Suno is a true ecological label at heart by half German, half Korean founder Max Osterweis which is much loved by a fashionable crowd these days and first sold at Opening Ceremony in New York. (The one cult store that even got Chloë Sevigny to design a much anticipated line for them.)
A story revolving around a brand is important these days and Osterweis’ concept is a striking one. While his collection is based on an eclectic take, mixing prints and teh feel of urban chic, it all started with Osterweis’s mom who lives on the small island of Lamu, just before the coast of Kenia. Max Osterweis got mesmerized by the so-called Kanga fabrics, covered in brightly coloured and abstract prints with Swahili sayings, and started collecting them. When in 2007 the image of the country got severely damaged, because of local violence to create chaos before the presidential elections, he decided he needs to do something and give something to the country.
Thus he got his good friend and designer Erin Beatty in on the game and together they launched Suno – and made the whole collection out of Max Osterweis’ vintage fabrics. The colours and bold and fairytale-like prints, both wearable and quirky, even got a stamp of approval by Anna Wintour. Today the forward thinking label also designs its own prints, yet everything still gets handmade in factories in India or Peru to not only make a fashion savvy audience happy, but support also the small factories in less fortunate countries.
Images Courtesy of Now Fashion
Text > Kaira van Wijk
