Exclusive Interview With Brand: Su By Hand

Welcome back to our The Good News – Exclusive Brand Interview Section! Today, we are honored to feature Su Pei Ho, the visionary founder of ‘Su by Hand’.

Join us as Su shares the inspiration behind her brand, the challenges of balancing creativity with business, and her vision for a more conscious fashion future.

SECTION 1: ABOUT YOU

1. Would you share a bit about yourself and your origins?

I’m born and bred in Singapore but spent almost my entire fashion career overseas in China, Hong Kong, Spain and the U.K.

2. How did all it start?

Su by Hand started as a passion project that was ironically ‘anti-fashion’ as it stemmed from my desire to subvert fast fashion by promoting slow fashion practices. As a designer who had worked for brands across Europe and Asia for almost a decade, I became increasingly sensitive to the amount of ‘waste’ generated in the fashion industry, and how little innate value these clothing have given the high mark-ups, poor fabrics and lack of originality in a fast process that was all about churning out the next collection and the next and the next…

SECTION 2: ABOUT YOUR BRAND

1. Could you tell us more about your label?

‘Timeless, Conscious, Nature-inspired’ – that is our brand mantra and ethos. Sustainability in the form of a slow fashion approach is at the heart of everything we do; it defines our brand values and is how we started way before this became a trend. We believe that it is only through taking a slow fashion approach, with attention to process, materials and craftsmanship, that we are able to internalise value and evoke the emotions necessary for a sustainable mindset shift.

2. What defines your style?

Nature is the underlying inspiration behind all our designs – organic drapes, asymmetric details, designs that are ‘alive’ not dead or flat. We also like the idea of clothing that is not easily copied or mass manufactured, so artisanal techniques like shibori hand-dyeing, plant dyes or hand stitching are common elements.  Our first collection consisted of one-off marbled art prints and plant-dyed pieces with plant-dyed silks from Living Blue Bangladesh, a social enterprise that works with local artisans and indigo farmers.

3. What have been some of the biggest challenges for you on this journey?

The business and commercial side of scaling a brand, costing and selling as this is not how I am wired as a designer. Marketing has also never been easy for me as a solopreneur who is also the designer.

4. What do you want to achieve personally with your brand?

To be a small but impactful business – one that is financially sustainable without compromising on quality, originality and sustainability.

SECTION 3: YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE

1. For the consumers, what are the easiest ways that we can all be more sustainable in our approach to fashion?

Sustainability is a big word. Break it down into small tangible steps and actions that make sense for you and your lifestyle. E.g investing in a beautifully designed reusable mug will make you want to use it everyday just for the functional beauty that it brings to your life. Sustainability is a very personal journey, just embrace what works for you.

2. In your own eyes, how has becoming a sustainable designer changed your life?

This is a friendly, positive and sharing space. Through my brand, I’ve met many inspiring personalities from business owners to customers who have helped me grow as a brand, and a person.

3. People say that sustainable fashion is too expensive or too difficult to do. How do you usually respond to that?

Check out beautiful items from Su By Hand on Smthgood. Click here to shop now.

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