SUNO was formed in 2008 by Max Osterweis after more than a decade of collecting textiles in visits to Kenya. The prospect that Kenya’s recent post election turmoil might keep foreigners from visiting or investing in a country overflowing with natural resources, talent, and good will became the catalyst to actually do something with those fabrics. Building a successful and visible company that employs local Kenyan talent, treats workers fairly, and showcases some of Kenya’s artistry, could potentially affect positive and lasting social and economic change. The design and development for SUNO takes place in New York City, employing skilled sample and pattern makers in New York’s Garment District. The patterns and samples are then brought to Kenya where the garments are artisinally produced in small workshops.
The inspiration for the Spring/Summer 2009 collection comes from both the women of coastal East Africa and the women of downtown New York. The first collection from SUNO for Spring/Summer 2009 consists of 1,000 individually numbered one of kind pieces incorporating vintage Kenyan kangas.
Silk charmeuse is used throughout the Suno collection for piping, binding, pocketing, and collars – adding just the right elevated contrast to the gauzy cotton of the kangas. Dresses and drapier skirts are lined in solf silk habutai – while more fitted styles are lined with form-hugging stretch silk charmeuse. For special details, the finest quality grosgrain, cotton cording and elastics were sourced from Japan. Buttons are either horn or mother of pearl shell in natural colors. The collection also features antique brass RiRi zippers, with slightly exposed cotton zipper tape, adding a modern touch to the vintage prints.
Sasha Pivovarova from Russian, who is also the face of Chanel’s Paris-Moscow collection, did some drawings for the restaging of the show.Karl Lagerfeld asked Sasha Pivovarova to illustrate on a book based on Russian fairy tales in February, and she said “My drawings were inspired by the joy of seeing fairytale characters coming to life in one of the main theatres of Moscow, the city where I was born.” We all know that Sasha Pivovarova’s major in college is art, and painting has always been her passion.
Photo by Magnus Magnusson
This autumn, British accessory brand Jimmy Choo will bring its international glamour and covetable shoes and bags to selected H&M stores. The collection will be available from November 14 in around 200 stores across the world. It is the first time that H&M is collaborating with an accessories brand, and to celebrate Jimmy Choo will extend its design vision for this collection to women’s clothing to complement the accessories. Further exciting news is that this collaboration includes a men’s collection of shoes, bags and accessories.
Since its launch in 1996, Jimmy Choo has been such a phenomenal success that the brand name has become part of popular culture - say the words “Jimmy Choo”, and you know you mean shoes. In Hollywood, Jimmy Choo shoes have become a red-carpet essential, and have been worn at the Oscars by winners such as Cate Blanchett, Halle Berry and Hilary Swank among many other actresses. The famous Jimmy Choo shoes will be at the heart of the exclusive collection for H&M, but there’s more. Jimmy Choo has also become well known for its bags, and for H&M there will be a whole range of accessories to complete the look.
Paris-based art collective Andrea Crews aims to combine different aspects of contemporary creation such as fashion, art, music, film to highlight personal creativity and freedom of experimentation. The collective was founded by designer, Maroussia Rebecq, and for the organization’s apparel and accessories line, all items are produced entirely out of recycled materials. For the smartEcolette collection, a collaboration between Colette and eco-friendly mini automobile brand, Smart, Andrea Crews has produced 150 unique items of accessories that adhere to the collaboration’s theme of urban mobility, design and sustainability. All trinkets used on the jewelry are second hand objects, situating the items in the grey area between new and used. According to Rebecq, her collection is as versatile as the city-friendly Smart car: “”Our smart accessories are just as diverse as the urban culture that inspired them: wear them as a necklace, put them on your key ring or hang them on your rear-view mirror for more glamour in your smart.” The collection is now available online at Colette along with works of 5 other designers.
Photo by Zero + Maria Cornejo
Zero + Maria Cornejo is opening an exhibition and pop-up store in Paris hosted by the Brachfeld gallery. As part of the exhibit, a capsule collection of archive styles and a specially edited selection of pieces from the Pre-Fall 2009 Collection will be offered for sale to the public. The exhibition will explore Chilean-born designer Maria Cornejo’s unique approach to design, which has evolved since the inception of Zero in New York in 1998. It will illustrate how the simplest geometric and organic shapes – circles, tubes, triangles and rectangles - were the basis for early designs and are still at the heart of Maria’s work today. Spare, modern, architectural, minimal, feminine, and unpretentious are all words that have been used to describe Maria Cornejo’s work for Zero. High profile clients include Tilda Swinton, Cindy Sherman, and, more recently, Michelle Obama. In 2006, Maria Cornejo was honored as the recipient of a Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. written by Daisy Jing
Brachfeld Paris︱MAP
78 rue des Archives
79003 Paris France
Event Date:June 20th 2009 - July 11th 2009
As previously mentioned, The Selby, is known for photographing creative types such as designers, artists, musicians inside their homes, satisfying an interesting niche of peeping-tom curiosity. For a recent collaborative project with the Dossier Magazine for its Spring 09 issue, The Selby has stepped outside its usual photography route and created an adorable and humorous watercolor spread, Animals in Fashion. Styled by stylist, Aya Kanai, the spread has animals modeling different fashion pieces—a macaw rocks a Herve Leger swimsuit, a penguin in Balenciaga dress and a pig is summer ready in Michael Kor’s visor and red-white-and-blue bathing suit. You can check out the paintings online at The Selby, but get your hands on a copy of Dossier Magazine for keepsake. After all, the fashion landscape is like a jungle out there, and there’s nothing like a hardcopy of lighthearted paintings to keep us from getting too flustered.
The popularity of the likes of American Apparel and James Perse explains that there is a niche and demand for comfortable, wearable basics. But beyond solid colors and the occasional stripes or dots, we are looking for something that fits right between trendy and staple. After a great collection of oversized graphic tops and fitted cotton onesies this Spring, Mary Meyer is back with a great collection of cotton separates and accessories for Fall 09. The collection features her usual tribally geometric graphic patterns in voluminous silhouettes. Generously drapey cardigans and pullovers compliment the still-thriving leggings; onesies get a seasonal upgrade to longer belted rompers in plush red. The best part about Meyer’s work is that they are comfortable to wear and subtly interesting to look at. The brand’s Spring 09 collection is available at its official site now, but definitely keep checking back for the Fall 09 collection.