Born Nili Shapira in Netanya, Israel, she served two years in the Israeli Air Force before studying at the Shenkar Fashion Institute in Tel Aviv. Her career began in New York in 1980, working up to head designer at Nautica and Ralph Lauren, with senior roles at Adrienne Vittadini and Liz Claiborne along the way.
In 2003 she stepped out from corporate design to launch her own collection; military jackets quickly became her signature, and the line has grown into a full range of women's clothing sold in over 150 stores worldwide. In 2006 she opened her first store in Tribeca, combining design studio and retail. Her clothes are worn by Selena Gomez, Kendall Jenner, Rihanna, Gigi Hadid and Gal Gadot.