Shop For Less: SUNO Sale

Drawcord wrap dress, available here.

We brought news of Suno's foray into e-commerce in April and we've been stalking their website relentlessly ever since, waiting (not so) patiently for even the slightest sign of a sale. The things we do for you :-) Finally, we spotted some pretty good price drops a little while ago and couldn't wait to share. In even better news, there are a gazillion places to buy Suno online and we spotted several price reductions across the board. Without further ado, happy shopping!

Barneys

Browns

Matches

Maryam Nassir Zadeh

Creatures of Comfort

My Catwalk

Opening Ceremony

Otte NY

Saks

Shopbop

SUNO

- SLiq

Inspired: Louis Vuitton [Resort 2012 Menswear & 3 Others]

Thakoon took a bite out of Masaai plaid (see below) for their F/W '11 collection and Louis Vuitton followed suit for their Resort 2012 menswear collection. Fashion continues its obsession with Kenya - from kanga print, to vibrant beads, and now the Masaai's statement plaid print, and this is by no means Louis Vuitton's first - or last - foray into Africa. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Kim Jones, Style Director at Louis Vuitton Menswear, cites Africa as a strong influence having spent part of his childhood there, so the Masaai reference shouldn't come as much of a surprise. 

More luxury brands are looking to artisans in general and African in particular to infuse their heritage with crafts, culture, and ethics. Others have continued to turn to Africa for inspiration, pure and simple, and Louis Vuitton has had a number of notable Africa-related moments in recent times:

Many will remember Louis Vuitton's Ghana-must-go inspiration for Spring 2007 - Africa's ubiquitous checkered bag elevated to luxury symbol in the hands of Louis Vuitton:

Also, not too long ago, one Vogue reviewer described Louis Vuitton's Spring 2009 collection as 'Josephine Baker African razzmatazz':

Finally, Louis Vuitton's Core Values campaign signed on Bono and Ali last year and featured a little piece of Africa: A charm made in Kenya by local artisans under the guidance of MADE -

What do Africa and luxury have in common? Quite a bit, apparently.

- SLiq

Photos:

NY Mag

Style

ilvoelv

ghule

Spotlight: Suno NY Resort 2012

Suno's Resort 2012 mood board [via Refinery 29]

Suno's Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty have said a number of times that they're not bound to Kenya's kanga print as the revolving point for their aesthetic, so we weren't expecting much in that regard. The thing with Suno, though, is that it's almost impossible to predict where they'll take print next, so, without further ado, here's what we couldn't have predicted.

Suno's Resort '12 takes a dizzying (the good kind) journey through bursts of Hawaiian inspired print, plaid and floral combi/clashinations, touches of sophistication via silk prints, embellishments (see the last set of photos for proof) and all-round amazingness, really. The charm-like accessories brought another dose of the bold, all suitably offset with plimsolls in a way that's very Suno through and through. 

We hear Soko Kenya will be partly responsible for production of some Suno pieces -- it's always heart-warming to know that while Suno has come a long way since it's kanga-filled days, it hasn't veered much from the original vision of supporting Africa(ns) through trade and economic empowerment. For that, the reasons above, and many more, we'll probably always have an eye out for Suno's unpredictable wonderfulness.

Does this collection do it for you, too?

- SLiq

Images: Style

Spotlight: 5 reasons why we love Lalesso's Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

Before we get into the top 5 things we're loving about Lalesso's Spring/Summer 2011 collection, allow us to give you a little background. Founded in 2005, Lalesso is the brainchild of Olivia Kennaway and Alice Heuser - two friends who turned their love for "lesso" (kanga print) into ethically-produced made-in-Kenya pieces that have found love all over. Their latest collection is high on our wish list for the following 5 reasons:

i) Lots of pretty patterns printed on 100% natural viscose and transformed into loose, something-for-everyone silhouettes.

ii) It's made in Kenya (by Soko Kenya, also responsible for ASOS Africa) by Kenyans, thus creating jobs and improved living standards for locals :-) Yay ethical standards and fair trade :-)

iii) We've found Lalesso's prints interesting in the past but the pieces in this collection are significantly more sophisticated and charming, including the solid blacks and whites.

iv) It's so nicely shot (in Kenya!) and accessorised (with pieces from a collaboration with Jennifer Kinnear; also made in Kenya!). Watch it all come to life in this accompanying video.

v) Lalesso's price points are usually super pocket-friendly and when the collection debuts in November, we'll more than likely be indulging in a piece or two! Enjoy some of our favourites from the collection below:

                  

Very fabulous!

See the entire collection here.

XO

Africa-Inspired: Masai-style "Sobat" necklace by Noir Jewelry

The wave of Afromania has inspired many-an-artist this season - from print pillows to the celebration of a prominent African on Broadway. Jewelry has also taken on a very "tribal" or "ethnic" aesthetic, incorporating the beauty of several countries on the world's most fascinating continent. Recently, we spotted colorful seed beads - reminiscent of Masai-style neck wear in all their splendour and majesty - forming the the crux of a stunning necklace by Noir Jewelry. So far, Kelis and Solange have been charmed, and we're not too far behind:

So, so gorgeous! We certainly love to see Africa inspire beyond the shores of Africa and we greatly admire the beauty of this piece. We want!

