First Stop: Florence!

Suzi's jetting towards Italy right now (so jealous!) It's the first of many adventures on her calendar in 2011 and we're prodding her for expert advice: the things she loves about travel, what's in her bag and on her agenda. First stop: Florence!

Why you're taking this trip:

Suzi handpicks yarns that become souchi sweaters, leggings, scarves and more!

I'm going to Italy for the Pitti Filati show. It is the big yarn show that happens twice a year. I will be looking at yarn for my spring 2012 collection... lord that sounds scary! We have winter goods in the store, are just starting to ship spring 2011, i just shot my fall 2011 look book today and now i'm on to 2012....it goes so fast. No wonder i have no sense of time!

What you're packing:

Souchi sweaters + genetic denim. Perfect for travel.

 Last time my luggage was lost so i decided to carry on -- all must fit in my duffel (fave chanel duffle from back in my sf days as a salesgirl). so my guess of last minute packing: ports 1961 coat, 1 pair genetics, bruce wool legging jean, 2 souchi dresses, 2 souchi sweaters, leather shirt, fedora, scarf, wrap, johnny farah bag, tall boots, booties & lanvin cuff.

What you're most excited about:

Boboli Gardens, Florence

    1) The Boboli Gardens because this time of year I love to sit on the benches in the cold and watch the older ladies ride their bikes up to the racks while wearing fur coats and there walking shoes. always makes me smile.
    2) Luisa via Roma to find something ridiculous to buy.
    3) Vintage store just west of the Ponte Vecchio that has amazing
    accessories.
    4) Gelaterias
    5) The Florentine leather and paper stores. I like to stock up on journals and paper for wrapping.
    6) The movie house. there is only 1 that i know of off the main square. it's so pretty and more like a theatre/play house. love it. last summer i saw the twilight move. ok, lame i know but it was 104 degrees & humid!


Favorite Italian designer and why:

Tomas Maier, thanks to LifeInItaly.com

Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier! he is so talented and has that perfect blend of luxury, classic italian, romantic & cool. love!
{Editor's note: Want to know more about Tomas Maier? Check out this Details article. So beautiful. So Italian.}

Favorite Italian food:

Pistachio gelato. Find a recipe to make your own on David Lebovitz's blog.

3 way tie for favorite Italian food: pasta w/ olive oil & TONS of fresh lemon & sage, pistachio gelato & Prosecco.

Favorite italian phrase:
    1) belissima (makes me super happy when the older italians say it when you smile.
    2) 'avete taglia 8'  (do you have size 8) at all shoe stores :)

Happy 2011... A Little Late

Ten days into the new year and no new year's news from souchi. Bad, bad, bad. What can we say? We got caught up in wintertime adventures, some fun late nights, and days spent wrapped in cashmere drinking hot chocolate with peppermint marshmallows by the fire. It wasn't bad, friends.

But now we're back and turning the spotlight back on Suzi! Normally Suzi is at the helm of the souchi blog (she IS souchi after all!) but every once in awhile we like to make her the focus: ask some deep questions & dive into her creative mind. There's more mini interviews coming soon. So if there's soemthing YOU want to know, ask in the comments and we'll try to get an answer soon!

Suzi in souchi

What are you excited about in 2011?
Adventures, propositions & challenges & some great shopping thrown in for extra fun.
 
Adventures, do tell!?
I'm headed back to Florence this winter, then NYC, Paris....possibly London and then Los Angeles. All for souchi! And I'm hoping for a summer getaway (a personal vacation, what an idea!?) to somewhere i've never been....locations tbd. Any ideas?
  
Are there any changes in store for Souchi in 2011?
Yes....but more like great additions instead of changes. Change implies I don't like the way something is when, in fact, i love all things souchi, but want to add to the nest we have.... I'm very excited.
  
Very profound, Suzi. What about personal goals?
Yes, always!: Fit in family visits w/ my travel plans, manage a day off a week, learn something new, read more books AND to finally grow my nails!   

List three fashion related things you think are going to influence you this year: designers, colors, shapes, etc....
Well, I just finished designing & knitting my fall '11 collection and I will say I was influenced by electric colors of recent collections by dries van noten, jil sander, celine, rodarte....

I am also thinking about nesting.... During this poor economy i heard more and more about how happy people were with the pieces they bought from souchi. They view souchi as an investment piece. Maybe customers weren't buying as many items, but i noticed they were investing in the key pieces they hoped to live in. Pieces that would take them to the office, dinner, out for cocktails but also be perfect for a quiet evening at home. So i decided to push that thought and really design items that are multi purpose and oh so cozy
  
Shoes ALWAYS influence me. But it is more than than just 'oh they are pretty.' Shoes make me happy, interested, curious & always inspire something to be made specifically for them. ....... this poses a huge problem with my travel plans as i tend to only bring 2 shoes so i have room in my bag to come back with 3 more :)