Why S.Nine’s Hong Kong designer Susanna Soo is happy to stick to her roots
S.Nine’s autumn-winter 2016 collection has East-meets-West elements, but designer Soo isn’t interested in chasing trends or international fame; she’d rather build out her offering to existing clientele
For many local fashion designers, the ultimate sign of success is going global or getting international recognition. But Hongkonger Susanna Soo is doing things differently. She is determined to find fame on local soil.
The designer has been making waves since she launched her ready-to-wear label S.Nine in 2009. Interestingly she founded the brand in one of the style capitals of the world – New York – where she studied at Parsons School of Design and later worked with the likes of Diane Von Furstenberg.
“After producing my first collection in China, I did what was expected and went back to New York to find a showroom. The whole process was difficult because during my time at Parsons I never thought of fashion as business or the fact that I was now an entrepreneur.
“I got some orders, but as an independent designer with no backing it was expensive to keep going to trade shows and constantly promote the collection. I couldn’t battle the process,” she says.
