Elie Tahari Elie Tahari was born in Jerusalem, Israel in 1952. His parents moved to Israel from Iran in the early years. From 1953 to 1957, their family returned to Iran. Afterwards, he moved back to Israel. After Avery's parents divorced, his father remarried. Eli was sent to an orphanage in Rishon Le Zion before moving to Tel Aviv. He spent the next few years at Kawazahil and an Israeli Air Force boarding school in Haifa. In 1971, Avery immigrated to the United States as an electrician. After relocating to New York, he sought work in Manhattan's Fashion District, where he learned the fashion business. Throughout the 1970s, Avery designed primarily women's clothing. In 1974, he became the first designer to open a boutique on Madison Avenue.
