Mix Master

Fashion fiend Lynn Ban discusses with LIONNEL LIM her vintage finds and how she got Rihanna to wear her jewellery

- Lionnel Lim

Unapologetic. That’s Lynn Ban in a nutshell. The New York-based jewellery designer is a gem in a million. Her style is individualistic and her designs statement pieces. She is also not shy to be a discerning woman who is not concerned if her IQ appears diminished if she says she loves fashion.

Ban was born in Singapore but left at the age of four, primarily living in New York and Hong Kong, coming back with her parents to finish high school. She went off to New York University, then did French literature and art history at Cornell University, and has stayed in New York ever since. She also spent two years at the Paris-Sorbonne University pursuing art history.

After graduating in the late 1990s, she launched the Genki Sushi franchise in New York (which her father, David Ban, owned and launched in Singapore and Hong Kong) but sold it after the downtown location was devastated during the 9-11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center). “I learnt so much about doing business. I think moving around so much when I was young and travelling extensively really broadened my horizons,” she reflects.

Living abroad and being exposed to various cultures also helped shape her sartorial sensibilities. “My appreciation of and passion for old and new stemmed from these experiences. Vintage for me was a new discovery. It was unexpected and unique because you never know what you will find. It’s the thrill of the hunt — when you score, you also become hooked. I once found a Courrèges couture gown at a thrift store for $20! I love the latest fashion but understanding where we come from gives me insight into where we are heading,” Ban explains.