Sun Safety Alliance

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

1. Describe your where you grew up.
I grew up in Aarberg, Switzerland close to the Swiss French boarder in a small historic town. My parents owned a business. The house we grew up in had a big backyard with a vegetable garden. I am the oldest of three, most close to my sister. My mother began making clothing for us children and grew to be professional tailor, creating custom clothing for her clients. Our family speaks Swiss then learned German and French in the first and second grade. English is my fourth language!


2. Where did you meet your husband?
We grew up in the same town, followed each other around since Kindergarten. My husband’s parents owned a local fashion retail store. We both eventually graduated from our own colleges and met again per coincidence in London, where we studied. We hosted a couple of parties together. No dating yet… no interest… yet! A few years later, a trade show in Zurich Switzerland united us once again. It was there, that we fell in love and have been together, (twenty years), ever since.


3. Why the name AYANA?
The name AYANA was inspired by the "Amaranth" flower, a bloom in Greek mythology that never fades. Reflecting this longevity, AYANA's high quality fashionable UV-Protective apparel personifies the everlasting femininity, beauty and style of today's modern woman. I wanted a short, skin related name, (longevity or never fading), that was easy to pronounce in any language… we also have the advantage of always being listed first since it starts with an “A”!


4. Why sun safe clothing?
When we moved to California six years ago, Frank and I loved the sunny climate. But soon I discovered that my skin was changing. It developed age spots, wrinkles, and a loss of firmness. I have always lived a healthy lifestyle, and since my skin is the most important organ, I like to treat it as my most expensive garment. I learned that it is from permanent exposure to the UV-Rays, even on a simple drive out to Los Angeles. My first reaction was to increase the amount of sunscreen I applied daily. Then I began my search for a simpler alternative. I discovered UV-protective clothing, yet was disappointed in its lack of style. So while visiting Australia, I began business research on UV protective clothing because of the country’s fantastic conceptual vision of sun safety… It was after that trip that I was ready to start my venture!

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

5. How did AYANA team up with the Sun Safety Alliance?
I was looking to team up with a skin cancer awareness organization and contacted the Sun Safety Alliance. After a few great brainstorming sessions, we decided to begin our collaboration.


6. What’s your inspiration for the SSA line’s logo?
We wanted to create a logo that works for men and women; that’s fun and encourages becoming aware of the sun without being afraid of it. I worked with our graphic designer and created a combination of the sun and a cancer cell, that’s right a cancer cell! We all have them in our “system”.

7. What is your vision for AYANA Apparel in the near future
To offer sustainable, fashionable clothing for everyday wear with sun protection for women and children

In an effort to involve fans in the Andrea's involvement with the Sun Safety Alliance's new fashion forward UV protective clothing line by AYANA apparel, the entire photo shoot will be tweeted.

Fans can follow @Sun_Safety on twitter to receive updates regarding the photo shoots, editorials, press releases, and Sun Safety news.

Fans are also encouraged to search #SSA2009 to become actively involved in the launch and development of the new clothing line.



Andrea Bowen herself also tweets @AndieBo. She recently tweeted about her adventures on Capitol Hill while working to gain support for improved school lunches through the Child Nutrition Act.

@Andiebo: Just met with Aaron Rosenthal and Joel Reithmiller at Rep Hill's office to
co-sponsor HR. 1324. #foodinc #onthehill

Join the conversation, we look forward to meeting you on twitter!

“Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. More than one million cases of skin cancers are diagnosed each year, and one person dies from it every hour. As someone with fair skin, how could I not get involved in trying to prevent something so preventable?”

Kathryn Morris is the spokesperson for the new SSA line by Ayana apparel. She will be photographed by Larsen and Talbert Wednesday, June 8th, 2009. Larsen and Talbert have photographed stars for nationally known clients such as ABC Disney, InStyle, Self, Good Housekeeping, Time, Readers Digest, Esquire, Marie Claire, and many others.

About Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) Testing

Over-exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation) can cause sunburn, skin damage and an increased risk of developing skin cancer. Clothing provides one of the most convenient forms of protection against UVR but not all garments offer sufficient sun protection. All fabrics have some ability to block UVR and laboratory testing is performed to determine how effective different fabrics are. The ARPANSA UV laboratory performs Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) testing on fabrics and other materials.

The UPF rating indicates how effective a fabric is at blocking out solar ultraviolet radiation. This testing is performed according to Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS4399. UPF ratings range from 15 to 50 with higher ratings indicating more effective blocking and therefore better protection for the wearer of a garment made from the fabric. Fabrics that test higher than UPF 50 are rated as UPF 50+.

ARPANSA (formerly the Australian Radiation Laboratory) has performed these measurements on fabrics since the early 1990's. Testing methods developed here were adopted by the Australian Standard; Sun protective clothing - Evaluation and classification AS/NZS4399: 1996. This standard was released in July 1996 to introduce a standardised UPF testing method and it also specifies appropriate wording to be placed on labels of clothing claiming to offer sun protection. Copies of this standard are available from
Standards Australia.

