Explorations

One year!

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Book your free call to get a wardrobe remix!


We are excited to share with you that today, the suite123 blog turns 1! One year!

Considering that suite123 boutique entered its 16th year of activity in the fashion field in March 2022, and we almost forgot about it, it seems we’re not particularly good at celebrating anniversaries.

However, there’s one thing we want to acknowledge: our connections. Yes, connections we’ve developed over time, relationships based on trust.

Lately, we have decided to shift the boutique activity to the online world–which at first may seem a too cold means to encourage human relations. But in our case, it’s not. Because we believe in human relations, they are at the heart of what we do, and so is our private shopping service. Physical or digital, our essence doesn’t change.

One year
Ro in light green, Cri in purple cotton sweater

Through clothing, we tell the story of our times, and through these stories, we inspire change. It’s about uplifting one another and creating a community of like-minded people striving to make the world a better place.

Connecting with you, knowing you, your taste, and your ideas are things we appreciate.

Celebrating one year of suite123 blog!


And so, to celebrate one year of the suite123 blog plus 16 of the boutique focusing on connections, we offer a 30 minute free wardrobe makeover consultation.
We’ll suggest how to remix your garments, what to keep, or what to resell or donate (absolutely, do not throw away anything unless damaged).

It’s free! It’s for you!

Book your private consultation via email.
The offer expires on Monday 23rd.

We love to stay in touch and assist you!

Thank you for reading us,
Cri & Ro
❤️

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Different Choices: Embracing Change With Purpose

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Challenging the status quo & standing apart in a homogenized world


Making different choices, or doing the opposite of what others do, seems to be a valuable strategy. Indeed, standing apart is better than offering a mere homologation to consumerism and blind convenience, which dominates the mass culture.

People have a choice. It may seem simple, but it is a fact. And our choices define the world we live in. What happens around us doesn’t occur by chance but is intentional. No supernatural force intervenes, only our own will. Therefore, the reality that surrounds us is the product of our actions, of our lifestyle.

Once you understand that, change naturally follows—even if you have to take the first step. But when you move in a different direction, touch on specific topics, and use a certain language, you narrow down the people who would interact with you. In fact, you challenge the status quo while everyone follows it.

The market is vast, and the grand bazaar is always open. But, despite the vastness, the proposals are homologated, and lowering the bar is still the norm. In fact, even in a devastating moment, which was supposed to bring in a shift in behaviour, there is no understanding of the impact of our lifestyle choices.

Different choices #formodernhumans


Over two decades in the fashion field, we have gained more knowledge and a deeper level of consciousness. So we evolved, taking a different path.
Change comes from the inside, so we have started with ourselves and our individual choices. But it’s visible through what we select and how. The quality and limited quantity we pick out.

You will not find the fashion supermarket with us but a capsule selection of meaningful garments. There is a reason for every piece we choose. That is how we make a difference.

We make our choices consistent with our values, aware that changing the way we work can be incomprehensible to many. But understandable for those who see the possibilities–for modern humans, away from mass culture.

And we hope you will be with us.

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Production Chains Impasse

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The urgency to make a change in a world at a standstill


Production chains have been disrupted first by the pandemic and second by the war in Ukraine. Which, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to have a short term solution.

Consequently, the question arises: how can we reorganise the production system to align with a more sustainable model?

The most striking reality is that the Western world relies on goods produced in countries where wages fall far below the threshold for a decent standard of living. That is a dead-end system: corporations will never renounce that magnificent cake which secures their profits. At the same time, everyone worldwide contributes to sustaining the system through overconsumption.

With a complete lack of vision, most companies hope to get back to normal soon, identifying that normal with the pre-pandemic and prewar structure. But the war and the new outbreak in China added more problems, further slowing raw material supplies and destroying markets. So it just got worse. While disrupting production chains, those catastrophic events are bringing in radical changes. And maybe, even those companies who prayed for “back to normal” will understand that life will never be the same, nor will production chains.

Production chains – What are the possibilities?


