Gottex facts for kids

Gottex collection, 2007, at New York Fashion Week

Gottex is a well-known Israeli company that designs and makes stylish swimwear. It is based in Tel Aviv, a big city in Israel. Gottex is famous for its fashionable swimsuits and beachwear.

The Story of Gottex

Gottex swimsuits, 1961

Gottex was started in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1956. A talented designer named Lea Gottlieb founded the company. She led the design team for many years, until 1998. Before making swimsuits, Lea used to make raincoats. She used her skills to create a new kind of swimsuit company.

How Gottex Began

Lea Gottlieb started Gottex with very little money. She even sold her wedding ring to buy fabric! She borrowed a sewing machine and began to design swimsuits. Her designs were special because they were inspired by the bright colors of Israel. She used colors like the blue of the Mediterranean Sea and the golden yellow of the desert. She also used the pink of Jerusalem stone and the green of the Galilee region.

Flowers and Inspiration

Lea Gottlieb at the Gottex factory

Lea Gottlieb's life story also inspired her designs. During a difficult time in Hungary, she had to hide with her family. To stay safe, she would sometimes hide her face in a bunch of flowers. She later said that the beautiful flower patterns in her swimsuit designs were a way to remember the flowers that helped her.

Innovative Designs

Lea Gottlieb wanted Gottex clothes to be worn in many places. She imagined people wearing them "from the pool to the bar." This meant her designs were stylish enough for a restaurant or a party too. Besides swimsuits, Gottex also makes other beach clothes. These include long, flowing dresses called caftans, tunics, and trousers.

Gottex was also a pioneer in swimsuit design. They were one of the first to make swimsuits with built-in bras. The company is also known for using new and exciting fabrics. For example, Gottex was the first company to use a stretchy material called spandex in their swimsuits.

Growing Popularity

In 1975, famous fashion houses like Yves St. Laurent and Pierre Cardin wanted to work with Gottex. They wanted to make Gottex swimsuits under their own names. But Lea Gottlieb decided to expand Gottex instead. She started making swimwear for men and children. She also designed bed sheets, towels, and curtains.

By the 1980s, Gottex swimsuits were very popular. Many famous people wore them, including Diana, Princess of Wales, and actresses like Elizabeth Taylor and Brooke Shields.

Changes at Gottex

In 1997, a company called the Africa-Israel Group bought Gottex. Lea Gottlieb continued to lead the design team for another year. Then, at 85 years old, she left to start a new fashion company under her own name. She kept working there until she was 90!

Gottex became very successful around the world. In 1993, it was the top swimsuit brand imported into America.

See also

• List of swimwear brands
• Israeli fashion