A Little History of Zina
Eclectic and versatile, with more than a dash of fun; people often use these words to describe not only Zina's designs, but also Zina herself. From her earliest days, she was surrounded by varied influences and characterized by her desire for new experiences.
As the child of Polish immigrants, Zina spoke Yiddish before learning English. Because of her bilingual status, Zina served as the unofficial liaison for her father's New York jewelry factory. Her job duties in the family business weren't limited to translation. Most notably, she performed collections on delinquent accounts. "There I was - this little girl," she remembers, "walking down to the Bowery, which was pretty rough at the time. But nobody bothered me, and it got the debtors to pay up. They couldn't tell a little girl 'no.'"
Inspired by her father's example and surrounded by the artisans in his factory, Zina had fallen in love with design by age twelve. Years later and after a year of traveling through England, France, Switzerland, and Italy, Zina and her family returned to the U.S. They ultimately settled in Los Angeles, largely because it was different, and then something exciting and unexpected happened. Zina reentered the jewelry world, just as inventive designers were beginning to see the possibilities in sterling silver. The artistic instincts that had first emerged during her childhood were still there, made stronger by her adventures. Throughout her travels, two things had remained constant: Zina loved moving forward and she viewed life with an artist's eye. She used those qualities to create a line of jewelry that was totally fresh and new.
Understanding that the traditional jewelry industry focused on special occasion pieces, Zina envisioned a sterling line that was fashion-forward and accessible. "Women want everyday items for work and dinner," she explains. "Jewelry you can purchase for yourself and that tells the world how you want to be interpreted."
In 1983, Zina founded her business in Beverly Hills offering a retail store and a small line that she sold to other independent jewelers. The business quickly became a destination for dynamic, inventive merchandise. Always offering customers something new and different, Zina expanded her jewelry line to include pieces with diamonds and 18 karat gold. Additionally, she created her own brand of clothing in gorgeous Thai silks and cottons.
Today, after 25 years of success in the heart of Beverly Hills, Zina is still going strong.
|
