ONA Designs International was created in 2010 to provide photographers and other creative professionals with fine leather and waxed canvas bags and accessories to carry and safeguard their equipment. Each bag contains a closed-cell foam interior. However, these totes, backpacks, messenger bags, briefcases, and cross-body bags are now the chosen carry-alls of everyday people who desire sophisticated and classic style while on the go. Today, ONA is sold in more than 70 stores within the U.S. and on its e-commerce site. ONA also works with eight international distributors to bring its handcrafted premium bags to retail outlets worldwide.
Garry Thaniel is at the helm of ONA, which is based in New York City, and as such he is fast becoming to ONA what Jenna Lyons is to J.Crew. He oversees every aspect of production — from design to execution — while also letting his team of young creatives express themselves. Thaniel is also instrumental in ensuring that ONA has its finger on the pulse of current trends and what the customer wants and needs in regards to style and protecting their essentials.
ONA’s The Black Collection
I met with Thaniel at New York City’s swanky Gansevoort Park Rooftop to learn more about the new vision and direction of ONA. He also introduced me to the upcoming Black Collection, which features five of the brand’s most popular silhouettes in black leather, including The Leather Clifton ($499), The Leather Prince Street ($389), The Leather Bowery ($249), The Leather Brixton ($439), and my favorite The Leather Kingston ($319). Thaniel also gave me a sneak peek at the limited edition camouflage The Bowery bag ($189), the first and only ONA bag with a patterned exterior.
During our discussion, the Baltimore native also explained how he got started in the retail industry, his goals for ONA, his commitment to giving back to his community. We also discussed the gentleman’s return to dapper dressing, and Thaniel’s travel essentials and the accessories every man should own.
Annika Harris: How did you get your start in retail?
Garry Thaniel: I started off as an intern at Lord & Taylor department stores in 2003. After graduating from Bucknell [University in Lewisburg, PA], I accepted a full-time offer to join the Executive Trainee Program at Lord & Taylor, where I started off as an assistant buyer in women’s ready-to-wear.
AH: What did the experience of working in the women’s retail sector teach you?
GT: It taught me to really know my customer and understand what the customer needs, and what will motivate them to make a purchase. I think people can rely on their personal taste to make product decisions, but when your customer doesn’t look like you and has different needs, you have to study and get to know about their lives and how your product fits into their life.
AH: Why was it important to get your MBA, even though your merchandising career had already taken off?
GT: I always wanted to get an MBA, because I knew the way that it would position me for success in and outside of the retail sector. Even though my career was on a solid trajectory, I knew an MBA would help me more easily transition into another industry, if I ever wanted to make a switch. Once I was accepted into Harvard Business School it was also important to show young people from Baltimore and similar environments what faith and hard work can help you achieve.
AH: How did you make the transition to ONA?
GT: At the time I was working for Macy’s, in a strategy function, and though it was going well, I really wanted a smaller and more entrepreneurial [experience] where I could leave my mark. When the opportunity arose at ONA, it felt like the perfect fit, at the exact moment I was ready for the next challenge.
ONA’s The Bowery in Camouflage
AH: What are some of the challenges and triumphs you’ve experienced as CEO of an established brand?
GT: The biggest challenge has been time management and making sure that I am doing all I can to position my team for success. On any given day, you have countless things that you could be doing to drive the business and ensure things are operating properly, so it’s very important to prioritize and use time wisely. I have an amazing team that works very hard to make ONA great; I have really learned to leverage them as much as possible and put them in a position to “run.” As a first-time CEO, there is no way you can do everything on your own, so hiring the right people and letting them do what they do best has really helped me with the transition. Some of the wins have been some of our recent product releases, which have helped us resonate with our core customer—photographers—and customers one or two degrees away, like entrepreneurs, stylists, and designers. We also are finalizing a global distribution partnership with one of the top camera brands in the world.
AH: What are some of your goals for ONA?
GT: My primary goal for ONA is to cement the brand as the choice bag of the 21st century creative professionals. I believe we have done that already for photographers. In a market saturated with bags that prioritize function over style, we’re able to accomplish both with timeless products in every sense of the word — functionality, craftsmanship, quality, and style. I love that our bags allow photographers to transition seamlessly between what they do professionally and personally. In fact, more and more we’re seeing that separation disappear in our community. So we’re excited to bridge that gap for new communities outside of the photographers we currently work with.
AH: Why is it important to you to be active in your community?
GT: Giving back is something that was instilled in me at a young age. Being active and volunteering in the community and church, has been something that started in my middle school and high school years. It’s important to me because I grew up with two amazing parents, a supportive extended family, and an awesome church family. I can truly say a lot of people invested me as a young man, which is one of the main reasons I am able to live this awesome life. I recognize my blessings, and want to pay it forward and be a resource for the next group of young professionals and students. Sometimes it takes seeing someone you relate to help you understand what is possible, and I think being active in my community gives me the opportunity to be that role model for those younger than myself.
AH: Why do you think men are leaning more towards dapper dressing?
GT: I think men are realizing that style/dapper dressing are forms of expression and send a message to people that you might not have a chance to speak. They say “a picture is worth a thousand words,” so with more cameras, iPhones, and social media, I think men want to look good to ensure they’re making the most of their “thousand words.” Personally, I have always been into fashion and have developed my own sense of style over the years. I grew up in a church where dapper dressing was a norm and something that you needed do every Sunday so I learned from some of the best.
I think for men, dapper dressing has spilled over into arenas that previously weren’t associated with fashion, like sports and music. When you look at LeBron, D-Wade, Melo, and Cam Newton, you see guys who are influential athletes, but also style icons, and though you had athletes in previous generations that were stylish, it’s definitely been turned up to another level with this era of athletes. Similarly, with artist and musicians, you see guys like A$AP Rocky, Black Thought, Kanye, and Jay Z that are very dapper. You always had R&B dudes that were smooth and dressed dapper, but now you have rappers that are as likely to wear a tailored suit as they are to wear jeans and Jordans.
AH: What are your top travel essentials?
GT:
- Leather duffle bag
- Headphones
- iPad
- Dopp kit with all the necessities
- Business card holder
- Notebook and pen
- My ONA Leather Clifton backpack or Brixton messenger bag
AH: As men seem to be embracing accessories and paying more attention to the bags they carry, what are the five to seven accessories every man should own?
GT:
- A nice wrist watch
- Cashmere scarf
- Leather gloves
- Wallet
- Leather belt
- Sunglasses
- Cufflinks
- ONA Camera Bag … of course
AH: Since you travel a lot for ONA, what are your favorite places to unwind, eat, play, shop, and sleep while traveling?
GT: Regardless of where I travel, I try to find a gym or spa to get a good workout and unwind. One of my favorite places is Los Angeles. I love the shops on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice Beach; they have awesome brand stores and boutiques. I also really like the overall vibe. I also love traveling to New Orleans. Commander’s Palace is one of my favorite places to eat. The food and drinks are amazing, and the service is superb. For trade shows, my travels sometimes take me to Vegas, and I love to stay at the Wynn or Encore. The rooms are comfortable, nice service, and there are great places to dine in the hotel.
Keep up with ONA, pronounced o’na in Swahili and means “to feel,” “to believe,” and “to experience with the eyes,” via @ONABags on Instagram. And follow the style and travel escapades of UPTOWN Digital Content Director Annika Harris here.