Series: A Kingdom with Style

How can one find beauty in the darkness of war? Can it even hold meaning when humanity is shrouded in shadow? In the lecture “Secrets of Heroines”, exhibition curator Ya’ara Keydar invites the audience on a behind-the-scenes journey into the making of “Heroines: Fashion and Hope in World War II.” In this talk, Ya’ara shares the curatorial process and the personal experience of engaging with such a complex subject in the aftermath of October 7. Curation is a process that involves collaboration with professionals, moments of success and failure, mistakes, and a great deal of magic. Ya’ara will tell how a single tiny thimble led to an entire exhibition. She will reveal the mysteries uncovered during the research, share moving stories from the production process, and speak about sources of inspiration—something we all need now more than ever. This is a heartfelt lecture about a journey between sorrow and beauty, between loss and hope—and above all, a deep belief in women and humanity.

How can one find beauty in the darkness of war? Can it even hold meaning when humanity is shrouded in shadow? In the lecture “Secrets of Heroines”, exhibition curator Ya’ara Keydar invites the audience on a behind-the-scenes journey into the making of “Heroines: Fashion and Hope in World War II.” In this talk, Ya’ara shares the curatorial process and the personal experience of engaging with such a complex subject in the aftermath of October 7. Curation is a process that involves collaboration with professionals, moments of success and failure, mistakes, and a great deal of magic. Ya’ara will tell how a single tiny thimble led to an entire exhibition. She will reveal the mysteries uncovered during the research, share moving stories from the production process, and speak about sources of inspiration—something we all need now more than ever. This is a heartfelt lecture about a journey between sorrow and beauty, between loss and hope—and above all, a deep belief in women and humanity.

From Adam and Eve to Sex and the City and Audrey Hepburn to Hugh Hefner, this lecture will follow the fascinating trajectory of the apron over thousands of years. Its mainstream reputation as a mere kitchen accessory obscures its history as a symbol of fertility and sexuality and its journey to the runways of top designers whose modern iterations have made it an emblem of women’s liberation.