Pnina Tornai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pnina Tornai
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| פנינה טורנה | |
Tornai in 2008
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| Born | November 25, 1962 Ramat HaSharon, Israel
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| Occupation | Fashion designer, reality and daytime television personality |
| Known for | Starring on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress and on American daytime television |
| Height | 1.54 m (5 ft 1 in) |
| Children | 1 |
Pnina Tornai (born November 25, 1962) is a famous fashion designer from Israel. She is best known for creating beautiful wedding dresses. You might have seen her and her amazing gowns on the TV show Say Yes to the Dress on TLC. Her dresses are very popular at Kleinfeld Bridal, a well-known bridal store.
About Pnina Tornai
Early Life and Family
Pnina Tornai was born in Ramat HaSharon, Israel. She was the oldest of four girls. Her parents, Shaul and Ruth Assis, were from Egypt and Morocco. Pnina's father was an Israeli diplomat.
When she was born, Pnina was given her grandmother's name, Pearl. In Hebrew, the name Pearl is Pnina. As a child, Pnina dreamed of becoming an actress.
Education and Early Career
After finishing high school, Pnina joined Israel's mandatory military service. Once she completed her service, she decided to follow her dream of acting. She went to acting school in Paris, France. While in Paris, she got married and had her son, David.
TV Appearances
Pnina Tornai has been a guest on Say Yes to the Dress for over ten years. She has also appeared on other TV shows around the world. These include 10 Years Younger.
She has also been on segments for ABC News Good Morning America. In 2009, Tornai was on the Israeli version of Big Brother VIP. She also appeared on MasterChef VIP in 2015.
Hobbies and Interests
Pnina Tornai loves to entertain guests. She is also a great cook and enjoys gardening. She collects vintage couture fashion. This passion grew when she lived in Paris for ten years.
Pnina's Fashion Career
Starting Her Business
After living in Paris, Pnina Tornai returned to Israel with her son. She opened a small store in Tel Aviv. At first, she had only one seamstress helping her. They started by making day and evening gowns.
Pnina began making wedding dresses in 1992. A woman asked her to create a wedding dress that looked like an evening gown in her shop window. Pnina took on the challenge. A photo of the woman's wedding made the front page of an Israeli newspaper. Other brides-to-be saw the picture and wanted similar dresses. This is how her career in wedding dresses began. Pnina then turned her store into a wedding dress salon.
Working with Kleinfeld Bridal
In 2005, Pnina Tornai first showed her dresses to Kleinfeld Bridal. This is a very famous bridal store. At first, her designs were not accepted because they were considered too daring. Pnina did not give up. She made some small changes to her dresses and returned later.
When she came back, one of her dresses caught everyone's eye. Soon, she became one of Kleinfeld's main wedding dress designers. A special Pnina Tornai bridal boutique was opened inside the Kleinfeld store. After only two years, she became the store's top seller. Pnina is the only designer to have her own special boutique within Kleinfeld. Brides from all over the world travel to meet her at her boutique in New York.
Global Reach
Today, Pnina Tornai spends two weeks each month in New York City. There, she meets with clients to help them create their dream dress. She also holds special events called trunk shows. Even though she has many seamstresses, she still has a say in every dress that is sold.
She also travels to visit her other stores around the world. Her designs are sold in many countries. These include the United States, Canada, Israel, Italy, Germany, and China.
Design Inspiration
Much of Pnina's design ideas come from her travels to exciting places. She learns about new cultures and sees beautiful surroundings. This helps her "see things differently."
Pnina includes her family in her business. Her husband, David Levinshtein, is her business manager. Her sister, Kochav, is her makeup artist. Her son is her graphic designer.
Pnina Tornai's Designs
Unique Style
Pnina Tornai often gets ideas for dresses while she is dreaming. She works hard to help every bride feel like an "inner princess." This idea guides her choice of fabrics and designs. Her very feminine wedding gowns are sewn by hand. The fabrics are brought directly from Europe.
Pnina's special body-hugging corsets are decorated with Swarovski crystals and precious stones. The New York Times newspaper has described her dresses as "vixenish," meaning they are bold and attractive.
Her passion for design was inspired by her Moroccan mother and Egyptian father. They showed her elaborate cultural ceremonies and celebrations from a young age. Her love for beauty and detailed work grew. She wanted to create gowns that showed her unique heritage. Today, she has a line of dresses made especially for religious Jewish and Muslim brides.
Product Line Expansion
The Pnina Tornai product line has grown to include footwear, accessories, headpieces, jewelry, and fragrance. All of these items match the fancy style of her brand.
She has also added evening gowns to her collection. Pnina also designs kaftans, which are long, loose robes. These designs closely represent her heritage.
Collections and Shows
New collections of Pnina Tornai's dresses are shown at international bridal fairs. They are also featured in bridal fashion shows and magazines.
2012 Collection
Pnina Tornai's 2012 collection featured gowns made of silk, satin, and lace. They were decorated with pearls and jewels. Pnina used pearls because her late mother and grandmother always wore them. After her mother passed away, a friend helped her by comparing tears to pearls. This idea led to the collection. It was based on tears of joy, which became "pearls of joy" for a bride on her wedding day.
2008 Collection
Pnina Tornai's 2008 bridal collection had floral designs on the corsets. It also included silk pantsuits and dresses with thin straps and wavy hemlines. All of these dresses were inspired by the love song "La Vie en rose" by Édith Piaf.