Get yours here.

XO

Photos:

Kelis

Necklace

Solange

Model

Spotlight: Suno Fall 2010

SUNO NY FALL 2010

We've been loving SUNO NY long time and their latest collection has only made us fall deeper. Some of you will recall our first encounter with the brand and the stunning kanga pieces in their debut collection. More recently, however, the brand seems to be favoring more of a mixture of influences. In this collection, the fusion of elements including color, metallics, layering, patterns, print, velvet, and range [lots of wonderful separates, dresses, and jackets] might make it seem like utter chaos on paper. However, this collection is a delightful melting-pot and alchemy of sorts, injecting a dose of joy to winter and sustaining it well into spring. Of particular interest to us was their use of glorious prints and patterns to create a collection that's already nudging our wallets and tugging at our heartstrings. The sheer brilliance of this collection is that it does so much but doesn't lose itself to disorderliness in the process. Here's a closer look at the prints and patterns that stood out for us:

o o o

GEOMETRIC PRINT: Africa-inspired without being too obvious. Several African wax prints bear similar geometric patterns, but the use of neon colors made this stand out especially well.

ZIG-ZAG PATTERNS: Featuring a blend of orange and blue and trimmed with floral patterns.

IKAT PRINT: Suno borrows inspiration from Indonesia's famous ikat print, combining it with metallic pieces.

MORE ZIG-ZAG PRINT: Easily some of our favorite pieces worn separately or as is.

EVEN MORE PRINT

With so much to choose from, what's not to love?

o o o

Watch the collection come to life:

INSANE.

o o o

See the entire collection here, see photos from Suno NY's past collections here and shop Suno here.

XO

Photos courtesy of elle and fashionista.

spread love: arise magazine//ajuma nasenyana

we're loving these scans from the october edition of arise magazine, featuring kenyan model ajuma nasenyana:

[click to enlarge]

she's SO stunning! GOSH! side note: we wish more arise magazine spreads would feature pieces from african designers. african models wearing clothes from african designers? win-win.

xo

source

ShopAfrica: african print ballet flats by LALESSO

LOVE these african print leather-trimmed ballet flats by Lalesso, also available in a variety of other colors and sizes here and here. no need to overthink an outfit when these are involved! instant flyness.

xo

spotlight: suno ny resort 2010

suno ny's latest offerings have a relaxed fluidity about them, complete with brights, plaid, and checkered print. while suno's first collection was decidedly africa-inspired through and through, subsequent collections have paid silent homage to africa through styling and accessories, including the use of stacked bangles and head wraps. that said, there seems to be a thread of continuity running through the 3 collections we've seen so far especially where accessories are concerned...however, the strong africa influence isn't as apparent as when suno first reared its head. in any case, we're keeping one eye on the suno ny brand and the other on those gorgeous african print wedges ;-)

see the entire resort collection here and here.

xo

spotlight: suno by max osterweis

thanks to this month's elle magazine, we've spotted another "out of africa" brand we're very excited about. here's a closer look at Suno by Max Osterweis:



Suno is the result of "more than a decade of collecting textiles"* during trips to Kenya, so that what we have here is essentially a modern take on vintage kanga prints with stunning effects. each piece is developed in New York and patterns are then exported to Kenya where they're mass-produced. another noteworthy point - according to a recent article in the New York Times:

"Many of the [SUNO] prints are also printed with Swahili aphorisms that were originally worn to send messages to fellow villagers, like one that loosely translates as: “Watch your roosters, there’s a new hen in town.”

now that's an approach we haven't quite seen before. we're excited about african designers -- that much you already know. we're even more thrilled to find those among them who have taken the giant leap and exported their brands. it's one thing to be recognized at home, it's another thing to be recognized and respected elsewhere. we hope more african designers will find creative ways to work around the many obstacles that continue to present themselves.



more on suno here.

xo

**EDIT** turns out he's not an african designer but everything we said about african designers still stands, lol. and this doesn't mean we don't like him anymore either :-) **EDIT** (march 20, 2009)

*from sunony

photo credits - refinery29

SLiq TV: ted talk/oby okolloh

"why are we not generating our own content?"

watch kenya's ory okolloh give a TED talk on 'becoming an activist'. hint: it's not rocket science :)



xo

p.s. lots more talks centered around africa here.

buzz: olympics + polo

ralph lauren polos are a such perfect synonym for preppy nigerian coolness. talk about wardrobe staple! remember when the big pony polos were first launched and EVERYBODY + mama rocked them to death? collars poppin' everywhere! SO. MUCH. SWAGGAHHH. lol. we're pretty sure polo's latest offering is set to be another big hit:

presenting the flag polo, available in a variety of colors in men and women's sizes with customizable flags for 26 countries, including nigeria and kenya.

get yours here for $125 and spread the word!

xo