Vanessa Perilman is an Israeli fashion designer with her Instagram messages to a model viral
Find out more about her.
Zara’s chief female clothing designer, Vanessa Perilman, came under fire for an inflammatory Instagram message she sent to a male Palestinian model named Qaher Harhash back in 2021. The controversy resurfaced amid a new, contentious Zara campaign that featured imagery related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Who is Israeli Vanessa Perilman Zara women’s head desinger who belittled Palestinian model on Instagram
"Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza"
– Vanessa Perilman, Zara head designer pic.twitter.com/3IfVa8Iz20
— muslim daily (@muslimdaily_) December 9, 2023
In June 2021, Perilman’s message to Harhash, laden with highly provocative sentiments, garnered widespread backlash. Her remarks criticized Harhash for his support of Palestine and accused him of making inappropriate remarks about religion, violence, and education. Disturbed by the comments made by a senior Zara employee, Harhash posted the screenshots, sparking anger and demands for a boycott of the company.
After the public uproar, Perilman publicly apologized to Harhash, blaming her actions on stress at work and regretting that they did not reflect who she was. Despite Zara’s request, Harhash declined to share the apology publicly.
Now, the recent “The Jacket” campaign by Zara drew fire for its imagery that alluded to the Israel-Palestine conflict and looked like Islamic funeral garb. While Zara defended the campaign, claiming it showcased exceptional design, netizens denounced it and demanded a boycott.
Due to this, Vanessa Perilman has again become a hot topic of discussion, with many people trying to know more about her. So, here’s what we know about her:
Who is Vanessa Perilman?
Vanessa Perilman is a well-known Israeli fashion designer. She has been in the news because she came under fire amid an uproar over the recent “The Jacket” campaign by Zara.
She is from Israel. However, she is currently living in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.
Vanessa Perilman started her professional career by working with creative director Alber Elbaz as an associate designer at LANVIN for the 2004/2005 winter collection. During her time at Calvin Klein, she created a variety of woven categories. After that, she worked for The Donna Karan Company (DKNY), where she contributed to the Urban Zen line.
Later, she became a senior designer at Club Monaco, where she concentrated on beachwear. She then worked for two and a half years as the lead designer at Forever 21, overseeing soft wovens and communicating with Los Angeles manufacturing.
Her career also included working as a freelancer at Michael Stars, where Vanessa Perilman oversaw the woven category. She then had a brief position as head designer at Revolve, where she launched a brand-new womenswear range.
Since 2015, Vanessa has held the position of Head Designer for Zara’s Woman’s Collection. In this capacity, she has managed a group of employees, oversaw the creation of clothing, and created exclusive eveningwear collections for international shops and events.