Sosume

The Goddess dress - I want this one!

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A BETTER VIEW

Recently I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview some of the members of a fresh and relatively new label Sosume.

Sosume is no ordinary design team however the members met in New York and the member reside in Melbourne, Sydney and New York
They also have a strong commitment to Eco friendly fashion which is what really caught my attention.
My long term readers know I am very interested in 'fashion that cares'.

As their website states
all collections are made with organic and natural fabrics from the most accredited mills in the world

all garments are manufactured in Australia

three percent of the proceeds of each garment are donated to a small number of charities which
promote and aid sustainable development and practices

So without further ado here is my little Q&A session with the lovely designers from Sosume

Tell me about Sosume’s commitment to charity and eco friendly practices; was this a focus when creating the label or did it come about after the fact?

Sosume’s commitment to bringing awareness to the sustainable movement is deliberate. We are a young, cool brand that cares about the world we’re growing up in. Our focus when creating the label was, and still is, to utilize eco-friendly fabrics, reduce our carbon footprint, and influence our own generation to do the same.  We have always given a percentage of our profits to environmental agencies.  

Do you see the future of fashion moving towards a more environmentally and socially conscious model?

Definitely. There are so many different industries - such as energy, automotive, and even beauty/health products - that are using new technology and developments that sustain resources and are a more responsible and healthier option.  Fashion has been moving in this direction for years and it finally seems to be transcending the hippie/earth mother stigma into an exciting new way of dressing for the fashion and environmentally savvy.

The Sosume team is spread between Australia and the USA how did you all come together to collaborate on the label?

Alex (Melbourne based) studied and graduated from college in New York City, where we  all met a few summers ago. He wanted to start a fashion company and, after various meetings and much consultation we came up with Sosume and started developing our first season. Soon after SS 9/10, Alex relocated back to Australia and we continued to develop our second, and now third, seasons.

What challenges if any are presented by the location of your colleagues? 

Communication is essential and it is very demanding to sync schedules across different time zones - sometime deadlines in Australia are literally one day ahead of NYC, so time management is crucial. We video chat regularly and send emails everyday around the clock. We all have Smartphones so sending and receiving emails between all entities involved is easy.  Of course, traveling is often necessary since we are on opposite sides of the world; we all do what's necessary.

Do you draw inspiration from fashion history? Tell me about the inspiration behind the collection? 

Fashion history is very important to understand and reference, especially when trying to understand the way trends cycle over time. Right now, while working on our new spring collection, we are looking back at utility dress and military uniforms, focusing on the functional aspect of the designs.

How would you describe the aesthetic of the label?

The current aesthetic of the label is a very modern, clean look. All of the pieces in the collection can be layered over one another.  This aesthetic is meant to reflect the way people live in a post-modern world, giving the option of making unique, individualized put-together looks with a palette of easy pieces.

 Who do you see wearing your collection?

 Anyone! We purposely designed a collection ranging from basics to more fashion-forward pieces to satisfy every young, eco-conscious person; whether you're a die hard environmentalist, or just discovering your inner sustainable fashion self. We even invited young guys to take part by adding a small men’s line to this collection, plus many of our pieces are genderless. 

Potential clients: Aygness Deyn, Cameron Diaz, Rihanna, Kate Moss, Natalie Imbruglia, fashion blogger muses of  NYC/LA/Sydney/Tokyo

  

What made you decide to become a fashion designer, have you always felt drawn to this career?

Paulina: My Mom was always well dressed and took me with her while shopping. I've always been obsessed with clothing, playing dress up, making dresses for my Barbies, buying second-hand things and cutting them up... I never thought about other options; fashion was always what I saw myself doing. I would devour fashion magazines as a teenager and love to find antique and vintage items - now I have collections of random things and references, like a library of inspiration.

 Rachel: How I got to this point is just by doing what I liked, really.  I lived for arts and crafts as a kid and that eventually led into making my own clothes.  I didn’t really pay attention to fashion like I do now; I just loved to sew.  Figuring out how to make something was the funnest kind of puzzle to me. It’s when I moved to New York at 17 that I really understood that I could do what I loved as a career.

              How cute is this playsuit? Anyone want to buy me one?
                                      

Can you describe your personal style?

Paulina: My style is constantly changing-it’s always quirky, but balanced, and I have the right mix of vintage + modern pieces.

Rachel: My style is experimental; I have fun with clothing, it's playful-I never take myself too seriously. 

If you could give an aspiring designer one piece of advice what would that be?

Paulina: Be passionate, work hard, listen to your gut instincts, and develop a point of view.

Rachel: Don’t pay attention to limits…there is always a way to make something work!


You can check out the Sosume website (they have an AMAZING sale on at the moment 50-80% off some of the items in the SS09/10 collection. They also have a list of stockists there.