“If you want to see the good and joyful side of Israel, come here,” says businessman Zaied Zaied, pointing to his enormous fashion complex, T&E, in Shefa-Amr. “Here you meet the real Israelis — people who want peace and happiness.”
Zaied, 45, speaks with contagious optimism. In 2019, he took a major financial gamble and invested 12 million shekels to open a 2,000-square-meter luxury dress store that sells only evening and bridal gowns. The result is a one-of-a-kind shopping destination that has turned into a social and cultural phenomenon.
A fashion island of coexistence
“I created an island of sanity in the Israeli reality,” Zaied says. “Women come here from all over the country — from every background, faith and age. Arab, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, secular, and ultra-Orthodox women. Some come from the wealthiest families in Israel, and others arrive in organized groups from the periphery or from settlements in the West Bank.”
Inside, thousands of gowns hang by color and designer. On weekends, the place is packed. Women browse, chat, and give each other fashion advice — scenes rarely seen in Israel’s divided social climate. “Every bride and every woman finds something that suits her needs and dreams,” Zaied says proudly.
The prices range widely: from 6,000 to 30,000 shekels for custom gowns, while simpler evening dresses sell for a few hundred to 1,200 shekels. Over time, T&E has become a magnet for businesswomen, celebrities, politicians, and diplomats.
One of Zaied’s proudest moments came in August 2019, when Sheryl Sandberg, then COO of Meta (Facebook), visited Israel and requested to meet five local entrepreneurs — including him.
Weathering war and uncertainty
The business hasn’t always flourished. “When the war was only in the south, sales slowed but continued,” Zaied recalls. “The real blow came in September 2024, when fighting spread to the north. For two months we barely slept — sirens all day, no customers, total paralysis.”
Before the war, he had been negotiating to open a second branch between central and northern Israel. “We were close to signing,” he says. “Then the war started, and I froze the plan. There was too much uncertainty.”
When the ceasefire in the north took effect in December 2024, Zaied’s optimism returned. “Event halls reopened, weddings were booked again. By January 2025, things were back to normal,” he says.
Then came June 2025 and the war with Iran. “Just as we started to recover, everything stopped again,” he sighs. “Weddings postponed, sales dropped. July was terrible. But by August, people returned — all those who had delayed events came rushing back.”
Since the end of the Gaza war, business has surged again. “In the past month alone, foot traffic is up about 60%, and sales are up 45%,” he says with a smile. “The country is coming back to life.”
From Texas revelation to Israeli fashion success
Zaied lives in Shefa-Amr with his wife, Abeer, and their three children. His path to fashion was unexpected. After earning a degree in industrial engineering from the Technion, he took a job at a lens factory in Migdal HaEmek — but quickly realized it wasn’t for him.
“I’m a people person. I couldn’t sit in one place all day,” he says. “At 22, I went to visit my sister in Texas to clear my head — and that’s where I had my revelation.”
He recalls wandering through giant American malls, mesmerized by the energy of big fashion stores. “I loved the music, the pace, the people. I knew I wanted to be part of that world.”
When his mother urged him to return home, she told him something that stuck: “If you want to succeed, you can do it anywhere.”
Back in Israel, he joined Castro in Herzliya as a sales clerk, quickly moving into management. By 2004, before his wedding, he transferred to Haifa, and there he met his future business opportunity.
“A woman from Shefa-Amr told me her uncles, Tony and Edward, were selling their fashion store,” he recalls. “I decided to buy it. We negotiated, shook hands, and said ‘mabrouk.’ The first clause in the contract stated that I would own the name forever — that’s how T&E was born.”
Only five years later did he add his own name, Zaied Zaied, to the brand.
A gamble that paid off
“When I built this place, contractors told me I was crazy,” Zaied laughs. “‘Who builds a 2,000-square-meter dress store in Shefa-Amr?’ they said. But I trusted my instincts.”
Today, T&E employs about 70 workers, including salespeople, seamstresses, and marketing staff. “It’s a full ecosystem,” he says. “I believe in thinking things through. I sleep on every idea, calculate the worst-case scenario, and if I can survive it, I go for it.”
His guiding philosophy: “If you love God, you feel His love in return. I see His hand in every success.”
A business tested by crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic nearly broke him. “We opened in 2019, and by early 2020 everything shut down,” he recalls. “All the spring and summer inventory was worthless. Even after restrictions eased, weddings were tiny — no need for fancy gowns.”
Zaied resorted to selling discreetly through the back door. “I got fined for it, but it was the only way to survive,” he admits. “Eventually, with state aid, we pulled through.”
When restrictions lifted, the recovery was overwhelming. “Women came from everywhere — the south, Eilat, even Europe and the U.S.,” he says. “It was a flood.”
Then came October 2023 and the Iron Swords War. “Tensions were already high before it, with protests and polarization,” he says. “When the war started, the divisions quieted, but fear took over. We even considered relocating abroad.”
In December 2023, Zaied and his wife flew to the U.S. to explore opening a store in New York, New Jersey, or Philadelphia. “But I realized success there would require me to live there. Our kids are deeply rooted here — it wasn’t the right move.”
Instead, he partnered with a U.S. retailer to sell dresses online. The site gained hundreds of thousands of visits but wasn’t profitable. “So I stopped and launched my own Israeli site in March 2024. It’s been working well since,” he says.
He has also begun collaborations with partners in the Gulf states, particularly Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
'I love this country'
Looking back, Zaied says the journey has been worth every risk. “I didn’t come from money. I built everything from the ground up,” he says. “Running a fashion business is tough — you need to constantly update 8,000 dresses every season, keep up with global trends, and retain loyal customers.”
Despite wars, pandemics, and financial uncertainty, his faith and optimism never wavered. “I love this country and my place in it,” he says. “I’m hopeful we’ll enjoy years of calm and peace — for Israel and its neighbors. Wars belong to the past. It’s time to live.”