Two looks from Suno Fall 2009

W Magazine nabbed a quick interview with screenwriter turned fashion designer Max Osterweis of Suno. He talks about the genesis of his line and reveals further details about the Suno tunic that wound up in Mrs. O's closet. Fans of Suno will be delighted to know that Mrs. O has bought at least 5 pieces from the designer, so we should expect more to come. Click here to read the piece.

(As many will recall, Mrs. O wore a Suno tunic when visiting San Francisco earlier this summer. The line was inspired by textiles the designer has collected through his travels to Kenya. Click here for our earlier coverage.)

When Mrs. O traveled to San Francisco a few weeks ago we got several inquiries about her heart print tunic, but not until later did we discover the designer (via a Mrs-O.org tipster via New York magazine, thank you!). The top is from a new label called SUNO, formed in 2008 by Max Osterweis, a film director and screenwriter turned designer.

The inspiration for the collection came after Mr. Osterweis spent more than a decade collecting textiles from Kenya, where his mother had built a house on Lamu Island. (The collection is named after her.) Wanting to do something positive for Kenya after the country found itself in political turmoil in 2008, Max decided to put his collection of fabrics to new use.

He started SUNO -- a company that employs local Kenyan talent and is committed to treating workers fairly. The overarching aim is to affect positive and lasting economic and social change.

Design for the SUNO collection originates in New York City, where sample and pattern makers construct the first pieces for the collection. The patterns and samples are then sent to Kenya, where the garments are produced in small artisan workshops. The first SUNO collection for Spring/Summer 2009 consisted of 1,000 individually numbered, one of a kind pieces made from Kenya kangas. (Kangas are large rectangles of printed cotton that come from coastal East African tradition.) The pieces are then finished with touches of silk charmeuse, used for piping, binding, pockets and collars.

Mrs. O's top is a cotton tunic by SUNO, made at a small fair-trade workshop in Kenya from a vintage kanga. The top was purchased from Ikram in Chicago. With such a substantive background and lovely, interesting pieces, we are not suprised that SUNO has found its way into Mrs. O's wardrobe. Fingers crossed there is more to come! To see the SUNO collection, click here. For further reading, click here.

 Photo by Kimberly White/ Getty Images

Photo by Kimberly White/ Getty Images

Mrs. O is in California this week to kick off the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Joined by the first lady of California, Maria Shriver, the women began the service effort by rebuilding a playground in San Francisco.

First Lady Mrs. O kept her attire understated, wearing a printed top, black cardigan, cropped pants and her Puma sneakers. Update: New York Mag reports that the tunic is by Suno, a brand we are eager to learn more about!

Later in the evening Mrs. O spoke at the conference wearing a sleeveless dress that combined print and texture. Update: Mrs. O wears the Reid dress by Rachel Roy, as seen here. Thanks to Holly at Make Luxury Count for the tip!

Photo by Robert Galbraith / Reuters