Finnish brand Su is a fashion and homewares brand that is part of the Slow Fashion movement. The brand creates limited pieces in sustainable fabrics like linen, organic cotton and merino wool.
The style is very ‘Finnish’; shapes are oversized and non-gendered in many ways, the colours are muted and natural, and the styling is simple and again, natural.
There is something very Japanese about much Finnish design – there are correspondences in concepts like wabi-sabi, minimal-natural, and muted palettes between the two countries’ aesthetics. The Japanese like Finnish design, and the Finns like Japanese design.
Su’s design philosophy is “to make modern, custom-made clothes in small batches”, with an ethos that is “restrained, relaxed and respectful of materials”. Again, all things that resonate with lovers of Japanese design.
Everything is designed and handmade in Finland – from interior textiles to the clothing collections. The latest collection – Summer 2020 – is about loose fits, large pockets, dropped sleeves, shades of gray and blue, with white and black. There are also pieces in an undyed linen.
There is a ‘slowness’ about the collection that’s not only down to how it is sourced and made – 100% certified natural materials, produced in an ethical way – but also in the feel. It’s about long, lazy summers in the woods and fields of Finland surrounded by some of the country’s 100,000 lakes.
“We use Öko-Tex 100 certified natural materials from Finnish fabric wholesalers. Flax is produced in the EU or the Baltic countries. Merino wool is knitted in Finland. The cotton we use is organically grown and produced in the EU in southern Europe,” states the Su website.
Su also produces homewares. Made of linen, there are cushion covers, bath towels, hand towels, aprons, eco bags, and napkins. Again, the fabric is all natural, the colours are muted, and there is a practicality about the designs like tea towels with buttons so you can hook them easily.
Although you can’t currently buy Su online unless you live in Europe, you can try your luck by contacting the brand’s stockist Somia Living by emailing miia@somialiving.fi. If you really want something from the online store, try emailing info@sunnuntaipuoti.com and organising your own shipping.
Everyone seems to agree that Singapore has some of the best shopping in the world. You really can buy everything in the shopping city, especially when it comes to fashion, shoes and accessories … There are all the European, American and Asian international brands, as well as some unique Singapore-centric labels as well. For my money, the best places to shop are some of the more eclectic multi-label stores … Sects Shop, Keepers and Biro Shouten.
SECTS SHOP
All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
Sects Shop is the store for people who love streetwear, alternative fashion and anything a bit spooky and goth. Founded in 2014 but the two creative minds behind Singapore fashion brand Depression – Kenny Lim and Andrew Loh – this multilabel store located in Orchard Gateway is always at the forefront of the next big trend. Although it’s mainly a menswear store, there’s a strong unisex component to the buy that neatly covers the new Korean streetwear trends of oversize, unisex ‘skirts for boys’ trends as well as generously-cut ‘drapey black goth’ pieces that are definitely female-friendly. Shoes are available in smaller sizes for women, and there are always accessories like bags and jewellery that can be adopted by both sexes.
All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
What I love most about Sects Shop is that it’s always got something new – a new label, a new fashion-forward trend – and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about not only the labels in-store, but also about the current trends for styling.
All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
The interior consists of various ‘shop-in-shop’ spaces that curate the various looks and trends into different spaces. The furniture pieces have been specially created to match the store’s concrete-industrial-tropical-trash feel and are used to create different spaces. Sects Shop is also home to semi-regular pop-up party events that basically include a runway show of the store’s hardcore fans in their best Sects Shop looks.
I have to admit to being a bit biased about the beauties of Sects Shop. I am a longtime friend of the co-owners 🙂 and also a big-spending customer; I do LOVE Korean fashion brands.
I was also the creative director for the shop’s recent Spring Summer campaign shoot … READ MORE HERE
Sects Shop not only has a great Instagram account that lets you know what’s new in-store, the owners have recently also launched an account called sects.education that’s designed to show Singaporean’s how to be a bit more cutting edge when it comes to their street style looks, and features images from some of the city’s more interesting fashionistas. Well worth following for some interesting Asian fashion inspiration.
Sects Shop is located at Orchard Gateway #04-14, Singapore.
KEEPERS
All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
If you are looking for genuine Singapore design then you need to check out Keepers in the National Design Centre, which is worth checking out in its own right if you like any sort of design.
Created by one of Singapore’s most prolific and genuine artisans, Carolyn Kan of Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery which also has its studio in the same group of buildings, Keepers has had a number of incarnations, starting as a pop-up store on Orchard Road and ending up with its permanent spot in the Design Centre.
Carolyn is Singapore’s number one style and design collaborators – Singapore’s godmother of design. She has created numerous opportunities for all sorts of emerging artists and designers to come together to create unique capsule collections, but has also spearheaded the development of space for these artisans to actually SELL their creations. As a multilabel store, Keepers offers everything from jewellery, fashion, furniture and homewares, to unique flavoured teas and chocolates. Keepers is also behind the annual Singapasar fleamarket that features only Singaporean creations.
Thomas Wee capsule collection at Keepers. All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
So, back to the store. Situated in the front of the ground floor, the store is a free-form space that morphs into different design concepts based on individual brand concepts.
Currently Keepers is holding is a pop-up capsule collection from Singapore’s ‘Dowager Empress’ of fashion, Thomas Wee. This all-white range of beautifully hand-finished, couture-cut fashion pieces are based on Thomas’ all-time best-sellers. The designer himself was there opening night, taking measurements and informing customers that he would tailor various bits and pieces to better suit their body shapes.
Thomas Wee capsule collection at Keepers. All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
This is the type of personal service that adds to the joy of visiting Keepers. Carolyn and her creative husband/partner Chong can often be found hanging out in the store making useful suggestions to customers over which pieces of jewellery to buy, or which Ling Wu exotic skin bag looks best. Hands down, Keepers is the best place to buy stylish souvenirs from Singapore; and it’s the best place to snap up artistic presents as well.
Thomas Wee capsule collection at Keepers. All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
Keepers is located at National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, #01-01, Singapore. Open 12pm to 8pm daily. The National Design Centre is also home to Carrie K. Atelier and super hot dining & cafe spot Tanuki Raw plus another cool multi-brand store Kapok.
BIRO SHOUTEN
All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
For shoppers who are more into the extreme hardcore minimalism of very select hand-curate objects and fashion items; or stylistas who are obsessed with the normcore purity of Japanese design, Biro Shouten is the tiny, perfect store for you.
This is where the brothers bring together their concise curration of the very best versions of micro-targeted accessories, homewares, organic home scents, jewellery and clothing, including Mastery handmade small leather goods and Takashi Endo Ceramics.
All images by Niki Bruce, shot on iPhoneX
The store itself is small, but perfect in layout and design – very Japanese in concept and feel. Although it’s located in a somewhat odd area (a very Singapore heartland shopping mall), it’s directly next to the Lavender MRT stop and well worth making the effort to visit.
Biro Shouten is located at Kitchener Complex, Level 3, 809 French Road, Singapore.
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