“Life is big, but I like my jewelry even bigger!” is a perfect introductory quote from Liat Ginzberg, Israel’s trendiest jewelry designer. We first connected years ago at Bijoux at The Norton Museum of ART (now moved to The Art Armory). Since I am a big jewelry fan in every sense of the word “BIG”, I immediately gravitated towards Liat’s collection. Over the years we have formed a great friendship and she has customized an assortment of pieces for me that are the four Bs- bold, big, beautiful and brazen. Perfectly suited for the occasions as New York Fashion Week’s runway shows and media appearances.
Liat has grown over the years to include a multitude of Vogue editorials, L’eisha and Grazia and the Israeli singing sensation NETTA. She also has a A-List of collectors who value the category of Art Jewelry.
Liat Ginzberg’s jewelry are daring, one of a kind pieces with their abundant use of color and electrifying style. The designs express a nostalgic yet current view on the 90`s club scene combined with hints of Frida Khalo, Carmen Meranda, Lucille Ball and Madonna.
Each piece is a composition of vintage pieces from the 70`s and the 80`s, which Liat collects on her travels around the world. All these elements and influences produce a perfectly unique style that is all her own. Liat never compromises to trends, she remains herself in each earring, bracelet and necklace. Her designs never shrink to trends nor fade to fads.
When I last saw Liat in Palm Beach, I sat down with her for an unlikely spiritual discussion in which she was not accustomed to. She’s always interviewed by fashion magazines that only focus on her jewelry and how it relates to the subject of the moment. I wanted to explore the person, rather than the designs.
Tobi: Do you think your talent is G-d given?
Liat: I was born with it! Along with my imagination developing at childhood.
Tobi: Do you need faith in yourself to develop such unique jewelry?
Liat: Faith in yourself yes, it’s all a part of me. It’s my purpose, it’s me and it’s my calling and it takes you and makes you. It’s my essence that completes me. A singer sings. A writer writes. It’s a gift with a cost but it’s worth it. It’s a heavenly gift. I’m not religious at all, but my gift is from above. This is me.
Tobi: In essence, you do admit that G-d gave you the gift of your talent?
Liat: I guess the answer is yes.
Tobi: Do you believe that fashion can become someone’s faith?
Liat: People put too much faith in their fashion. A person can become a victim of fashion. It’s never was like this for me, it comes natural to me. The fashion jewelry that I create is a part of my being.
Tobi: If your jewelry could compose a prayer, what might that look like?
Liat: It would be wonderful us people has joy of life. Shimchat Chiam and
Kidushat Chiam. My jewelry reflects the joy of life. Some people have everything but sadly they lack the joy and gratitude for life. My jewelry reflects the happiness of life one should have, one must have in order to be fulfilled and healthy.
The state of happiness is a crucial part to a Jewish life that G-d wants us to live. Happiness is a Torah, Halacha, chassidish, psychological, universal and eternal method to live a healthy, productive and purposeful life. I could write another entire article on the subject of happiness in Judaism, or the importance of happiness in Judaism. The month of Adar is the time we are commanded to celebrate the time in simcha.
“All these curses will befall you, pursuing you and overtaking you to destroy you because you did not obey the Lord.... Because you did not serve God, your God, with joy and gladness of the heart.”
— Deuteronomy/ Devorim 28:45, 28:47.
“Just as it is with a victory over a physical opponent--for instance, two people who wrestle with each other, each striving to fell the other, if one of them is lazy and sluggish he will easily be defeated and will fall, even if he be stronger than the other--so it is with the conquest of one’s evil nature: it is impossible to conquer the evil nature with laziness and sluggishness, which stem from sadness and a stone-like dullness of the heart, but rather with alacrity, which derives from joy and an open heart that is unblemished by any trace of worry and sadness in the world.”
— Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, Tanya, Chapter 26.[34]
In a recent article of the NY Times Magazine Section, Marc Jacobs presented a very profound idea of happiness within the creative process, as he stated “ I don’t know how it happens I can’t weave joy into a cloth. I can’t drape joy into a jacket. But I think there is something in the process where the energy continues to grow and is somehow amplified and transferred ”.
Liat’s unique style prefers to spread light, love, sparkle through the happiness she feels with every piece of jewelry that she makes. Hoping to transfer her “simcha” to the women that wear her designs. What a joyful way to get blinged!
Tobi Rubinstein is a retired fashion and marketing executive of 35 years who currently produces runway and lifestyle events for NYFW, specializing in Israel’s leading artists and designers. She is the founder of The House of Faith N Fashion, fusing culture and Torah. Tobi was a fashion collaboration and guest expert for ABC, Geraldo Rivera, Huffington Post, Lifetime, NBC, Bravo, and Arise. She hosted her own radio and reality TV series. Tobi is a mother, wife, dog owner, and shoe lover.