The Israeli fashion industry has recently been en route of an exciting turning point, as more and more haute couture wedding gowns that seem to be at the same level of top international designers, showing uber impeccable design, high end finish and unusual ideas as well as extraordinary execution. There is no doubt that when a bride is wearing haute couture dress she can truly feel like a princess for one magical night.

It is rather interesting and surprising to discover that one of those impeccable haute couture designers is coming from the ultra-Orthodox fashion world and her name is Chana Marelus, a Haredi fashion designer who made a name for herself when her clientele expanded to secular women who found their dream haute couture dress at Chana Marelus.

It is quite remarkable to see secular women enter the haredi world of Bnei Brak to find a wedding dress, so how did this happen? It all begins with a transformation that the Haredi fashion industry underwent in recent years.

Religious fashionistas started opening their minds to international trends and have been incorporating them modestly to their style. At the same time, secular fashionistas have been taking inspiration from the modest trend that has taken over the catwalks recently.

"From Kate Middleton to Ninet - in recent years they are all going for the modest look," said Gili Lowenstein, editor of lifestyle website Dossit Girl.

The new collection of Chana Marelus. Photo: Tal Abodi

"The trend is also apparent in the bridal gown field and dresses with a closed cleavage and pristine clean look can be seen on the runways of leading designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Monique Lhuillier, Elie Saab and more. Haredi wedding designers like Chana Marelus are affected by the global trends and adapt the modest trend while maintaining ultra-Orthodox modesty practices," Lowenstein elaborated.

Chana Marelus' dresses are a rare phenomenon in the Israeli fashion industry and particularly on the streets of Bnei Brak as they are clean and modest, yet completely high fashion and glamorous.

Chana fell in love with fashion at a very early age. Growing up in Belgium she read fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle and was up to date in the latest European fashion. At the early age of 16, she designed her first dress, for fun. Marelus progressed step by step and made a name for herself in the Haredi fashion industry.

Encouraged by her husband, she decided to open an organized business after they got married. In fact, they used all their wedding money to establish the business and she started marketing the new business on Facebook and Instagram - it turns out social media is very popular with the haredi sector, so marketing via these outlets is particularly smart and the rumor about her gorgeous dresses spread from Bnei Brak to the rest of the country.

Marelus believes that it is due to the modesty constraints that she manages to create such a unique style. "To design a dress where exposed body parts are not key players in the entire look, had me focus on color combinations and other elements," Marelus said.

So chic. Photo: Tal Abodi

In one word: Wow. Photo: Shahaf Margalit

It's all in the details. Photo: Shahaf Margalit

Stunning. Photo: Photo: Shahaf Margalit

Bling bling. Photo: Shahaf Margalit

Top and skirt, a beautiful combination. Photo: Shahaf Margalit

Modest look. Photo: Tal Abodi

Marelus is not surprised by the growing presence of the secular clients in her studio, which most arrive through Facebook and Instagram. "The secular brides are looking for that unique and different design - one that nobody else has. For them there is something authentic in saying 'I found my dress at this haredi designer from Bnei Brak.' By the way, many of them keep this a secret in order to maintain that one-of-a-kind look. Usually, the secular brides to be go for one of my evening gowns in light color, or a glimmering evening-gown-turned-wedding-dress."

One of those brides is Irit, who chose one of Marelus evening gowns as her wedding dress. Irit went for a sparkling golden dress with closed cleavage and sleeves. "The wedding dresses in the haredi sector are much more pompous and inflated." Not only is Irit a secular Jew, she held a Jewish reform ceremony at her wedding.

"I went to see many designers and couldn't find anything that was quite up my alley. All dresses looked the same to me. I found Chana via Instagram and when I arrived at her studio I felt like 'Charlie and the Chocolate factory' - there were just so many designs that I absolutely loved, items you couldn't find anywhere that were meticulously hand crafted with high-end finish."

During the fittings Irit discovered a world of difference between the secular bridal world and the haredi one. "Chana told me that it is customary in the haredi sector that both mother and sisters of the bride are also wearing white and bright colors, which is considered taboo in a secular wedding".

Irit is very proud that she had her wedding dress designed by Marelus. "When people asked me who designed my wedding dress and I said it was a haredi designer from Bnei Brak, they were in complete shock. But I honestly fell in love with her designs. A closed cleavage doesn't mean no sex appeal. The dress I chose had a modest open neckline and it covered the arms. It was classic and elegant, but for me it was also the sexiest dress ever."

Irit, a secular bride wearing Chana's dress. Photo: Yanshuf

Such a style. Photo: Yanshuf