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THE UNITED STATES OF FASHION DESIGNER
ELIE TAHARI

Feature Documentary about Fashion designer and mogul ELIE TAHARI,

directed and produced by David Serero

The United States of Fashion Designer Elie Tahari - POSTER HD.jpg

Feature Documentary about Fashion Designer ELIE TAHARI,

directed and produced by David Serero.

"The United States of Fashion Designer Elie Tahari," directed and produced by David Serero, received the "Best Fashion Documentary Award" at the London Fashion Film Festival, The Jury Award at the Moscow Design Film Festival, "Best Director on a Documentary" by the Berlin Indie Film Festival, Best Producer, Best Director, Best Feature Documentary Awards by the Eastern Europe International Movie Awards, and received Honorable Mention at the London International Film Festival, and was selected in several film festivals across the world.

Fashion Designer and Mogul Elie Tahari has lived the American Dream for over 50 years. He came to New York in 1971, from Israel, with less than $100 in his pocket, slept on benches in Central Park, and went on to build a billion-dollar fashion empire. There are thousands of fashion companies worldwide, but only three have lasted for more than 45 years globally and are still run by their founders: Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Elie Tahari. 

 

Due to film festivals not opening until 2022, the movie is brought directly to audiences. The film is available for rental at $9.99 on vimeo.com/ondemand/elietahari for 30 days only. Afterward, the film will be reserved for the film festival circuit for at least another season. “I want Elie Tahari’s life to travel in everyone’s heart,” said director-producer David Serero. 

 

« The United States of Elie Tahari » is the first documentary ever produced about Elie Tahari, filmed in 2020. Directed & Produced by David Serero, this highly anticipated documentary tells the life of Elie Tahari from his birth and origins (born in Israel to Iranian parents) throughout his achievements and legacy. Part of the documentary is also dedicated to Tahari's creative process and endurance in the fashion world. Several fashion personalities such as Fern Mallis (aka the Godmother of Fashion), Melissa Rivers, Fashion designers Nicole Miller and Dennis Basso, Arthur S. Levine, Wallstreet Journal Fashion Journalist Teri Agins, as well as Disco music, models, Studio 54, and more, are part of this documentary.

 

« In this documentary, you'll discover the inspiring story of Elie Tahari and his fashion world and process, as rarely shown before. David Serero added, « I want this film to be loved by fashion lovers, connoisseurs, and those unfamiliar with this important artistic environment. Elie Tahari is the definition of courage, determination, kindness, and…chutzpah! His parents fled Iran and moved to Israel, where he lived in a refugee camp, before moving to New York without speaking English and has contributed to the New York fashion landscape for more than 40 years with his iconic and visionary achievements such as the Tube Top, the Woman’s Suit and more”.

 

The Official Trailer of « The United States of Elie Tahari » is available here: vimeo.com/ondemand/elietahari

THE DOCUMENTARY HAS ALREADY WON THE FOLLOWING AWARDS in 2021 & 2022: 

The London Fashion Film Festival - Best Fashion Documentary

The Moscow International Design Film Festival - JURY AWARD

The China Beijing Film Festival - Best Documentary Producer Award

GFA Award (Hollywood International Golden Film Award) - Best Director Award 

American Filmatic Arts Awards - Grand Jury Award Documentary Feature

IMPACT DOCS - Award of Merit 2021

Seattle Fashion Film Festival - Best Documentary Award & Best Editing

Spotlight Documentary Award - Spotlight Gold Award

FFTG Awards - Best Fashion Film 

Cinema of the World = Award for Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Documentary-Host

Robinson Film Awards - Honorable Mention 
Berlin Independent Film Festival - Best Director for a Documentary Award 
ONED (Versailles Film Festival) - The Beyond Award 
Eastern Europe Movie Awards - Best Producer Award (Platinum Award), Best Director Award, Best Feature Documentary Award. 

The Cinematic Arts Redemptive Entertainment (CARE) Awards - Best First-Time Director Award

Fashion Film Festival of Chicago - Bronze Documentary Award

The Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival - Audience Awards
London International Film Festival - Honorable Mention
Athens Film Festival - Honorable Mention

Apex Film Awards - Finalist

Oniros Film Awards - Finalist

Canadian Cinematography Awards - Finalist

Argenteuil International Film Festival - Finalist

Stockholm TV and Film Festival - Finalist

Saint-Petersburg Film and Television Festival - Finalist

FILM FESTIVALS SELECTIONS FOR 2021 & 2022:

The Chelsea Film Festival (New York)

The Big Apple Film Festival at AMC Empire Theater on 42nd Street (New York)

The Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival

The China Beijing Film Festival

The Chicago Motion Pictures Award

The San Antonio Jewish Film Festival

The Miami Jewish Film Festival

The Austin Jewish Film Festival 

The London Fashion Film Festival

The Sarajevo Fashion Film Festival

The Sacramento Jewish Film Festival

The UK Fashion Film Festival 

The Los Angeles Fashion Film Festival

The Croatia Fashion Film Festival

The Chicago Fashion Film Festival

The Canadian Fashion Film Festival

The Fort Lauderdale Film Festival! 
The Dubai Independent Film Festival
The Wales International Film Festival 
The Long Beach International Film Festival 

The Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival

The UK Review Film Festival

The Sarajevo Fashion Film Festival

The Spotlight Documentary Award
DOCUTAH Film Festival
PopDoc Awards
The Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival
Bradoc
American Jewish Film Festival

The Lonely Wolf International Film Festival
Iran Film Festival 

Fire Island Film Festival

Hallucinea Film Festival

The Chicago Indie Film Awards

Moscow International Design Film Festival 

The North London Documentary Film Festival

Mosaic Film Festival of Arts and Culture 2021 (Canada)

IMPACT DOCS

Cinema of the World 

Robinson Film Awards 
Berlin Independent Film Festival
ONED (Versailles Film Festival)
Eastern Europe Movie Awards 

The Cinematic Arts Redemptive Entertainment (CARE) Awards

Fashion Film Festival of Chicago
London International Film Festival
Athens Film Festival

Apex Film Awards

The Ischia Global Film Festival

Oniros Film Awards

Canadian Cinematography Awards

Argenteuil International Film Festival

Stockholm TV and Film Festival

Saint-Petersburg Film and Television Festival (Russia)

International film & Entertainment Festival Australia (IFEFA)

American Filmatic Arts Awards - Grand Jury Award

Cilento Film Festival (Italy)

The Uruguay Jewish Film Festival - Festivales de Punta del Este

The New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival

the NIIF-NORGS International Film Festival (Iran)

Garden State Film Festival of New Jersey 

FashFilmFete / Fashion Film Festival of Phoenix at the Phoenix Museum of Art

Rhodes Island International Film Festival

Detroit Jewish Film Festival

Brooklyn Film Festival

Shoham Film Festival (Israel)

The Seoul Short Film Festival

The Seattle Fashion Film Festival

Director Statement:

"In this documentary, you’ll discover the inspiring story of Elie Tahari and his fashion world and process, as rarely shown before. David Serero added, "I want this film to be loved by fashion lovers and connoisseurs, as well as those unfamiliar with that important artistic environment. This documentary is educative, inspiring, and a celebration! You’ll feel like joining a large party! said Serero. Elie Tahari is the definition of courage, determination, kindness, and…chutzpah! His parents fled Iran and moved to Israel, where he lived in a refugee camp Ma’Abarot’, then moved to New York without speaking English and has contributed to the New York fashion life for more than 40 years with his iconic and visionary signatures such as the Tube Top, the Woman Suit and more. This film is perfect for any community but particularly for the New York, Immigrants, Jewish, Persian, Iranian, Israeli, and Fashion audiences!"

About ELIE TAHARI
For over 40 years, Elie Tahari's keen understanding of fashion and design has ensured him a unique position in the luxury world. The internationally-renowned brand has a global presence on five continents and is sold in over 600 stores in over 40 countries. The brand has expanded to include women's shoes, sunglasses and accessories, and menswear and has come to define modern sophistication with designer-inspired collections of understated grace and elegance.

At the start of the 1970s, Elie Tahari emigrated from Israel to the United States and began working in New York City's garment center while moonlighting at a boutique in Greenwich Village. After he succeeded in popularizing the tube top, Tahari began designing his eponymous label Tahari in 1973. In the following years, Elie Tahari opened his first boutique on Madison Avenue, posted the company's first billboard in New York City, and held his first fashion show at Studio 54.

In the 1980s, Tahari expanded in the eighties, highlighting the tailored suit that helped define a decade. His first advertisements appeared in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

In 1989 his first shop in Bloomingdales NYC opened, followed by Saks Fifth Avenue, and Tahari was named one of Crain's most successful 40 under 40.

In the 1990s, Elie Tahari began the decade with his first cover of Women's Wear Daily featuring a Tahari wool suit highlighted as the season's trend. He is admitted to the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The brand moves into its new headquarters in the Grace building on West 42nd Street and is now carried by all major department stores. Tahari initiated a significant expansion campaign, including licensing and international sales.

Television Networks also started to take notice of the brand, with pieces from the collection showcased on Ally McBeal, The X Files, and Will & Grace. Tahari was the featured designer in the annual Macy's Passport fashion show in Los Angeles, which helped to raise over 2 million dollars for AIDS research and was invited to the White House to meet with President Clinton. In 1997 Tahari became Theory's founding partner and creative director and designed his own label.

