If you spent the first half of 2020 binge-watching Netflix’s miniseries Unorthodox, then have we got news for you.
Much like the TV series based on Deborah Feldman’s biography, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, there’s a new docuseries landing later this year set to deep dive into the world of Hasidim Judaism once more, My Unorthodox Life.
Created by the same team behind Bling Empire, the docuseries is set to follow a former member of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community who fled her religion to become a fashion designer and lead a model management empire.
Unlike Unorthodox‘s Esty, the docuseries’ protagonist is well-known on a global scale, dressing the likes of Kendall Jenner to name a few.
Intrigued? Keep reading for everything you need to know about the docuseries—from the plot to the cast and when you can stream it in Australia.
What Is The Plot Of My Unorthodox Life?
In a synopsis from Netflix, the docuseries will follow the life of American fashion designer and entrepreneur, Julia Haart, who fled her life in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community to launch a globally successful shoe company.
“This series centers around the personal and professional life of fashion mogul Julia Haart—former member of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community turned CEO of Elite World Group.”
The synopsis adds, “Since taking the reins of a global talent empire, Haart has been on a mission to revolutionise the industry from the inside out—all while being a mother of four. Her children include a TikToker, an app designer, a lawyer, and a high schooler torn between two conflicting cultures, and Haart helps them reconcile their Orthodox upbringings with the modern world.”
According to the streaming giant, the series aims to take viewers on a “journey through Julia Haart’s untamed, unpredictable, and unorthodox life.”
Following the roaring success of 2020’s Unorthodox, a series based on the true story of Deborah Feldman, and follows Esther ‘Esty’ Shapiro, a young woman who decides to leave her Hasidim community in Brooklyn, New York for a new life sans religion in Berlin.
Fans of the show who are hoping for a second series were disappointed, after series creator Anna Winger revealed that a sequel wasn’t in the works, telling Metro, “We feel that we really told this story. It was always designed as a mini-series.”
She added, “I suspect that I will work with these actors again, and with many of my collaborators from this project. We have a lot of new things in development. So it’s not the end of the road for this constellation, but I don’t think we’ll tell this story again. We’ve told it.”
Who Is Julia Haart In My Unorthodox Life?
A successful U.S. fashion designer and CEO, Julia Haart—originally born as Talia Leibov—grew up in a traditional Haredi Orthodox home. Married by the time she was 19-years-old, Leibov left her Jewish community at 43-years-old and founded a successful luxury shoe company. In fact, in 2016, she became the creative director for the Italian luxury fashion brand La Perla and in 2019 became the CEO of the international Elite Model Management agency.
Notably, she is known for designing a dress made entirely out of crystals while she was the Creative Director at La Perla. The embellished gown was worn by supermodel Kendall Jenner at the 2017 Met Gala which consisted of 85,000 Crystals affixed to a single string.
In 2019, Haart was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of Elite World. Elite World represents more than 3,500 models with global brands including Elite Model Management, Women Model Management, The Society Model Management, Supreme, 360, Stage, and the Creatives.
Elite World top talent in the network include Kendall Jenner, Rita Ora, Adriana Lima, Irina Shayk, Behati Prinsloo, Josephine Skriver, Izabel Goulart, Liu Wen, Willow Smith, Jasmine Sanders, and Jourdan Dunn.
Where Can You Watch The First Trailer For My Unorthodox Life?
On July 7, 2021, Netflix released the first official trailer for the upcoming docuseries. You can watch it below.
When Can We Watch My Unorthodox Life In Australia?
The series is set to premiere on Netflix on July 14.
