Seeing an Idan Cohen runway collection with its boldly sensual silhouettes and intricate hand-detailing, you might assume he’s a seasoned designer well into his career. However, Cohen is the youngest male designer on the Bridal Council’s roster. His resolve to become a designer emerged at the tender age of 8, perhaps explaining his strong vision of building a global eveningwear and bridal brand. This determination propelled him from his home city of Tel Aviv to fashion capitals like London, Paris, and New York. These days, however, his buzzing design studio and showroom are situated in Lambertville, New Jersey—an unconventional choice for a design atelier, but Cohen has never been one to follow trends.
I met Cohen on a balmy November day at New York’s Whitby Hotel, where he had also held his October bridal show. He had just returned from a trunk show, offering brides his personalized touch. No one can sell a dress quite like the designer. “It’s exciting to be chosen by a bride for their wedding—it’s one of the most important days of their life and likely the most expensive dress a woman will buy. Being a bride’s choice designer is heartwarming, and I feel honored to guide and fit them. Honestly, it’s all about the dress in the end,” he says.
Born in Israel 36 years ago, Cohen spent much of his childhood exploring the floors of his family’s denim business. His life took a pivotal turn at 16 when he met Riki Ben-Ari, a colleague of Yves Saint Laurent. Ben-Ari became his mentor, taking him under her wing despite her advanced age of 87. “She was a great lady who taught me how to sketch designs and helped me curate my portfolio. She advised me that my dreams were too big for Israel and suggested I go abroad to expand my worldview,” Cohen recalls. She remains one of the most significant influences on his career.
After spending three years in London at the Marangoni School, Cohen returned to Israel to work as the head designer for his family’s denim company. However, he found the role creatively stifling. “It’s not like couture, where your imagination can go wild,” he explains. After just nine months, at 22, he launched his brand specializing in eveningwear and ready-to-wear. “I opened a small shop in Tel Aviv and decorated it in classic French style,” he says.
“I came to NYC in 2014 to present my runway collection, and shortly after, everything started to change—I became more well-known in Israel and got my first celebrity cover: Nicki Minaj for Cosmopolitan magazine,” Cohen says. By 2016, he focused exclusively on bridal with his label, House of Idan, which is now sold at bridal shops like Jaxton James Bridal Couture in New York City and Angel Rivera Bridal Atelier in New Jersey.
Cohen’s early exposure to fashion and his youthful commitment to design laid the groundwork for his remarkable career, and he’s just getting started. His gowns, imbued with a maturity and strength of vision often associated with more established brands, continue to captivate brides worldwide. The magic happens at his Lambertville studio, where Cohen oversees a team of 100 workers, including pattern makers, stitchers, hand embroiderers, and other artisans who bring his designs to life. His creations deftly use transparency for maximum sensual effect and incorporate flower petal embroidery, 3D blossoms, tulle overlays, and corsetry. The result is an unapologetically bold and exquisitely detailed collection of dresses. Brides seeking unique, statement-making designs can visit houseofidan.com for more information or to find his next trunk show.
