Susurro Brings A New and Overdue Evolution To The Fashion Industry
How two sisters, Melissa and Maggie Lima, are reinventing the future of fashion with their luxury accessories.
The future of fashion is here — and so are the new faces defining it. Melissa and Maggie Lima are fresh names in the industry who are shaking things up with their innovative approach to accessorizing. Doing what no designers have dared to do before, the sisters behind the label Susurro have structured their brand around the concept of silhouettes, and the lack of diversity in tote bags.
“The silhouette is the most important feature in fashion. The size, style and shape of the silhouette plays a contributing role when deciding which shoe, dress or handbag will be used for the day or event,” the duo exclusively shares with Medium Magazine. “A silhouette will tell a story and allow customers to express their personality. For example, a mini tote will be carried by the female who likes elegant simplicity, adding a final touch that is sized to carry only essentials and very lightweight. This is why silhouettes are paramount because they give the customer the power to choose for their mood or task of the day.”
Melissa and Maggie set out to establish a new standard. When they couldn’t find the ideal bag they were looking for, they took matters into their own hands and created it themselves. The dynamic designers have been praised by the likes of Forbes for their uniqueness, and they’ve truly become visionaries and pioneers in the field of fashion. Speaking to Medium Magazine, they peel back the curtain behind their company Susurro, and reveal how they’re empowering women to feel confident and powerful through their simply stunning pieces.
What made you want to go into the fashion industry?
The freedom of expression and making women feel confident whilst looking beautiful made us want to enter the fashion industry. Firstly, having the ability to design freely through the expression of design and creativity excited us as we didn’t want any limitations to our creations. Our design aesthetic is a mixture of vibrancy through colours and luxury through silhouette and style. The fashion industry is amazing, as it is an industry that is limitless when it comes to creations. The idea of being able to design unique accessories definitely excited us and made us want to enter the fashion industry. Secondly, contributing to making women feel confident whilst looking beautiful and setting a trend excited us. When you look good you feel good and Susurro definitely handcraft distinct accessories and footwear to make women stand out and feel unique.
What influenced your decision to start Susurro?
We decided to start Susurro after noticing that the fashion industry often consisted of recurring silhouettes and styles, which meant that there was a lack of diversity when it came to finding a unique bag or shoe style that not only wouldn’t be mistaken for another brand but would stand out completely due to its distinctive style. With Susurro when we design and handcraft our collections, we know that it is impossible to find our silhouette or design elsewhere. Susurro products embody Susurro which is all about distinction, luxury and quality. A bag that is unique today will be unique tomorrow and for many decades to come and that is what Susurro creates.
Where do you get your design inspiration from, and why are silhouettes so important in fashion?
We believe that the greatest designer in the world is nature and this where our design inspiration comes from. Only in nature can you find patterns, shapes and colours that are diverse and distinctively beautiful. This is what inspires us when we are designing a collection. We have a key eye for detail so we may notice a pattern that perhaps you may not notice. The beauty of nature is that we can all look at an object and see a different colour style but we still notice the animal, bird, plant etc. Also, we design to bring joy to our customers. They say “go for a walk” why? Because with nature you become calm, happy your mood changes. Similarly, with Susurro accessories your mood changes and you start to feel confident because you look beautiful and you know you are unique with your style. After the design, you must also consider the silhouette. The silhouette is the most important feature in fashion. The size, style and shape of the silhouette plays a contributing role when deciding which shoe, dress or handbag will be used for the day or event. A silhouette will tell a story and allow customers to express their personality. For example, a mini tote will be carried by the female who likes elegant simplicity, adding a final touch that is sized to carry only essentials and very lightweight. This is why silhouettes are paramount because they give the customer the power to choose for their mood or task of the day.
Do you have any future plans for Susurro to expand its products?
Yes, of course but for now the main future expansion will be to swimwear, with a collection launching in 2021. Susurro swim will only be available biyearly.
How do you think the fashion industry will change post covid?
Covid-19 has brought a lot of change globally and left a great impact in the fashion industry. Fashion houses, accessories and footwear brands like ourselves have had to find innovative ways to adapt through technological developments. Post Covid-19 we predict that the fashion industry will become more digitised with technological developments taking more precedence within the industry.
How do you think the fashion industry has evolved over the last 5 years?
The fashion industry has experienced many developments over the last five years. The main evolution within the industry is definitely diversity. Diversity is more prevalent within the industry from models to designs as more brands are incorporating cultural collections by designing traditional garments. For example, Gucci’s floral kimono dress, which is great! Moreover, there is also now a stronger millennial and social media influence over the fashion industry which was not as strong five years ago.
What advice would you give to an aspiring designer/entrepreneur?
Never limit yourself. If you have a creation in mind create it! Your design or idea could impact the world. We always encourage creativity and innovation because they are powerful industry shaking gifts, which could change lives and industries.
If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your career what would it be?
We would say, “You got this!”.
What is your favorite part about being a designer?
Making women feel confident whilst looking good and setting a trend with our products. This is definitely the best part for us as designers.
How do you want women to feel when wearing your shoes and purses?
We want women to feel powerful as they can take on the day confident and look beautiful. Our accessories and footwear stand out. When we read reviews, our customers often express joy and how they are complimented throughout the day which we love.