Hello and welcome to Acid Banana. I am Susie, I’m 47 and I live in sunny Manchester UK. I am a mother of 2 and wifey to a Dutchman. It all started off when I was taken to the bead shop on Tower Street in London with art college. I loved it there and the very first beads I got were sugar coated glass ones that looked like ‘Fruit Pastilles’ by Rowntrees.
I was on the bus one day and a lady told me she loved my bracelet and asked where it was from.. I told her I made it and she asked if I could make her one .. back then there was no mobile phones so I told her that my parents had the Sunflower takeaway so she came in to see me and got one.

I studied fashion and marketing at uni and unfortunately I didn’t finish my course as I found designing 25 outfits for the same project boring as the first thing I drew up would be the one..I’m someone who knows exactly what I want. I then worked as a training young designer for a Manchester company called Baylis And Knight.. Alison’s husband was the lead singer from the 90’s band ‘Inspiral Carpets’ .. I also worked part time at Vivienne Westwood this was during my year out I took and this made me not go back to uni.

During this time I started to make jewellery and I sold to 5 boutiques up North.. and I did Portobello a couple of times and even shared a stall next to Paul’s Boutique. Who remembers the army jackets?!!
There was no internet banking etc or social media .. my jewellery was only seen at shops.. and I used to post them to my sellers and they would send me a cheque. I did this for a few years whilst working part time.

Being in my 20’s in the 90’s was the best time of my life!! I went to the best clubs and nights.. and dressing up was so fun.. my best outfit has got to be my baby blue pvc trouser suit for ‘Flesh’ a night held at the Hacienda.
Then in my late 20’s I found a new interest cocktail making. I finished work one day at Selfridges.. it was late and I walked into Gaucho in Manchester and asked if I could train up as a bartender there.. and I got the job and I was a bartender till I had my second child..I couldn’t do it anymore and being in my 40’s ..nearly 15 years... I loved it though.

So I started selling vintage and bits of my jewellery again via Instagram to my regular followers and working part time at our wine shop.
Things took off during lockdown as I had more time to make jewellery but nowhere to source vintage as there was no markets or car boots on... when orders started coming in I knew that I could concentrate on making my jewellery and make it into something and needed a name and branding etc...

I came up with the name Acid Banana ... because my dad calls us bananas .. white inside, yellow outside.. and the logo comes from an old fairground toy I have and in this colouring book where I use it for my back drops there was a page with a banana and psychedelic background I took a pic of the toy on that page and then ‘Acid Banana’ pops into my head!!

My jewellery is fun, unique and for those who aren’t shy to make a statement. Inspired by my vintage plastic collectibles and childhood memories.. growing up in the 70’s ..80’s and 90’s definitely gives me the best imagination and inspiration ever!! And also Blackpool illuminations!!! I just love colour and my nickname I was given at art college by a friend was ‘Blackpool illuminations on foot’

So here we have it.. Acid Banana!!

Thanks A Bunch!!