Fashion

Vancouver shops: April notes

Wear your heart on your sleeve, slip on a new shoe and try a colourful new line.

Five-minute chat: Su-Hui Chu

Bubbly Ottawa-born, Vancouver-based designer Su-Hui Chu talks travel, colour and the inspiration behind her debut collection, Ella Peru (ellaperu.com, at Ingenue, 2821 W. Broadway, 604-716-5733).

Your pieces are bold, colourful and perfect for spring. Is this representative of your personal style? “I love every colour, and I love mixing patterns—I always have. I’ll never forget my favourite outfit in Grade 3: a blue-and-white striped top, plaid shorts and a red sweater tied around my waist.” 
Much of the collection was inspired by your travels. Which countries did you reference? “My first encounter with harem pants was in India in 2005, and my woven onesie has an Australian Aboriginal print that I was delighted to discover and recognize years after I went there, fresh out of high school.”
How did you go about designing the button dress? “I designed the dress to suit the fabric. When I first showed the material to a girlfriend, she said, ‘That looks like something from my mom’s closet 20 years ago.’ I replied, ‘Perfect!’” 
Is it your favourite piece? “It’s one of them. Despite its loud pattern, it’s pretty simple to wear. I also love the button pants—I see myself wearing them with a simple tee, tucked in, and strappy flats.”

Photography by Hubert Kang

First published in FASHION Magazine April 2010

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