what are you planning to do about plus sizes?

For now, we order all the sizes available from each item, not skipping the larger sizes like some stores do. We would definitely look into this in the future.

you have a nice mixture of designers right now. Which direction are you going: high end or indie?

We are going to keep a nice balance and carry both high end companies and indie, in addition to a lot more vintage clothes.

What else is in the works at Belle &Sue? Children clothes maybe? That would be perfect!

Yes, actually. We're working on kids clothes. What I can tell you that is coming in the near future is a line for men and a capsule line designed by me that will include dresses, skirts, blazers and accessories. Probably for the summer already. We are going to have exciting collaborations like the one we had with Vogue London's fashion night in.

What about social media, blogs?

We are avid readers of fashion blogs, both Israeli and international. Sea of Shoes, Jack and Jil, Nekudot, Style Cookie- to name a few. Aside from our active facebook page we plan on starting a blog with pictures from the major fashion weeks, interviews with designers and a lot more.

Inbal, it's been a pleasure. Before we part, can you name your wardrobe must-haves?

A good pair of jeans which you feel good in, not too trendy, and a tailored blazer is even more important to your wardrobe than a dress.

Thanks, Inbal!

I rounded up some of my favorite items from Bell &Sue:

watercolor skirt: charlotte ronson, vintage sunnies (sold out) by cazal, thomas paul laptop case, velvet flats: house of harlow, cheetah shoes: jeffery campbell - all Belle & Sue

Okay, seriously, I must post a bigger photo of these shoes:

Don't forget to visit Belle &Sue for more goodies!