A Closer Look| BANA

I am starting a new lil' series over here on the blog to help celebrate my favourite smaller designers.
And I'm starting with BANA a sunglasses brand created in 2014 the French/ Lebanese designer Tanya Hayek. They showed the Spring So Cute Collection at the show I saw, and I want a pair of all of them. I have seen sunglasses like this before with the floral embellishments but none with this amount of attention to detail. The brand doesn't just use the cliché roses, they have picked different flowers, with different shades, and for me what really makes them stand out is the use of different tints on the lenses to either contrast or compliment the floral designs. Now, of course, the best way to get to know a brand is to talk to the owner, and that is what I have done. So here begins an interview with Tanya Hayek the owner of BANA. 



How would you sum up your brand? 

I would say that every pair of sunglasses has a personality so by wearing them you are adopting that personality. And with the flowers, I believe that everyone is so beautiful and so everyone deserves to have a bouquet of flowers to match their personality.

If you could only wear one pair of your sunglasses for the rest of your life which pair would it be? 

I could never wear one pair of sunglasses for the rest of my life I'm always changing which ones are my favourite about every three months or so depending on the season. But if I had to choose right now I would go for the Ceaser pair because they are so different from the normal flowers and pastels I normally work with. That  and I am currently in Cannes  ready to release my new collection near the time of the film festival, so this pair makes me feel like I am dressed to the standard of everyone else living and staying here. 



Tea or coffee and how do you like it? 

I love both but prefer tea because you can get so many different flavours so I always have a new favourite type. I also prefer it because it is healthier.

If you could live and work in any city in the world where would it be? 

Not really a city but I would love to live in Hawaii!



How did you create the Spring So Cute collection? 

The basic concept was based on going to the beach, and that I was bored of seeing the same sunglasses everywhere. So I made customised an old pair of my own, then a few compliments later and a push from a friend I starting selling them as a business. 

Do you think this sort of embellishment could work for normal glasses/would you ever design normal glasses frames? 

Yes totally! I take private orders in the town where I live, and people give me either a pair of sunglasses or normal specs for me to customise. I don't think I would create a glasses frames collection just yet because you can play around with sunglasses so much more. 



Who are your favourite designers or artists to draw inspiration from?

Most of my sunglasses draw inspiration from the people I see around me, and the round shape comes from the iconic John Lennon glasses.

What are your favourite colours to work with?

I love to work with the colours of the sunset, I currently have a paint that goes from orange to yellow depending on the light you're under which has been really fun to work with.



A massive thank you to Tanya for letting me interview her, and if you want a pair of glasses by her  ready for the summer and festival season head over to the BANA website!

XO, Miriam


*disclaimer, I am in no way sponsored to do this post.




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1 comments:

  1. Ohh my gosh these are so rad, I love them! <3 But I really don't think I could pull something this crazy off! I'm definitely more of a classic sunnies girl haha xx

    http://lifeaccordingtolili.blogspot.co.uk

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