“I don’t think it goes together,” a woman in the audience said, as Tziporah Salamon styled her third outfit for the afternoon. Salamon’s response, “Well I do, and I listen to me.” There are very few people in the world as unapologetic as Tziporah Salamon. A daughter of Holocaust survivors, she has no interest in blending in and talks to students about the power of standing out. “I celebrate life, and the way I celebrate life is showing up like this.”
There’s no doubt that Salamon was born into style with a seamstress as a mother and a tailor as a father, but in a surprise twist, she never learned how to sew. Instead, she studied to become a teacher and therapist in her college days but ultimately left to pursue fashion.
She’s a woman who likes to match. Her first, of at least five outfits, being head-to-toe black and yellow to match her SCAD bike. Later on, to visit Jewish students she changed into blue and white to coincide with Israel’s flag. Israel holds a special place in her heart. She grew up alongside the country since the country was founded in 1949 and her birth was in 1950. She remembers opting to skip through the poppy fields instead of the paved roads to go to school. Salamon was always one to take the road less traveled.
Since when do I care what other people are doing? I dress for me.”
Her presentation, titled The Art of Dressing, was, at its core, a series of anecdotes showcasing the influence of fashion in her life. From the photographer who snapped a photo every day on her way to visit her dad, to her #idressforthewall series matching the everchanging wall at Bergdorf Goodman, Salamon always dresses for the occasion (one of her style rules).
She gave several additional lessons of advice, including not sacrificing comfort for style (she must be able to ride her bike in every outfit), shopping at vintage trade shows instead of vintage shops and that it always gets colder (whether through a/c or winter weather), so bring layers.
Above everything else, Salamon’s greatest asset is her confidence, not only in her looks but in her abilities and in her faith. “Yes I have good taste, yes I know how to dress,” but she still gives God credit. She has created a life that supports her passions and her gift is to be her most authentic self, no matter the situation. “Since when do I care what other people are doing? I dress for me.”
Photography by Daniela Guevara