In 2002 the company name was changed from Tahari to Elie Tahari, and the designer purchased 510 Fifth Avenue, which became the brand's design center. Tahari opened freestanding boutiques in Soho, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Boston, East Hampton's Main Street, and Boca Raton, Florida.

The company continued its global expansion in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It opened freestanding boutiques in Istanbul, Turkey, and Dubai, as well as US boutiques in Newport Beach, California, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and a pop-up store at 510 5th Avenue, named The Vault as well as the E-commerce site elietahari.com. To mark the brand's 40th anniversary, Tahari created a capsule collection, "Elie Tahari 1974," which featured updated silhouettes from the brand's four decades in fashion.

Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed September 4th, 2013, "Elie Tahari Day," honoring his 40 years in business. Fashion Group International honored the designer with a Brand Vision award, and Tahari served as a guest judge on Project Runway All-Stars for three seasons. In 2014 the designer launched eyewear, home, and the Elie Tahari Sport collection and partnered with photographer Steven Klein to shoot the brand's ad campaigns.

In 2020, he received the Pomegranate Award from the New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival.

Director Biography - David Serero

David Serero is a critically acclaimed and awards-winner opera singer, actor, director, and producer. He has performed more than 2,500 performances in more than 45 countries, directed and produced nearly 100 theatrical productions, starred in over 100 films and TV series, recorded and produced over 100 albums, and played more than 50 lead and title roles (in several languages) from the opera, theatre, and musical repertoire. In New York, he starred Off-Broadway in iconic roles such as Shylock, Cyrano, Othello, Barabas, Yiddish King Lear, Don Giovanni, Figaro, Romeo, Nabucco, as well as new works such as Napoleon by Kubrick, Queen Esther, Anne Frank a Musical, among others. In his native Paris, he also starred as Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha) and Happy Mac (Beggar's Holiday by Duke Ellington). He entered the prestigious Who's Who America for demonstrating outstanding achievements in the entertainment world and for the betterment of contemporary society. In 2019, he received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, the Morocco Day Distinguished Achievement Award, and the Trophy of the Culture of Morocco. Morocco's airline Royal Air Maroc named him among the fifteen most influential Moroccans worldwide. David is a member of the Recording Academy and the Television Academy and a voting member of both the Grammys and Emmys. In 2020, David Serero received the UNESCO Award for Diversity in Paris and became an Honorary Member of the United Nations of Arts and Science. In 2021, he won 4 BroadwayWorld Awards for Best Performer of the Decade, Best Producer of a Musical of the Decade, Best Producer of a Play of the Decade, and Best Opera Singer of the Year. He was awarded the Certificate of Recognition by the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, for his contribution to the City's dynamic cultural landscape, enriching the vibrant performing arts sector, and uplifted and inspired diverse New Yorkers. www.davidserero.com

SOME RECENT PRESS:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nadjasayej/2022/06/01/a-new-documentary-reveals-the-success-of-designer-elie-tahari/

https://www.elle.com/fashion/a38179182/the-united-states-of-elie-tahari-documentary-interview/

https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2022/06/06/elie-tahari-life-story-is-told-in-new-documentary-movie/

https://nypost.com/2022/06/05/fashion-mogul-elie-tahari-i-was-once-broke-and-homeless/

https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/united-states-of-elie-tahari/

https://www.londonfashionfilmfestival.com/Interview_with_David_Serero

https://youtu.be/3lTIbxG0_NQ  UK FILM REVIEW PODCAST - Review of the documentary.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10058783/Elie-Tahari-subject-new-documentary-traces-rise-fashion-industry.html

https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/elie-tahari-documentary-1234704869/

https://www.guildmagazine.com/fashion/the-united-states-of-elie-tahari/

https://seriescommitment.com/news/david-serero-wins-the-best-director-documentary-award-for-his-film-about-fashion-designer-elie-tahari/

https://24fashion.tv/Article/award-winning-documentary-the-united-states-of-elie-tahari-debuts-on-vod-419705

https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/06/chelsea-film-festival-spotlights-tv-series-and-films-by-israeli-jewish-directors/

https://stylevanity.com/2021/08/documentary-about-elie-tahari-wins-award-of-merit-in-impact-docs-awards-competition.html

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/elie-tahari-life-becomes-documentary-215748387.html

https://www.aboutinsider.com/david-serero-wins-best-producer-award-at-the-eastern-europe-international-movie-awards-e-e-i-m-a-for-his-documentary-about-fashion-mogul-elie-tahari/

https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/reviews/the-united-of-fashion-designer--elie-tahari

https://archinect.com/news/bustler/8432/inaugural-moscow-international-design-film-festival-announces-its-first-slate-of-winners

https://www.citybiz.co/article/214519/famed-designer-elie-tahari-kicks-off-boca-raton-jewish-film-festival/

https://www.londonfashionfilmfestival.com/Interview_with_David_Serero 

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