With the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and anti-Zionism spreading around the globe, Israeli companies sometimes face an uphill battle promoting their products to customers. Now, Roza Sinaysky and her husband Kobi Sakuri are looking to change that by showcasing Israeli fashion brands to the masses.
The couple runs KOLBO, a company that helps Israeli brands get their clothing and accessories into the hands of buyers, stores and celebrities. Working from their offices in West Hollywood and Woodland Hills, they run pop ups and collaborations with different boutiques and private residences all over Los Angeles and the United States.
Sinaysky, who was born in Kiev, Ukraine, made aliyah with her family when she was seven and lived in Tel Aviv and London before coming to L.A. two years ago. She’s been in the fashion industry for 15 years, contributing to some of the premier fashion magazines in the world and working with Tel Aviv Fashion Week. In 2020, she and Sakuri, who is also a hair stylist, officially started KOLBO.
“I was very lucky to work with the biggest names in fashion, but my heart was always [at] home with our local talents,” she said.
The brands that KOLBO features on their Instagram and website include Ariel Toledano, Daj Darya Jewelry, House of Lancry, Sayya – By Luba Makarenko and Gil Zohar Jewelry. Celebrities like Anne Heche and Chrissy Teigen have worn the clothing and jewelry, and the brands have appeared in publications like Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar and L’Officiel.
KOLBO translates to “department store” in English; “Kol” comes from “hakol” (“everything”) and “bo” is “in,” which means the company is a one-stop shop for everything brands need, from PR to marketing to placement in stores.
“There are so many talented people and incredible designers in Israel, but they are often afraid or just don’t know how to enter a new market.” -Roza Sinaysky
“There are so many talented people and incredible designers in Israel, but they are often afraid or just don’t know how to enter a new market,” said Sinaysky. “Many brands that we work with have so much potential but they need a lot of guidance in order to make it here. What works in one country doesn’t mean it will work in another, but with our help they can do incredibly well.”
Much of the clothing that KOLBO showcases is modest. One of their designers, Hannah Lancry Sufrin of House of Lancry, is Modern Orthodox and creates fashion-forward, modest dresses.
“We have a lot of modest dressers [who are our] personal clients,” said Sinaysky. “We also collaborate with different Jewish charities in which the shoppers are modest.”
When choosing which brands to work with, Sinaysky and Sakuri not only look for fashion designers with talent, they also seek out designers who are not afraid to take a chance and learn new things about selling in the U.S. market.
“I like to work with like-minded people who are passionate about what they do.” – Roza Sinaysky
“I like to work with like-minded people who are passionate about what they do,” said Sinaysky. “I love working with people who dream to do big things.”
Though Sinaysky is focusing on local exposure right now, her ultimate goal is to bring as many brands to the U.S. as possible and place them in major department stores across the country.
“We want to see success stories,” she said. “[We hope to] see our brands on A-list celebrities and create long-lasting relationships with customers.”
