At age 40, Ady Kilav decided to take a new path in life and fulfill an old dream. "I always wanted to design," he says, "but I used to be worried about providing for a family, and in general, in the religious society where I grew up, it was unacceptable for a man to be involved in fashion."

Kilav, who owns a Jerusalem-based company that works with engineers and architects, decided to change course, and went to study shoe design at the now-closed Achilles school.

"I had the urge to design, but I didn't want to do work with either homes or furniture, where you constantly have to consult with the client. I wanted to make all the decisions myself, to provide the client with a finished product. In fashion design, one also has to consider the desires of the client, but with shoes, I think, one can consider fashion less."