UPF testing involves exposing a fabric to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and measuring how much is transmitted through the sample. Different wavelengths of radiation in the UVR spectrum have different effects on human skin and this is taken into consideration when calculating the UPF rating.

Factors that contribute to the UPF rating of a fabric are:

• Composition of the yarns (cotton, polyester, etc)
• Tightness of the weave or knit (tighter improves the rating)
• Colour (darker colours are generally better)
• Stretch (more stretch lowers the rating)
• Moisture (many fabrics have lower ratings when wet)
• Condition (worn and faded garments may have reduced ratings)
• Finishing (some fabrics are treated with UV absorbing chemicals)

NATA Accredited Laboratory

Visit AyanaApparel.com to view the new clothing line.

Use promo code SSA2009.

Follow @Sun_Safety #SSA2009 for up-to-the minute updates!

Andrea Bowen of ABC's "Desperate Housewives," will be a spokesperson for a new UV-Protective t-shirt line being launched by the Sun Safety Alliance (SSA),


in collaboration with the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC). SSA has teamed up with AYANA Apparel


to provide fashion-forward UV-Protective t-shirts that protect your skin while maintaining your sense of style.
Proceeds from this t-shirt line will be donated to SSA for educational programs to promote skin cancer prevention.

An Industry veteran at 19, Andrea Bowen began her Broadway career at the age of 6 playing the youngest Cosette in Les Miserable's 16 year run. Best known for her role as Julie Mayer, Teri Hatcher's on-screen daughter on "Desperate Housewives," she has earned two SAG Awards for Best Performance by an Ensemble. Last year she earned a PRISM Award from the Entertainment Industries Council and a WIN Award for the Lifetime movie "Girl Positive."

In addition to acting, Bowen is a strong supporter for sun safety and skin cancer prevention efforts. Bowen says that the shirts not only carry a message about sun protection, they can protect from the damaging effects of the sun and still allow you to stay fashionable. "These are not just message or logo shirts. They're flattering on you and they block the UV rays that usually get through normal tops," she said.

The shirts carry an SPF protection of 30-50 and will help to raise money for prevention efforts. AYANA's web site is located at www.ayanashop.com.



Purchases of the SSA line and other clothing available on the site will result in a donation to SSA by using discount or coupon code SSA09.


You can read the official press release here

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

Kathryn Morris has demonstrated her multi-talented capabilities in the world of film and television. She continues to move audiences through her character as detective Lilly Rush, in the CBS hit drama "Cold Case" produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, currently in its seventh season. Additionally, she runs a successful film and television production company with partner David Barrett, Hotplate, at Warner Bros.


Celebrity Interviews - Cold Case: Kathryn Morris - Click here for more home videos


In addition to acting, Morris is a strong supporter for sun safety and skin cancer prevention efforts. “Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. More than one million cases of skin cancers are diagnosed each year, and one person dies from it every hour,” said Morris.

“As someone with fair skin, how could I not get involved in trying to prevent something so preventable?”

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

The shirts carry an SPF protection of 30-50 and will help to raise money for prevention efforts. Morris will be featuring the shirts in a photo shoot and also serve as spokespersons for sun safety and skin cancer prevention.

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

The line will start with two women’s shirts, as well as one for men and one for small children. If successful, the line will expand to additional colors, designs and styles. Initially, they will be available on AYANA’s web site, which carries a wide variety of sun protective fashions. AYANA and SSA are simultaneously planning to make the line available to other online retailers, with plans to also offer them to traditional brick-and-mortar boutique and chain clothing stores. AYANA’s web site is located at www.ayanashop.com. Purchases of the SSA line and other clothing available on the site will result in a donation to SSA by using discount or coupon code SSA09.



You can read the official press release here

Owners Sonja Gfeller Aeschbacher and Frank Aeschbacher, come from three generations of traditional garment entrepreneurs, dating back to the early 1900's. In 1920, Frank's grandfather opened his own tailor shop in his hometown of Aarberg in Switzerland,

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

where he and fifteen sewers would hand-make suits for the wealthy every day. After World War II, the apparel industry expanded into mass production and retail. The family business was no exception. Eighty years since that first tailor shop, the family continues to deliver high-quality fashion-forward clothing in Europe. In 2003, Sonja and Frank extended the family tradition overseas by moving to the US.

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

As an active, outdoor couple, they immediately took advantage of the near-perfect climate in Southern California, spending much of their leisure time walking along the beach, hiking in the hills, barbeque and exploring new terrain. Always health conscious, they diligently applied sunscreen but found reapplying it several times a day tedious and inconvenient. So they looked for alternative ways to protect themselves from harmful UV rays.

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

They discovered UV-Protective clothing but were disappointed in the limited options available to them. Based on a medical model, most UV-Protective clothing is designed strictly for outdoor exercise or is devoid of style.

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos

So Sonja and Frank merged fashion sense with health awareness to create AYANA Apparel for women who want to maintain beauty and style while simultaneously protecting their skin.

From Sun Safety Alliance Photos