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Sept. 23, 2011
An empire of lace and glitter
Michal Negrin doesn’t need to use public pay phones anymore.
FELICE FRIEDSON THE MEDIA LINE
A public phone is ringing off the hook. “Is this Michal Negrin?” the caller asks. It was 1988 in Tel Aviv. The biweekly artists’ fair on Nachalat Binyamin had just begun to prosper. In a simple, homemade booth sat Michal Negrin, a young and spirited artist who had quickly sold out all of her creations. The number of the public phone adjacent to her stall was the number Michal handed out on her business cards. An auspicious start for one of Israel’s great fashion success stories.
Step into the magical world of Michal Negrin today and you enter a wonderland of creativity: ornate, colorful jewelry; lace dresses; home furnishings, all set in a décor resembling the neo-Victorian style of the designer herself. Now headquartered in Bat Yam, Negrin oversees a worldwide chain of stores, new lines in the making, and a charming visitors centre – a woman’s fantasy land comparable in his genre to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory – that is attracting groups from around the world.
The visitors centre opened in 2007, when the world economy was spiraling downward and luxury purchases were the first to go. But Negrin, dressed in one her own creations, exudes a confidence that was an integral part of her ability to beat the odds.
“The bad situation didn’t stop me. I was like a flower that was growing,” she said. “The other people in the company didn’t know why I was laughing all the time; why I was happy all the time. You need to be optimistic and, if you know exactly what you want to create, you say to the world ‘you’re not finished.’”
From Israel, Negrin has transformed the costume jewelry market and not only redefined daywear into eveningwear, but has also inspired her own competition. “I hear this from a lot of people,” she said. “But it’s hard for me to say it about myself.”
The Swarovski-set jewelry is the trendsetter. Sold in 24 “concept stores” in Israel and 28 others worldwide, each of the 500 color combinations is part of a 2,000-item line, all of which is handmade by Israeli artists, most of whom are products of the Bezalel or Shanker schools of art. Sitting in small cubicles set in rows in the jewelry department, Negrin’s artisans painstakingly match each individual order to the client’s specific requests. Some of them have been working there for 15 years.
The Mamilla (Jerusalem) store is bustling with buyers. Some are drawn by the color, others the brand. Devora, a visitor from New York with her two young daughters in tow, has been a Michal Negrin regular for the past 10 years. She said that, compared to other gifts and jewelry, the line is relatively inexpensive and she can afford to buy these items for the many women in her family.
“I think her things are beautiful,” Devora said. “Some of the things I buy are very classical and they really last through time, so I am able to give them to girls when they are young, and they can still wear them when they are older.”
Negrin’s jewelry is often seen adorning celebrities and has been showcased in magazines and in upscale stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Niemen Marcus. But, for Negrin, getting a letter from someone in Argentina or the United States is just as exciting. “To thank me for the things I make, to tell me that it’s like I create her dream; I’m so happy I can bring the happiness, the good energy, for the people with my things all over the world,” she said.
Negrin began creating jewelry 25 years ago, while she was living in Kibbutz Naan, at a time when gold and silver jewelry dominated the market.
“Nobody made something with colors, so when I started, it was shocking,” she said. “I felt good because it was really original – it was my different jewelry. And I gave something new to myself, to the Israeli market and then to abroad.” She proudly confided that, during the few times she was in Japan, jewelry designers came up to her to thank her “for the inspiration.”
Negrin appears to be surrounded by a sea of women working in her factory that employs 200 people, of which 20 percent are men. Her husband, Meir, who is the company’s chief executive officer, manages the global chain of stores and its 500 employees worldwide, and is the creator of the detailed dollhouses that can be seen all over the plant. But Negrin herself thrives on what she calls “women power.”
“I really like the woman power – the women’s vibes,” she said. “I adore the woman’s mind, how they solve problems and how they think. I like to surround myself with the women power, but I also need the man power for the money and the things I don’t like to do,” Negrin said with a grin.
Negrin was born in 1956, a time when food was scarce and expensive. Entirely self-taught, she began dabbling in handicraft with no formal training. Her husband recollected that, when they left the kibbutz in 1987, “I was nervous about the future and how we would make money.” He told his wife, “Maybe you can work in the post office or bank.” But, for Negrin, it would be only jewelry. Behind her husband’s back, she borrowed money from her brother and, after a few months, she was ready for her first open house.
“One hundred people came to the flat and bought all the jewelry and everything off the walls,” Meir Negrin related proudly. “Then came the booth on Nachalat Binyamin: it was a huge success.”
Michal Negrin is a designer-in-motion. Back at the factory, there are three design studios and a mounting house. Separate rooms accommodate the various lines, from the Lace Room – where lace is hand-sewn into hairclips and onto many of the Michal Negrin dresses – to the Imprinting Room, where the prints for each dress or jacket are sent to a digital printer, the only one of its kind in Israel, and then printed on a form of transparency paper saturated in colored ink. Each garment is customized to size. The print is then placed atop the appropriate fabric and set by a pressing machine. At that point, the fabric is ready for the fine beading, lace, crystals and glitter to be sewn on; 700 crystals sit on one particular dress.
One department is dedicated to fixing broken jewelry because Michal Negrin jewelry is sold with an unlimited warranty. Occasionally, an item from Negrin’s original collection from 25 years ago finds its way back to the repair shop and, when it does, she offers to buy back her creation.
At every turn is a new design – a hamsa (hand-shaped amulet), a cross, limited edition dolls, mirrors, jewelry boxes, men’s ties, key chains and a new line of 3D postcards – along with plans for Negrin’s own music, as well as a retreat hotel. Asked how she sustains her business while constantly inventing new ideas, Negrin replied, “I can’t stand to be bored. I need to feel all the time. It excites me. Without my passion, I can’t be happy, and I like to share my happiness.”
While not divulging the corporation’s financial details or earnings, Negrin was willing to speak about her company’s plans to add new locations to the global network of Michal Negrin shops.
“I can tell you that every day we are really growing and every day we get e-mails from people all over the world who want to open our shops. We choose the people, who will be like family. We’re going to open all over the world: in Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Moscow, Croatia....” She added that she’d like to open a store in the Arab world, perhaps first in Dubai or Lebanon. She explained, “It’s only fanatic people from both sides that make the problem. If the women will take the chance to create a new world with much more sympathy, more emotion, more respect ... I believe my shops will be in a lot of places in Arab countries. I feel we can bring happiness and optimism to everyone.”
In Jerusalem, it’s Amy Wilson’s first time in a Michal Negrin store.
“They have a lot of things I heard about on the Internet and in the newspaper, and it’s very amazing stuff,” Wilson said. “They have nice color and nice design. I bought a present for my friend, a necklace and earrings.”
Negrin’s empire is still a work-in-progress. She believes that her example is an inspiration to young designers at the dawn of their careers: “You need to be original and work in harmony with people – a lot of people together to create your dream,” she advised. “You’re not alone ... you share what you create. This is the most important thing.”
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