"From covering-up, to cover star CEO, this candid autobiography follows a woman’s journey from an ultra-Orthodox Jewish upbringing to finding freedom through fashion."
“I felt deep within my heart that this story could inspire others to change their lives, to go for their dreams, and to not wait for permission”. So writes Julia Haart, star of Netflix's My Unorthodox Life, in the welcoming, inspiration-charged foreword to her autobiography.
This intention is certainly borne out through Brazen as it takes readers on a poignantly personal journey, revealing how “my present is defined by my past”, where the past was defined by Haart’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish upbringing, and where the present sees her co-owning and leading the Elite World Group modelling agency.
Incredibly honest about her experiences and emotions (“I wish I hadn’t spent the first 42 years of my life in utter misery), Haart’s account of her family history and early life are fascinating. Her Russian father was a “committed and faithful Communist”, her maternal grandmother was a dancer in the Bolshoi. Her parents found Judaism to replace Communism, at a time when religion was illegal. After risking their lives for Judaism, they embraced Orthodoxy, which meant every aspect of Haart’s life was controlled, and led to her marrying a man she barely knew at just 19.
After 23 years in the marriage, and sparked by fears for her daughters’ futures, Haart decided enough was enough. Having had the foresight to build a “freedom fund”, she founded a shoe brand within a week and, just a few years later, became of Creative Director of La Perla. That’s some meteoric rise, but one Haart had really been working towards all her life.
An ode to believing in yourself, believing in your dreams, and it never being too late to transform your life, Brazen, with its soul-bearing, cathartic style, is set to inspire.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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From the star of Netflix's My Unorthodox Life, a riveting, inspiring memoir. Julia Haart tells the story of her extraordinary journey, from leaving an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community to her rise from housewife to shoe designer, to CEO and co-owner of the modelling agency Elite World Group.
'An irresistible read . . . Written with great intensity and rare candor, Brazen is a story of longing for more and manifesting that vision.' TOMMY HILFIGER
Ever since she was a child, every aspect of Julia Haart's life - what she wore, what she ate, what she thought - was controlled by the rules of ultra-Orthodox Judaism. At nineteen, after a lifetime spent caring for her seven younger siblings, she was married off to a man she barely knew. For the next twenty-three years, her marriage would rule her life.
Eventually, when Haart's youngest daughter, Miriam, started to innocently question why she wasn't allowed to sing in public, run in shorts, or ride a bike without being covered from neck to knee, Haart reached a breaking point. She knew that if she didn't find a way to leave, her daughters would be forced into the same unending servitude.
So Haart created a double life. In the ultra- Orthodox world, clothing has one purpose - to cover the body, head to toe - and giving any more thought than that to one's appearance is considered sinful, an affront to God. But when no one was looking, Haart would pour over fashion magazines and sketch designs for the clothes she dreamed about wearing in the world beyond her Orthodox suburb. She started preparing for her escape by educating herself and creating a 'freedom' fund. At the age of forty-two, she finally mustered the courage to flee.
Within a week of her escape, Haart founded a shoe brand, and within nine months, she was at Paris Fashion Week. Just a few years later, she was named creative director of La Perla. Soon she would become co-owner and CEO of Elite World Group and one of the most powerful people in fashion. Along the way, her four children - Batsheva, Shlomo, Miriam and Aron - have not only accepted but embraced her transformation.
Propulsive and unforgettable, Haart's story is the journey from a world of 'no' to a world of 'yes', and an inspiration for women everywhere to find their freedom, their purpose and their voice.
Brazen features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Memoirs, Cultural studies: dress and society, Social groups: religious groups and communities, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Society and Social Sciences, Society and culture: general, Cultural and media studies, Cultural studies, Social groups, communities and identities
Brazen is available in Paperback, Ebook, Hardback
Brazen was written by Julia Haart and published by Endeavour an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group
Brazen has 464 pages
£9.89
