I'm Daffy Barkai, A FASHION DESIGNER TURNED MULTIDISCIPLINARY CREATIVE. WITH ROOTS IN FASHION AND ACCESSORIES DESIGN, MY WORK HAS EVOLVED INTO INTERDISCIPLINARY TERRITORY. A GRADUATE OF BEZALEL ACADEMY (BFA, 2007) AND SHENKAR COLLEGE (M.DES, 2016), I EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FASHION, ART, AND DESIGN, WITH A DEEP FASCINATION FOR INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO TRADITIONAL PRACTICES.
MY WORK EXPLORES INTERSECTIONS OF BODY, IDENTITY, AND DESIGN ACROSS THEATRE, EDITORIAL, MUSIC, AND TV. I THRIVE ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DESIGNERS WHILE PURSUING MY CREATIVE PROJECTS.
My portfolio
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2019
COSTUME DESIGN:
Disco Menayek, TEAPACKS
CUSTOM-DESIGNED GARMENTS COMMISSIONED BY THE ICONIC ISRAELI BAND TEAPACKS' IN HONOR OF THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY, MERGING ETHNIC ELEMENTS WITH TRADITIONAL WEDDING BAND AESTHETICS. THE COLLECTION REIMAGINES 70'S DISCO THROUGH A MIDDLE EASTERN LENS. EACH ENSEMBLE, CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH DORON ASHKENAZI, REFLECTS THE MEMBER'S PERSONALITY WHILE MAINTAINING A VISUAL NARRATIVE OF THE BAND'S CULTURAL LEGACY AND MUSICAL FUSION. IN THESE PHOTOGRAPHS, I SERVED AS COSTUME DESIGNER, ART DIRECTOR AND STYLIST.
2006
Origami Shoes
A SCULPTURAL DESIGN INSPIRED BY THE ART OF PAPER FOLDING. CRAFTED FROM WHITE AND RED LEATHER, THE SHOES TRANSFORM THE PRINCIPLES OF ORIGAMI INTO WEARABLE FORMS. THE MINIMALIST DESIGN FEATURES CLEAN FOLDS IN THE LEATHER ITSELF, WITH THE RED INTERIOR CONTRASTING THE WHITE EXTERIOR. EACH SHOE IS CONSTRUCTED FROM A SINGLE FOLDED PIECE OF LEATHER.
2019
COSTUME DESIGN:
Af Ehad, TOMER YOSEF
A CUSTOM ENSEMBLE CREATED A MUSIC VIDEO BY ISRAELI PERFORMER TOMER YOSEF. THE DESIGN MERGES 1970'S GLAM ROCK AESTHETICS WITH CONTEMPORARY STREETWEAR ELEMENTS, FEATURING BOLD ANIMAL PRINTS AND EXAGGERATED SILHOUETTES. THE COSTUME CREATES A THEATRICAL YET URBAN STATEMENT THAT COMPLEMENTS THE VIDEO'S DYNAMIC VISUAL NARRATIVE.
2012
Pointlight
A DYNAMIC INSTALLATION EXPLORING SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH INTERACTIVE TEXTILES AND ROBOTICS. THE RESPONSIVE SURFACE REACTS TO HUMAN PRESENCE THROUGH PROXIMITY SENSORS AND ARDUINO-CONTROLLED MECHANISMS, CREATING A UNIQUE DIALOGUE BETWEEN HUMANS, TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURAL SPACE.
2007
GRADUATION PROJECT (BFA): Apocalypse
IN RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL WARMING ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT, THIS COLLECTION MERGES MILITARY AND EXTREME SPORTS AESTHETICS INTO MULTI-LAYERED GARMENTS, UTILIZING TECHNICAL DIVING AND PARACHUTING FABRICS. DRAWING FROM SURVIVAL GEAR AND WARNING COLOR PALLETS, EACH PIECE FUNCTIONS AS A CONCEPTUAL ARMOR FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE, CREATING A VISUAL COMMENTARY ON OUR CLIMATE CRISIS.
2020
Hand Comb
A CONCEPTUAL PIECE EXPLORING THE CONVERGENCE OF BODY AND OBJECT, WHERE A GLOVE EMBEDDED WITH METALLIC PRONGS QUESTIONS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYDAY TOOLS. BY TRANSFORMING THE HAND INTO BOTH WEARER AND INSTRUMENT, THE WORK CHALLENGES CONVENTIONAL BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE BODY AND ITS EXTENSIONS.
2013
A STUDY IN RECURSIVE FORMS: Interlock
A SINGLE SHAPE THAT MULTIPLIES AND INTERLOCKS, CREATING AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM OF CONNECTION. THE DESIGN PLAYS WITH SCALE AND REPETITION, WHERE EACH ELEMENT SERVES BOTH AS LOCK AND LINK. TRANSLATING THIS GEOMETRIC DIALOGUE ACROSS FELT, LEATHER AND GLASS, OR METAL, THE DESIGN DEMONSTRATES HOW ONE PRINCIPLE TRANSFORMS WHILE MAINTAINING ITS ESSENCE OF CONNECTION.
2019 - 2025
IMAGE MAKER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
A VISUAL EXPLORATION OF FASHION THROUGH PATTERN AND SPACE, CREATING DIALOGUE BETWEEN CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR, AND ENVIRONMENT - FROM CHECKERED SURFACES TO GEOMETRIC ARCHITECTURE. EACH COMPOSITION TRANSFORMS EVERYDAY ACCESSORIES INTO CONSIDERED NARRATIVES THROUGH PRECISE FRAMING AND THOUGHTFUL COLOR PALETTES. IN THESE PHOTOGRAPHS, I PERFORMED AS PHOTOGRAPHER, ART DIRECTOR, AND STYLIST.
2024
COSTUME DESIGN: Growing, EREZ RUSSO
THROUGH ICONIC SYMBOLS OF BLEEDING HEARTS THAT APPEAR IN DIFFERENT FORMS, THIS VIDEO TELLS A STORY OF HEARTBREAK. THE PHYSICAL AND SYMBOLIC MANIFESTATIONS OF THE HEART CULMINATE IN AN ICONIC GARMENT INTERVENTION. THE CLASSIC ADIDAS TRACK JACKET IS TRANSFORMED THROUGH HAND-EMBROIDERED EKG PATTERNS, FROM HEARTBEAT TO FLATLINE AS THE LAYERS UNFOLD. THE VIDEO'S NARRATIVE EMERGES THROUGH SYMBOLIC AND ILLUSTRATIVE DECISIONS.
