Welcome to the first entry of our Inspiration Series, where we interview amazing women who are inspiring us daily through their work, creativity, motherhood, business and passion.
Today we meet Elise & Brooke, the founders of Sunna Studios.
Tell us the story behind Sunna Studios.
Sunna is a collaboration between us; Brooke and Elise - twin sisters based in Auckland, NZ. Together, we make thoughtful basics for young ones; our clothing is organic, eco dyed and ethically made. We value quality, authenticity and integrity, all of which ground us as a business and empower us to do better as a brand. Through sustainable practices and our choices in design, fibres and construction, we create pieces that last and which are held with value by conscious consumers. Our loungewear range is made with eco dyed, 100% certified organic cotton and our hand knits are made with naturally dyed, 100% locally sourced NZ wool.
Rituals to balance Motherhood and business?
(Brooke) Balancing motherhood and business is something I am constantly working on, as every day with children is different and unpredictable. For me, self care is a necessity; my morning ritual usually involves a cup of tea or cacao, yoga and/or meditation. This gives me time to gather my thoughts and set my intentions for the day ahead, helping to increase my productivity and focus and keeping me calm and centred when things don’t go to plan - which tends to be a lot of the time.
I find staying organised and having a flexible plan is key. A planner or diary is a must; I write down everything, the less ideas/thoughts/plans in my head the better. I also allocate my time to try to keep mom duties and work as separate as possible; it took me a while to realise that doing both at the same time usually leads to being unproductive and frustrated. I try to not be too hard on myself if things don’t go to plan; sometimes you just need to take a step back, be gentle with yourself or be present with your children and that’s okay.
Lastly, I am mindful of what I watch, read, listen to and surround myself with. I try to only ‘feed’ myself things that inspire and motivate me and which are positive. I find doing this energises me, it fills me with ideas and makes me excited for life and helps me hold onto a successful mindset.
Where do you draw inspiration from to design and create?
(Elise) Design and inspiration comes from a long love of clothes, particularly beautiful ones. Being something I seem to innately understand and backed by a long history in the fashion industry, I am constantly inspired by a world full of creativity and talent, my designs seem to come from a long, pent up list of clothes I have dreamed of creating. Comfort and fit are at the forefront of my designs and I love to use texture in simple styles for a natural, timeless aesthetic.
Tell us more about your ethos and sustainable approaches
Seeing and understanding the chain of supply and the impact fashion has on our environment through fast moving trends, too much waste and exploitation, coupled with our own growing sense of responsibility to Earth, we knew whatever we created had to be done with integrity and consciousness. Every choice we make is made with sustainability in mind; from raw materials to packaging, we are committed to manufacturing with as small a footprint as possible. Through these choices we aim to inspire, guide and motivate conscious consumerism collectively. All connected, we need to be making better choices to build positive changes on a global scale.