- Haart left her orthodox Jewish life behind to create a shoe using a Nasa-designed gel, becoming creative director of La Perla, then CEO of Elite World Group
- She and her billionaire husband, Silvio Scaglia Haart, have signed big names like Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima and Rita Ora through their agency
Julia Haart, star of hit Netflix show My Unorthodox Life, has gained instant notoriety for her outspoken opinions on orthodox Jewish life and how she found freedom by ditching her conservative Haredi community for wealth, glamour and fashion. Her estimated net worth is around US$600 million. Not bad for a woman who left Monsey, New York when she was 43 years old to start her life all over again.
But just how did she swap her sheitel and daily prayers for a swanky flat in Tribeca, a pad in the Hamptons, designer clothes and a helicopter? Well – a lot of grit, business savvy and a little help along the way …
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The big shoe break
Fashion, says Haart on her show, has been her driving force in life. Haart saved up while she was in Monsey by selling insurance. When she left, she designed a shoe line, creating a super comfy heel by partnering with ski boot engineers and using a special gel designed by Nasa. Her line attracted the attention of big brands as a result.
“It didn’t occur to me that it’s strange to start a shoe brand when you’ve never made a shoe,” she told People. “I found the factories in Italy myself, and I did the public relations, the sales – everything.”
Haart caught the attention of La Perla, which was bought by Silvio Scaglia in early 2015. He met Haart when the company decided to collaborate with her on the shoe line, and she was later hired as the creative director of the company.
She told The New York Times that their working relationship wasn’t always great, explaining that she spent the first year of her job “yelling” at him. But the two developed a “mutual respect” for each other and eventually became friends … and even later, lovers.
