Nili Lotan

Nili Lotan is an Israeli-American fashion designer best known as the founder of the Nili Lotan Design Studio, a designer clothing company.

Biography Nili Shapira (later Lotan) was born in Netanya, Israel. Her father, Moshe Shapira, was a real estate developer there.

She served for two years in the Israeli Air Force before attending Shenkar Fashion Institute in Tel Aviv. Lotan notes publicly that her early life, having been raised by European parents in Israel, and military service have been important influences on her approach to design. Lotan has three children and resides in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City.

Fashion career Lotan’s career began in 1980 after relocation to New York City. She subsequently worked her way to the post of head designer at Nautica and Ralph Lauren; having spent years previous perfecting her craft as a senior designer for Adrienne Vittadini and Liz Claiborne.

In 2003, moving on from her corporate design roles, Lotan opted to launch her own collection under the Nili Lotan label. Military-style jackets quickly became Lotan’s trademark at her new company; and the brand has since evolved into producing a full range of women's clothing for all seasons. Lotan now sells her signature clothing in over 150 stores worldwide.

In 2021, Lotan received criticism for using the tatreez in her designs, labelled as cultural appropriation by fashion bloggers and Palestinians, and for labelling the garments Palestinian.