Reverie With SUNO

SUNO, a young New York-based brand that is the brainchild of designers Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty, was recently honored at this year's CFDA fashion awards, and for good reason. Their looks often invoke characters at home in alpine vistas and on honey-colored African prairies and international cosmos. You're more likely to find ample cuts, exquisite prints and intricate embroidery than a simple black sheath on their lively runways.  

In the past, I've always thought of them as more hippy than haute (then again, they've only been around since 2008, so it's not like I have too much to go on), but their resort collection for 2014 had me turning my head so fast I practically got whiplash. I blame this look in particular: 

 

Some past covetable looks:

 

 

Yet another reason to love and respect SUNO: Their wares are made by artisans in Kenya. Following post-election violence there in 2008, Max (a longtime visitor whose mother owned a business in the Sub-Saharan country) worked to establish the brand as a way to encourage both local talent and economic growth. Since then, the SUNO duo has set up fair-trade workshops in places like India and Peru.

 

All collages are the work of Francesca Soroka.

First pic background: Franz Kline

Second pic background: Yuko Someya