Inbar Lavi is a working TV and film actress with a fashion brand that helps other female entrepreneurs. Still, her most important role to date is as a new mother to daughter Ariel. Realizing the importance of achieving as much calm, rest, and serenity as possible before motherhood, Lavi and her husband, Dan Bar Shiva, planned a babymoon in the Coachella Valley.
After giving birth to Ariel in July, Lavi, perhaps best known for her work in the television series Prison Break and Lucifer, is simultaneously focusing on other projects. Her clothing brand House of Lavi is a massive hit, offering a line of comfortable, versatile attire. According to the company’s website, the brand works “to give back to the community in an artistic way that celebrates soulfulness, creativity, and inclusivity.”
Lavi also stars in the film Bau: Artist at War (in theaters Sept. 26), an adaptation of the memoir of artist Joseph Bau (Emile Hirsch), who was imprisoned during World War II in the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp and fell in love with and eventually married Rebecca, a fellow prisoner, portrayed by Lavi.
Lavi opened up to Palms Springs Life about motherhood, her important new film, and why she loves visiting the desert.
Hair by Shlomi Hillel, makeup by Efrat Deloya, and styling by Adi Osterwill.
PHOTO BY LEE GUMBS
Lavi and her husband, Dan Bar Shiva.
Photo courtesy Inbar Lavi
PHOTO BY Lee Gumbs
Your daughter, Ariel, was born in July. How has motherhood already changed you?
You feel like you’re in a parallel universe almost. It doesn’t really feel like your old self or your old world. A lot of your freedom is being taken away and a lot of idle time doesn’t exist anymore, and things just seem very chaotic, but that’s also because you’re speaking to me at the very early stages of newborn. Everything is very new and they’re so little and they need you so much. It just changes you in every way. I think slowly we progressed into this new normal. I’ll find ways to balance my time and my sanity, but right now it’s just a lot of learning.
Why did you choose to have your babymoon in Palm Springs?
First, because it’s quite close, and when you’re pregnant you can’t travel too far. Second, because I’m from Israel, so I love Palm Springs and the desert. I love the dry heat and the sun, and I thrive in the desert. It really feels like home and like a safe space for me. We always have an incredible time when we go. It’s so peaceful, and when you’re pregnant or about to become a parent, enjoying inner peace is so important. I definitely recommend having some alone time before the baby arrives. It’s such a sacred time to get ready for this life-changing moment with your partner or to be alone with yourself.
Where did you stay in the desert during your babymoon?
Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs. It’s a beautiful boutique sanctuary. They have a yoga dome there where you can take classes and do sound healing. They also have hot springs everywhere on the property that you can just soak in and recharge, and it’s all natural waters. I loved being in the water while I was pregnant because it took some of the weight off. Obviously you can’t stay in hot water for too long when you’re pregnant, but little increments are okay. They also have an amazing, delicious Mediterranean restaurant. My husband and I went, then we went back and took a group of friends.
Lavi and friends at Workshop Kitchen + Bar in Palm Springs.
Courtesy Inbar Lavi
What other restaurants do you enjoy in the Coachella Valley?
We loved the Workshop Kitchen + Bar in Palm Springs so much. The food is so good, but I also can’t recommend the restaurant at Two Bunch Palms highly enough.
When do you plan to take the baby for her first visit to the desert?
The sooner, the better. Talking to you about Palm Springs right now makes me want to just get in the car and head over. There is something so exciting about that place that I love so much.
Your House of Lavi fashion line is a huge comfy-cozy hit. How did it come about?
I never expected to run a fashion line. It just sort of happened during the COVID pandemic when we were on a break … from filming Lucifer and everyone in the world was home in their sweatpants. I had all this time on my hands, and I realized that I was about to get ready to go back to filming, and yet so many people out there weren’t going back to work. I heard all these stories from different friends who were losing their businesses and I wanted to help. I decided to create a line of sweats. The profits all go to charity and support female-owned businesses that were shutting down because of the pandemic. It sold out really fast.
How do you describe the clothing?
We created this really simple, clean, and comfortable line of sweats so that people can feel good at home and support other businesses at the same time. It kind of escalated and sold out and people wanted more. We created a collection called Neshama, which means “the soul” in Hebrew, and that just kind of took on a life of its own. People around the world began reaching out and wanted to support the cause and it just became this incredible thing. I’m so proud of it.
Besides the baby and clothing line, you also star in the upcoming Bau: Artist at War, set during the World War II Holocaust. What made you want to be a part of this project?
This film is so near and dear to my heart. It’s almost like a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to share the story of my people and this part of history that is so dark and shed some light on it and share it with the world. I got this script maybe four and a half years ago and it took a long time for it to be made because of the pandemic and the actors’ strike. It was a struggle to make this film come to life. As soon as I read the script, I knew I had to play Rebecca.
PHOTO BY LEE GUMBS
Lavi with baby Ariel.
PHOTO BY INBAR LAVI
How did you relate to the character?
I had a very strong connection to this incredible woman and fell in love with her. I fell in love with Joseph. I fell in love with their love. When you first meet Rebecca, she seems to have lost a little bit of the spark of life because of all the challenges that she’s experienced, such as losing her family and going through so much of the pain and destruction of World War II. I can relate to feeling like I’ve reached the bottom and then find the spark and hanging on to it and being reminded of all the beauty that still exists in the world.
What feeling do you hope people are left with after watching the film?
As a Jewish and Israeli woman, this film has even greater significance for me. It’s heartbreaking that even now people are persecuted for their identity, but this film is a testament to the power of love and resilience and hope. I hope this story reminds us of our duty to keep shedding light on these dark chapters of history and to have faith.
