A singer threads his way into fashion

Taking a break from his busy concert schedule, top-selling singer Ivri Lider found time Monday night to launch his new line of men’s clothing. It’s Lider’s second — hence, IV2 — collection for clothing chain Castro.

“This isn’t my traditional role,” he said, standing on the stairs at Tel Aviv’s Helena Rubinstein Pavilion. “But it’s been great to play with my dream, doing the thing I’ve dreamed about, it’s really fun and creative and I want to say thank you.”

Lider, part of the duo TYP, or The Young Professionals, is one of Israel’s best-selling contemporary artists, but he’s also something of a style icon.

His latest collection for Castro is a departure from his previous season, which featured lots of classic men’s items, including no fewer than six white button-down shirts. This season he’s featuring more leisurewear — lots of tailored sweatpants and sweatshirts, in combinations of heathered gray and neon yellow, as well as some tailored jackets made of fleece material with a structured look.

Lider said he was inspired by Sagiv Galam, a Castro designer who’s currently traveling and couldn’t make it to the launch party. During a conversation about what they each wear when traveling, Lider said he usually wore suit pants, while Galam voted for sweats.

“I learned, it has to be comfortable, but fashionable and fabulous,” said Lider.

Castro CEOs Gabi and Etti Rotter — it was Gabi Rotter’s parents who started the company as a seamstress business — were clearly pleased with the IV2 launch, circulating among the crowd of designers, stylists and models drinking fruity martinis and munching on walnuts, grapes and olives.

“He’s a style icon,” said Etti Rotter, before introducing Lider. “When we were trying to think of the best creative icon in Israel, we thought of Ivri.”

And with that, Lider and his band swung into action, performing three songs, including his new single, “Everything is Burning,” currently number two on the Israeli pop chart.