Small-sized companies offering local productions are more prone to change and more adaptable to new situations. On the contrary, big chains don’t have this ability to change and adapt quickly.
Artisanal should be the new normal, guided by the principle of going ahead with production only when there is a commitment to purchase. No overproduction.
Also, more focused production would give space to creativity, which is fundamental to conceiving meaningful products, goods made to last and worth buying.

Small, artisanal and creative are just some of the elements that provide a thoughtful and sustainable business model.

Of course, being creative means taking risks, so no one wants to do it because there’s no guarantee of success. But the catastrophic events we are witnessing tell us that we must change now.

In order to provide sustainable production chains, we need people leading the industries with innovative visions based on ethical principles.

Taking risks is part of the game. There’s no other way to make a change.

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Chronicles From The Middle Ages

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Women against women


Sometimes, women can have a tremendously negative impact on women’s emancipation. This is evident in the words of Elisabetta Franchi, which felt like like chronicles from the Middle-Ages.

This is what Elisabetta Franchi said in an interview with “Il Foglio”:

“When you put a woman in an important position, you cannot afford not to see her coming for two years because that position is uncovered. An entrepreneur invests time, energy, and money and if a woman cannot show up it’s a problem, so I too, as an entrepreneur, am responsible for my company, have often focused on men.”

“An entrepreneur cannot afford not to see a woman show up for two years, that’s why I often bet on men.”

“I only hire over forty women who already have children.”

Daily life in Middle Ages


This is not men’s opposition to women’s emancipation. This is women against women. When it comes to our vision of fashion, Elisabetta Franchi has never been under our radar. Style speaks, and her fashion perfectly represents her worldview, which is explained above–in her own words. A tacky style for women who dress to impress men. That’s what society and tradition want, so let’s give it to them. And so, we witness the same old patriarchal rhetoric depicted through clothing. A regressive portrayal of women, where career opportunities are nonexistent, but their value lies in attracting men.

It’s something we would never offer to our women. But what we find sad is that most women like that style.

A while ago, we promised to write an exploration of fashion and patriarchy. Indeed, the only fashion that men can appreciate is the one that pleases them. Consequently, that is the most popular style among women, and therefore, that is the best-selling fashion.

Now pair Franchi’s retrograde words with the recent news that three girls couldn’t enter a bar on the beach near Ostia because their clothes weren’t sexy enough. What do we see, then? A disturbing snapshot of a society where women have no opportunities and no evolution.

And we just needed a woman to remind us about it! From the Chronicles of the Middle-Ages, that’s it!

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The Met Gala Circus

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A glimpse into the world of bad taste


People may think that events such as Met Gala offer hints of elegance. Please, forget it. Raised eyebrows were our reaction to viewing the pictures, not for facial gymnastics but as a sign of perplexity. What’s the point of that wild parade?

Our last post was about elegance; we wonder what went wrong with it, why bad taste prevailed, and here comes the Met Gala to present further suggestions.

Met Gala – What is it?


Born for the purpose of charity, Met Gala is the annual fundraising event of the Costume Institute Gala by the New York Metropolitan Museum Of Art. Every year there’s a different theme, and so the guests have to dress for that theme.

The problem is that dressing to a theme got out of hand. So now we see celebrities dressed as clowns whose unspoken message is a cry for attention, an attitude that resembles social media communication. And so, even if the charitable purpose is worthy, the sad show offered by the clownesque looks makes it seem paradoxical.

Tom Ford, who showed up in a classic black tailcoat, said: “I don’t really do themes”. Also, he declared that the event turned “into a costume party”. We couldn’t agree more. Tom Ford’s words were really on point. Like his outfit, which was impeccable. Elegant indeed.

Lately, the Met Gala looks recalled more of the “Carnevale di Viareggio” rather than a stylish event. (Side note: Carnevale di Viareggio is one of the biggest carnival shows in Italy and the world).

Finally, we go back to the point: elegance is dead, and there are no style icons. In other words, we live in the bad taste era, where the language that dominates is the social media language, and the need to impress others is all that counts.

Met Gala? Elegance has nothing to do with that.

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