Pnina Tornai at Kleinfeld's

Seventeen years ago, with no formal fashion training, designer Pnina Tornai abruptly decided to shut down her clothing boutique in Tel Aviv, hire a seamstress, a beader a and a patternmaker, and begin designing and producing wedding gowns. Today, she can hardly walk down the street in without being approached by adoring fans. "I can't walk down the street!" she says, " I wear sunglasses, but peeople rush up to hug me".
Known for provocative see through corsets, and glittery Swaroviske crystal detail, Pnina Tornai's wedding gowns range from the ethereal to the dramatic. "Acting and fashion design have a lot in common, Tornai says. "It's all about acting and drama". Her designs weren't always appreciated here in America however. "Her designs were kind of questionable," recalled Mara Urshel, a co-owner of Kleinfeld, of her first visit to the famed department store. "There were lots of sheers. I couldn't possibly think of a place where anyone would wear them except in the home." She decided however to showcase a lace corset model, which surprisingly "sold and sold and sold". Today she is the number one designer at Kleinfeld, and she is considering opening stores in London, Paris, and Los Angeles. "I don't want to grow too much" she says however, "I don't want to lose that persoal touch." You can check out Tornai's designs at Kleinfeld's (by appointment) located at 110 West 20th Street New York, NY, 10011.