California Apparel News

For designers Shannon Nataf and Dimitri Tcharfas, Suh Tahn is an exercise in duality. Even the name, with roots in “light” and “dark,” straddles two worlds. Debuting for Fall 2007 with men’s, women’s and unisex contemporary apparel, Suh Tahn is “based on the concept of balance, man and woman, light and dark, modern and organic,” Nataf said.

Nataf, who worked as a creative consultant for BCBG Max Azria, and Tcharfas, who had planned to study architecture but is finishing up a stint at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, have been working on the concept for three years, they said. “We wanted to have a very clear idea of what Suh Tahn would be,” Tcharfas said. “The inspiration is geometric shapes, clean lines and architecture,” Nataf added.

The result is a collection of 15 pieces for women, six pieces for men and four unisex pieces made from leather, silk, jersey, boiled wool, suede and cotton. Clean lines and stark colors are balanced with unique touches and soft details. Built-in leather belts cinched voluminous knits and played peek-aboo— often visible only from the front or the back of a garment. Soft leather jackets with shortened sleeves featured a weathered metallic wash and layers of knit trim. Men got slim pants and hoodies with built-in harnesses and layered sleeves.

Nataf and Tcharfas said they designed items that they’d want to wear every day. “It’s something interesting [that] intelligent people who aren’t afraid to make a statement would be drawn to,” Nataf said. Buyers, who got their first runway glimpse of the collection during Kitten Fashion Week in March, seem to like Suh Tahn’s statement. So far, H. Lorenzo, Fred Segal Santa Monica and Diavolina in Los Angeles have written orders for the collection. The line, which will debut its Holiday offerings soon, will wholesale for $83 to $450 for a constructed leather jacket with wool trim.

With one season under their belts, Nataf and Tcharfas say they want to expand the Suh Tahn philosophy to an entire collection. First on their agenda is a partnership with a jeweler to make custom-designed buttons and buckles for the collection.

Another project brings Tcharfas back to his love for design and architecture. The pair is in the middle of setting up a design studio for Suh Tahn alongside a showroom it plans to share with Los Angeles designers Henry Duarte and Michel Berandi. “The idea is to create a space for the three brands, with art and installations, to act as a sort of showroom for stylists, press and celebrities,” Tcharfas said. Buyers can view Suh Tahn’s designs at its sales showroom, eM Productions at the Cooper Design Space. For more information, call (213) 614-9292. —Erin Barajas