NYLON - February 2009 - (Page 68) fashionista: max osterweis designs one-of-a-kind pieces from authentic kenyan fabric for his stand-out label, suno. by rajni lucienne jacques. photographed by glynis selina arban out of africa “I FIRST CAME TO Kenya in 1996 to visit my mother, who had gone on safari and decided not to come back home,” says San Francisco–born Max Osterweis, with a chuckle. “Not really, but she did stay six months longer than originally planned.” Osterweis, the designer behind the beautifully tailored and colorful clothing label Suno—named after his adventurous mother—fell in love with Kenya’s “interesting people, the night skies, heavy with stars, and the wild beasts in their natural environment.” And after the country’s post-election violence last year, which led to hundreds of deaths, he wanted to help out. But instead of making donations to local charities, Osterweis decided that the best way he could lend a hand was to start a business on Kenyan soil. “By creating new jobs and teaching new skills, Suno can become a source of pride,” the first-time designer says. “And if the line is successful, we might inspire others to follow suit.” Osterweis began buying kangas—brightly patterned rectangular pieces of cloth often emblazoned with Swahili aphorisms and traditionally worn by East African women—from Kenyan families after his initial visit to the country. “I always wanted to do something with [the material] but never made the time,” says Osterweis, who studied fi lm at New York University. Now, after collecting textiles from his subsequent visits for more than a decade, he is making the time. Every piece from the debut collection is constructed from his material archives, so no two creations are identical. “There are even slight fl aws in the fabrics that come from years of use,” says Osterweis, “but each one has been chosen for its quality of design, overall condition, and feel.” Meanwhile, the task of transforming these striking pieces of cloth into architecturally refined frocks is one that spans the Atlantic. Osterweis designs, develops samples, and has patterns made in New York City. “We source the linings and trims from all over the world, then bring it all to Kenya to get made,” he says. “Production in Kenya is a learning process, but as tedious as some of the stuff can be, it’s actually good.” The end result is a line that elegantly and seamlessly fuses traditional and modern elements. From the boxy-shaped Doleman dress, with its graphic black-and-white checks, to the structured, maroon-sleeved smoking jacket to the leaf-and-polka-dot-printed halter onesie, the clothes exude fanciful fun. “Walking down the street in Nairobi, there is always this riot of color that is just so immediately happy,” says Osterweis, with a wide grin. As for his own collection, he says: “Even though the colors and prints are the first thing you notice, once you get closer you see detail and the cuts, which are strong enough to stand on their own.” And when it comes to embellishment, Osterweis doesn’t skimp; buttons are made from shell and horn, silk charmeuse is used for piping and binding, and the brass zippers add a utilitarian feel. Suno’s exotic aesthetic has garnered attention from boutiques such as Opening Ceremony, which will carry the label exclusively for its first run—totaling 1,000 one-of-a-kind pieces—at its Los Angeles and New York stores. “I’m still trying to figure out how I got into fashion,” says Osterweis, whose thesis film, The Last Supper, went to Sundance in 1997. “I’m still free-falling from jumping off the cliff, but so far it’s fun.” 068 stylist: robyn victoria fernandes. hair: tracie cant for bumble and bumble. makeup: anouk sullivan for workgroup-ltd.com using make up for ever. model: muriel at img. dress, top (worn as turban) and top (worn as belt) all by suno, shoes by coclico, tights by h&m, socks by target. http://www.workgroup-ltd.com
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