Given her father Mohamed’s obsession with watches, it is perhaps not surprising that Alana Hadid’s own ambitions in the industry have now turned into a reality.
But it would take a special reason to persuade Alana to become involved, and in the female-run VANNA, Alana believes she has found it.
“I love what VANNA is doing,” says Alana. “They’re bringing the ability to be a watch collector to those who don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars. People want something that’s high quality and beautiful without breaking the bank.”
Her connection with watches stems from an heirloom passed down by her father: a beautiful, rare and vintage double-faced watch dating back to the 1930s.
“That’s a small piece of my family,” she says. “My family were refugees. The watch was more concealable jewelry so it was easier to get out. My grandfather gave it to my father and he gave it to me.”
Often handed down through the generations of a family, watches can indeed be a piece of living and working history.
But one of the particular appeals of VANNA to Alana was how, in a traditionally male-dominated industry, it is the only brand to be owned and manufactured by women.
“The designs are innovative but finding out VANNA is a female-founded company was incredible,” says Alana. “And this is really coming full circle, because I hope, later on, I can pass my VANNA watch to my daughter.”
In what is its first collaboration with Alana, VANNA has now released an exquisite collection of 100 limited edition and numbered watches.
Each one is made of natural Tiger’s Eye and Mother of Pearl crystals, and also feature a Sapphire crystal.
Renowned as a stone of protection, Tiger’s Eye is also thought to bring its owner good luck, with the power to focus the mind, promote mental clarity and support objective problem-solving without the influence of emotion.
Mother of Pearl is the common name for an iridescent nacre coating, a blend of minerals that are secreted by oysters and other mollusks and deposited inside their shells. It is strong, iridescent and resilient, and is commonly believed to attract prosperity.
It’s also understood to possess stress-relieving properties, bringing calmness and stimulating intuition and creativity.
Also known as the “wisdom stone”, Sapphire is believed to release mental tension, depression, unwanted thoughts and spiritual confusion.
The VANNA x Alana Hadid watches launched at 10am PT on July 30th.
