hello ban.do by ban.do

HELLO BAN.DO

the travel issue, 2015/16

WELCOME TO HELLO BAN.DO, WHERE YOU GET TO FIND OUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR WORLD. SPEAKING OF OUR WORLD, DID YOU KNOW THAT WE’RE IN 46 COUNTRIES AND OVER 1,000 STORES GLOBALLY? TRUE STORY. FROM LOS ANGELES TO SINGAPORE, THE UK TO DUBAI, WE’RE BLAZING ALL KINDS OF TRAILS AND COULDN’T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT. THINK OF THIS ISSUE AS YOUR TICKET TO TRAVEL THE GLOBE WITH US! READ ON TO CHECK OUT PHOTOS, PRESS, AND HIGH FIVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. YOU’LL GET TO HANG WITH #BANDOGIRLGANG MEMBER WHITNEY PORT, STAR OF MTV’S THE HILLS AND THE CITY, AND HEAR ALL ABOUT HER (SECOND!) BACHELORETTE TRIP TO MEXICO WHERE OUR GETAWAY DUFFLE BAG TOOK CENTER STAGE. AND YOU’LL MEET ADRIEN CROSAS, OWNER OF PLACE A BOUTIQUE IN PARIS, WHO DISCOVERED BAN.DO ON INSTAGRAM AND IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST BRAND PARTNERS. IT’S A BAN.DO WORLD TOUR, AND WE’RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ALONG FOR THE RIDE. STAY FLY,

WE LOVE OFFERING THE BAN.DO BRAND TO OUR CUSTOMERS. IT’S THE PERFECT MIX OF TREND AND FUNCTION – BRIGHT COLORS AND FUN PRINTS IN ITEMS YOU USE EVERY DAY. – NORDSTOM, U.S. WE REALLY NEED AN EXTRA DAY BETWEEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: A BAN.DO DAY! WE SIMPLY ADORE THIS HAPPY BRAND FOR OUR HAPPY STORE. – WEEKENDS, SINGAPORE

WE’RE ALL OVER THE MAP WE’RE GETTING SOCIAL WITH ASOS! CHECK US OUT ON THE @ASOS INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS. P.S TOTE AS PLANTER = GENIUS.

with so much i nt ern a t io n a l l ove f o r b a n .d o, we’re g r in n in g fr o m c o n t in e n t t o co n t in e n t ! DID SOMEONE SAY BRITISH INVASION?! SELFRIDGES IS NOW DECKED OUT WITH BAN.DO IN LONDON, BIRMINGHAM, AND MANCHESTER. WE THINK YOU’RE PRETTY AWESOME TOO, SELFRIDGES. (AND WE’RE PRACTICING OUR BRITISH ACCENTS ON THE DAILY.)

EVERYONE WANTS TO GET AWAY WITH BAN.DO, INCLUDING THE EDITOR OF OK! MIDDLE EAST! OUR GETAWAY DUFFLE WAS FEATURED IN THE “EDITOR’S ELITE” ROUNDUP. WAY TO HAVE FUN, OK!

#BANDOGIRLGANG MEMBER

ON TRAVEL, CAREER, AND KEEPING IT REAL

ASOS / SELFRIDGES

hy do we love Whitney Port? Um, where do we begin?! With a million followers on Instagram and even more on Twitter, two hit TV shows under her belt, and a burgeoning fashion line, it’s no secret that Whitney’s got it going on. But of all the many reasons to love Whitney, it’s her genuine realness that’s got us totally head over heels. She’s the kind of girl you just want to hang with all the time, and we’re so thrilled to call her a member of our girl gang. We sat down with Whit in the days leading up to her recent wedding to talk BFFs, Britney, and of course, ban.do!

Best friends and girl gangs are a big part of who ban.do is, and you just went on your second bachelorette trip to Mexico! What inspired you take not one, but two girl trips? I have a group of best friends, and then I have a ton of sisters and a cousin, and so I wanted to take two trips so I could give my full attention and time to everyone. This second trip to Mexico was more of a family trip. It’s very rare that you get to have all those people together in one place. It was just a really, really nice way to have quality time, to shut off from everything else and really focus on bonding. And you each got customized ban.do Getaway Duffles packed with goods! Yes! My amazing sister Paige, who works with me, put it all together. She knows pretty much everything about me and everything I love, including ban.do! The Getaway Duffle just screams celebration and love... exactly what a bachelorette weekend is all about. Everyone felt like it was Christmas in Mexico! Where was your first bachelorette trip? Vegas! It was a little bit more wild. We went to the Britney Spears show, which was so much fun. I got the chance to go backstage before the show and meet Britney, and that was huge for me because I grew up loving her. And then she invited me to come up onstage with her during the show! OMG! What was that like? It was one of those blackout moments where you’re just so in it and having so much fun that you don’t even really know what to think. The lights are so bright you can’t even really see the crowd. I was like, “Whitney, just do what they’re telling you to do, and have fun.”

