Rana Cheikha is Lebanese by origin but worldly in mindset. Having studied both footwear and accessories design in Italy, as well as graphic design in Beirut, is indicative of where her passion lies: the aesthetic, great design, and exceptional details. The brand is her life’s inspiration, an expression of her being, and a tribute to her background. 

When we asked about how did Rana Cheikha get involved in the design industry she told us that: “Design has consistently been a part of my world growing up with my father being an architect and my older siblings also following careers in interior and graphic design. I was myself always itching to experiment and create and took on various art and design courses until I began my career as a graphic artist. I was successful at creating brands and experiences for others, but at one point felt the need to move forward and produce a more tangible product that I could use to translate my own thoughts into something I can experience.” And she added that: “I love the combination of art and design and finding the common ground between the two. Footwear is something that I have always loved, and I became infatuated with leather products and their creation after taking a shoe techniques course in Italy, which led me to continue with a master degree in footwear and leather accessory design. I have since been designing and producing leather products.”

Rana also explained that X-stitch which born form the iconic Medan moccasin, is her signature: “From its concept to its construction, it has gone through a unique process of development where pattern making was brought to the forefront of the design process. The primary focus was to create a shoe made from a single piece of leather that would wrap around the foot and where design, uncommonly, came second to structure and pattern. The Medan Moccasin’s shape follows a single line that wraps around the shoe mold with as little intrusion as possible, cutting the pattern in as little places as possible. It is successfully created of a one-piece pattern. It wraps around the foot with the unique X-stitch highlighting the seam line that brings together the pattern edges to cup the foot and create this unique piece of footwear. I now use this X-stitch through various products I create.”

Be in love with our work is always the key to achieving better results and  Rana Cheikha shared the reasons why she love to be a designer: “I do love it, on most days at least! But I find it challenging identifying it as my job as it compasses every part of my life – and at every hour too. I see it as a part of who I am. The best part about being a designer, I believe, is creating a product that people need to think about before being able to clearly have an opinion on, to wonder about it. I like creating products that are atypical without being loud, so that people need time to get used to and love it – to me this only means that it is something with more value, that it is unique and new. When something is unknown, it needs to be revisited, studied, and explored before being completely accepted. When this happens, I consider to have made a successful product.”

When asked about her philosophy on design and life she reminded us that: “Design needs to be versatile with a subtle uniqueness to it. With products, it has to be timeless and well-made, comfortable and, although fit for purpose, sometimes a bit random too. In theory, my philosophy in life is pretty much the same. Life has to be filled with movement, but also be calm – which is why I always need to be active but also keep some sort of routine. Life has to have crazy moments and quirky bits, but within an awareness that there was a past and there will be a future. Design and life need to feed on each other and create relevance to each other.”

Rana Cheikha also has several sources of inspiration which she wanted to share with us: “We are all influenced by trends that exist in every direction we look to, but since my brand is about a timeless product, I look at what I have already created and which models got positive feedback and use that as a base to move forward. It has never been about following trends, but rather about maintaining the brand signature while improving a product and creating an item that can be used now, or in 10 years from now. I find that my customers also want a unique product that they can enjoy in the moment, but also value in years to come.”

Rana also talked about the professionals that where a inspiration for her:  “When I started my brand, my initial source of inspiration was drawn from Fariuz, Marina Abramovic and everything between their two worlds. I created a link between their modes of expression, their yearning for the homeland and reputation for tearing down boundaries. I looked at everything from lyrics and mapping to performance and experimental art. Today, this has morphed into inspiration from my own constant movement and my living between different peoples and cultures which I submerge myself into. I always meet a multitude of fascinating people (designers, artists, technicians, different individuals) who teach me their own ways and help me to discover something new to incorporate it into my work, intentionally or not. It makes it personal, and this is the most important aspect to me.

We couldn’t finish this conversation without asking the designer about her new projects and she shared exciting new for handmade shoes lovers: “ I’ve always loved men’s footwear as this was actually what a lot of my technical studies were based on, so I naturally have always had models that are unisex in theory (not sizing) which a few lucky men have been able to fit into. As a result, I have been itching to introduce a men’s line for some time now. But until I am ready to completely dive into that, I am introducing a unisex line of slides which is launching VERY soon!” Visit ranacheikha.com and find all the collections.