Taking the Creative into Production

The creative world is infused with passion, chaos and freedom. It is a limitless world with no boundaries. Using creativity in parallel to design in an aim to create products that have a beautiful aesthetic while remaining relevant and functional is another form of art that, in this case, requires a certain amount of organization – which is one of my most favorite skills if I may add!

The big sacrifice, I find, is finding the balance between what I want to create and making a living out of my creations through the Rana Cheikha Brand. Design and business seemed like worlds away from each other in the beginning. Through the years, I have found that the decision to attempt to find the middle ground is where the core of creativity is needed.

I cannot deny that in order to survive off-of design as work, I have had to make sacrifices, and adapt – the art is where to draw the line between the two.

So how did I approach the task? I went back to the beginning and to the core of the brand concept and research. I realized that my starting point was something that is relatable to most of my audience.


I looked into the mood, the textures, the feelings that surfaced, and realized that the job was mostly done, I only had to communicate it in the best way possible. In order to bridge my design with business, I had to create products that communicated the entire story to my audience, and as a result create a product which they understand, need and want.

• Thoughts and ideas
  My source of inspiration is, and has always been, an accumulation and collection of thoughts, ideas and processes that I have been experimenting with while studying and executing art and design. The label brings together elements that over the years map my process of learning and discovery - namely craft (knowledge, detail and beauty) and travel (topography, landscape, movement and texture).
  
  
  
• Music and conceptual art at the base
  The research of the Rana Cheikha Label was initially drawn from Fariuz and Marina Abramovic and everything between each of those two worlds. I created a link between their modes of expression, hunger for home and confronting limits they address in their art. I looked at everything from lyrics and mapping to performance and experimental art. 
  
  
  
  
• The Result
  The result is a journey. One that has created a Brand and Label representing a modern, active and confident individual. It has an aesthetic appeal that is beautiful and interesting as well as practical. It is made for those who value a unique timeless product and who can feel the strength of the concept behind the simplest line of design in each product. It is relatable and relevant to each individual that chooses to wear a pair of Rana Cheikha shoes.
  

It is imperative to use the Rana Cheikha Brand to create a connection between thoughts, ideas and production and finally transfer these to an audience that can experience and appreciate. Birthing from an assortment of personal influences and backgrounds, I make sure that the Brand will continuously grow from inspirations and the world and tell these stories through the products it creates.

Signing-off: Rana Cheikha for The Shoe Advisor