Brainchild of Sara Ferrero and of art director Susanna Cucco, an introduction to SA SU PHI: three-dimensional volumes, a balance of full and void
Lampoon presents SA SU PHI
Sara Ferrero and Susanna Cucco managed to intercept this renewed interest in classicism earlier than many others, translating their personal interpretation of style into a clothing project. SA SU PHI stemmed from this intuition in 2021 and it seamlessly merges the aesthetic taste, visions and experiences of its founders, long-time friends and business partners.
SA SU PHI may be deemed the culmination of the long and prolific professional career of the founders. Ferrero has acquired over twenty years of experience in the corporate world, where she held top positions in renowned fashion and design companies, while Cucco is the founder and creative director of Studio Cucco, an art direction agency that has been consulting on fashion and lifestyle luxury brands for more than twenty-five years.
Sara Ferrero and Susanna Cucco: the two women of SA SU PHI
«When I left Valextra in 2021, a new chapter opened for me and my career. In that time, I got to thinking about what I wanted to do next. Having mostly worked for others throughout my career, I felt the desire to start my own project. But the idea of doing it alone did not suit me, so I told Susanna about it and she said yes right away. For me, the beauty of developing a project with someone else lies in sharing successes, decisions, but also challenges and harsh times», says Ferrero. SA SU PHI relies on a simple yet functional organizational structure, based on a fluid balance between the two, supported in daily activities by a small all-female team.
While daily duties may require different managerial and creative skills, every inch of the collections is designed jointly, drawing from their different approaches to volumes and styling which make their pieces interesting and suitable for the needs of different types of women. «Contamination is always stratified, especially when it comes to women. Our mindset is different from that of males and the marriage of women is often more emotional, unpredictable and dynamic», Cucco adds. SA SU PHI is not only a brand open to creative contamination, but also a platform aimed at enhancing female talent in a world still strongly dominated by men.
PHI: the golden ratio
SA SU PHI is made up of three components: SA(ra), SU(sanna), and PHI, the golden ratio, also known as golden section, considered in mathematics and in the arts synonymous with harmonic perfection. «We carved out a whole day to search for the perfect name. PHI and the concept of minimalism and golden proportions was our starting point. In the end it only took us a few minutes to conceive SA SU PHI», Ferrero and Cucco say.
If read together, the words SA SU PHI sound like “ça suffit” which in French means “it is sufficient”, a further reference to the founders’ linear, simple and classic design philosophy, where nothing is in excess but everything is necessary. Timeless and essential garments, masterfully interpreted in a contemporary key. «Our aim is not to create a uniform women have to adapt to, but modules, interchangeable and adaptable to each other», Cucco explains.
SA SU PHI & architecture: volumes, light and a balance of full and void
Here everything is studied down to the smallest detail. The knitwear pieces – the brand’s flagship products – are made of three-dimensional structures, balances of full and void, removable sleeves and graphic elements emphasized by the texture of the refined materials employed. The search for purity and essential lines is also reflected in the choice of the most classic natural materials – such as cotton and silk – coming from the best local producers. Even the audacious combinations of fabrics, which characterize the styling of Ferrero and Cucco, are aimed at enhancing the strengths and unique features of each material.
In SA SU PHI collections lives the architectural ethos, a design philosophy deriving from Ferrero and Cucco’s previous work experiences which has rapidly permeated their passions and personal approach to fashion design. «The worlds of architecture and product design, unlike that of fashion, are made of things made to last which influence the way we perceive and interact with the environment. Behind each piece there is a thorough study and research. In SA SU PHI we try to go beyond the simple concept of aesthetics or fashion object, developing a well-constructed design philosophy», Cucco explains.
Made by women for women – SA SU PHI
SA SU PHI was not born as a “women’s brand”, but draws inspiration from Ferrero and Cucco’s friends, people they like and who encourage and inspire them every day. «Our woman is a woman who “goes places and does things”. She must feel comfortable and at ease at all times of the day by recognizing herself in our clothes. But she is also attentive to what she buys because she wants pieces which can become her best friends and go beyond the fickle trends of the moment», the designers explain.
SA SU PHI collections are made of pieces which can stay in a woman’s wardrobe for years without losing relevance and, throughout the years, contribute to forging a personal aesthetic language. In order to combat the volatility of trends and passing fads, the pieces designed by Ferrero and Cucco are united by a common thread giving continuity to the collections in an endless stylistic evolution. «There is never a clean cut between one season and another. Everything is interchangeable, we always think about how the pieces of the previous collection can be optimized in the new one. Of course in every collection there is a dominant color or an element of novelty, but we aim to create a style which allows women to always be in the right moment».
SA SU PHI: Made to be worn
Without a clear division between feminine and non-feminine, or between classic and avant-garde, SA SU PHI collections embody the designers’ way of life as well as their unique concept of fashion and design. Ferraro and Cucco are in fact the first and most demanding customers of their own brand. «When the pieces of a new collection arrive, we lock ourselves in the showroom and try them all on. A garment must be worn and used, this is the only way to understand if it is comfortable and has a good fit. Our brand starts from a need of use, not from a fashion concept, in fact we like to receive feedback from those who actually wear our pieces: our friends, customers, retailers», Ferrero and Cucco claim.
The bold but elegant styling is also a visual representation of their ideal of women and of an effortlessly chic, very Italian and Milanese way of dressing, as stated by Ferrero: «Our retailers tell us that customers usually buy the looks as designed by us. It is rare for a customer to buy just one product, even though they are easy-to-match pieces. They buy a product, but also a way of being».
SS24, SA SU PHI’s fourth collection will be presented in June
«We currently have the FW2023 in production, while the SS23, our first summer collection, is already available in stores. But we never stop, we are now focusing on the SS24 collection, which will be unveiled in June», Ferrero and Cucco explain. SA SU PHI is a young brand which, thanks to its founders’ experience and market awareness, has managed to conquer a large number of Italian and international customers in only a couple of years.
Today distributed throughout Europe and beyond, from Italy to the USA, SA SU PHI is a genuine and beautiful claim to an authentic and forthright femininity which speaks of women, mothers, wives, friends and workers who want to feel at ease and confident at any time of day, from morning to evening.
SA SU PHI
The brainchild of Sara Ferrero (SA) and Susanna Cucco (SU), born from shared visions, taste and esthetics proclivities, and the common quest for a golden ration (PHI) that brings effectiveness, ease and expressiveness within the feminine wardrobe.