It’s so cool that each of your trips had its own personality and really balanced the other one out. That’s something that we’re always talking about at ban.do. We’re really fun, but we love to restore and refresh, too. Definitely. You have to find the balance, because both are really great and also good for you. So it was nice to have a mix of both. And I’m happy that the Las Vegas one happened first and that I had time to recover. What’s the next travel destination or dream getaway on your list? I’ve never been to Italy and I’m dying to go there. I also really want to go on a road trip. We love road trips! What makes you excited about going on one? I just think that our country is so beautiful and I want to see it all. I also just love being in the car with my husband, Timmy. Even if we’re sitting in silence, it’s nice to just have those quiet, reflective moments when I know he’s next to me. And then it just feels kind of nostalgic. My grandparents used to drive across the country because they never flew anywhere, so we would go with them. For my 30th birthday, Timmy and I drove up to Big Sur. It’s only 6 hours away from Los Angeles and it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

That sounds amazing! OK, advice time. What would you say to the ban.do customer who really wants to make it in fashion? It’s hard to answer this question because I’ve had a very unique experience. But I did intern at Women’s Wear Daily and was just like working in the closet, packing and shipping and receiving and logging things. I think that interning is really about getting that experience no matter where it is. It’s important for girls to know that you have to start somewhere and that start is most likely not going to be glamorous. You’re not just gonna make it to the top right away. That just doesn’t happen, you know?

“the getaway duffle just screams celebration and love... exactly what a bachelorette weekend is all about!”

Right! That’s why we say we’re serious about fun — we work really, really hard. Yes. There is so much actual, logistical work that has to get done in order for the creative side to shine. People think that because I was on this show that I had everything handed to me on a silver platter, and that is not how it’s been. I’ve struggled in building my brand and making a name for myself, and in proving to people that I am a designer and I didn’t just do this to put my name on something. You’re such a boss. From one designer to another, what do you love about ban.do? ban.do is just such a fun and lively brand! I am always a huge fan of color, vibrancy, print, and femininity, and ban.do really embodies that. You guys make everyday products fun and creative. Aw, we love you too, Whitney! Check out Whitney online and on social: www.whitneyport.com / @whitneyeveport

T R AV E L TI P S F RO M W HI T!

PLAN IT OUT. “When I pack, it takes me like 5 hours to get my stuff together. I plan my outfits, including the accessories and everything that’s going to go with them. I take time to prep so that when I’m traveling, it’s all thought out and done for me.” (Everyday Bobbis; Looking Good Makeup Bag)

WORK IT OUT. “I just went to NY and the first morning, I woke up and my body was so tired, so I stayed in bed. The next day I woke up and went to work out. It’s a balance of listening to your body, knowing when you need the rest, and when you have enough energy to go work out and get those endorphins running.” (Sip Sip Tumbler With Straw; I Want It All ban.do Shopper)

FIND A BALANCE. “I try to do a mix of work and rest on the plane so that I can land and feel like I’ve accomplished something and also so that I’ve had enough time to rest and get myself prepared for the trip.” (Good Ideas Notebook; Compliments Pen Set)

PLACE A CELEBRATED ITS SECOND BIRTHDAY WITH A BIG PARTY FULL OF BAN.DO!

BIENVENUE, PLACE A! WE WELCOME ADRIEN CROSAS AND HIS COLORFUL PARISIAN BOUTIQUE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU! WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO OPEN YOUR OWN SHOP?

BONNE ANNIVERSAIRE, BTW! HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE PLACE-A’S BIRTHDAY?

I’ve always been interested in art, fashion, and new trends. I studied merchandising in school, and once I completed my degree I worked for an Italian fashion brand for two years. I realized it was quite difficult to find new, exciting products in France, and wanted to share my findings with the public. I launched my website in 2011, full of colors and with products designed around the world.

Thank you! The Parisian store turned 2 this October. We decided to celebrate this year by making space for our new favorite brand: ban.do! Our French customers got to discover ban.do at a special store event in November.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE PLACE A? WHAT KINDS OF THINGS CAN WE FIND IN YOUR STORE AND ONLINE?

In French, Place A (“place à”) means to make a space for someone or something, like an artist, a brand, or an event. My collection is a mix of designer and trendy gift products with an affordable price tag. I have lots of home décor products from all over the world, fancy jewelry, and a few stationery items. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER BAN.DO? WHAT PRODUCTS ARE YOU SUPER EXCITED ABOUT?

The first thing I look at when I wake up is Instagram, and that’s how I discovered ban.do! It’s difficult to choose just one ban.do item that I’m excited about, because the collection is totally A-MA-ZING! I do love the Agendas and the Power Bank for the iPhone. But the Hot Stuff Thermal Mugs are totally cool, too!

SO FUN! YOUR BUSINESS HAS GROWN A LOT IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WHAT’S IN PLACE A’S FUTURE?

This is a great question, because we are proud to announce that we will be moving to a bigger space in Paris in early 2016. We’ll remain in the same trendy district near the Sacré Coeur (50 Rue de Rochechouart, Paris 9). I’m so excited about this new location, which will allow us to house a more complete inventory and continue to write the Place A story. YOU LIVE IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CITY! DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY IN PARIS.

There are so many ways to spend a great day in Paris! I like to go for brunch in Montmartre, do some shopping in boutiques (my favorite time is in the morning when Paris is quiet) and to lose all sense of time while walking on the street finding the perfect coffee shop, or to check my Instagram feed. (We are happy to report that Adrien and Place A were unharmed in the recent Paris attacks. Our hearts continue to be with Paris.) Merci, Adrien! Visit Place A online and on Instagram: www.place-a.com / @placeashop

ANTHROPOLOGIE, U.S.