Looking for a new brand to spruce up your winter wardrobe? If you have the patience to wait until later this month, Marna Ro will be rolling out a new e-commerce destination, stocked with their signature tailored and European-inspired piece. Creative director Sunjoo Moon has done stints at Kenzo, Thierry Mugler, and Missoni, so that chic Euro influence is authentic. Fun fact alert: Isabel Marant is her BFF from design school. We chatted with L.A.-based Moon about her take on the local fashion scene and what else the label is up to…
What does the brand’s name mean?
It’s a name made up from the names of our founders, Nasarudin Nasimuddin and Marion Caunter.
Do people often ask who Marna is?
At the design studio, we often receive emails from fabric mills and suppliers writing, “Dear Marna…” So yes, we get it often!
How did your gigs at places like Missoni and Kenzo shape your designs today?
The notion of quality, for image, fabrics, and manufacturing, are key to my aesthetic. Also, they informed the importance of developing authenticity and having your own voice.
What’s new for the label these days?
While we’re based in Los Angeles, with current distribution mainly in the U.S., we’ve just started showing our mens and women’s collections at the Paris trade fair Tranoï, to open up our international visibility and distribution.
Any plans to open up your own store soon?
Just our e-commerce store, at Marna-Ro.com, which will launch before the holidays.
How would you compare the style aesthetics of L.A. and New York?
Los Angeles is more of a lifestyle scene, as opposed to New York’s fashion scene. The Los Angeles lifestyle is way more casual! Also, the color black is very present in New York, due to the urban landscape. In Los Angeles, we’re constantly living in the sunlight; we’re not wearing as much black.
Do you think the fashion scene on the West Coast is growing, with people like Hedi Slimane being based there and Tom Ford showing his collection out West?
Definitely! It’s partaking in the cultural evolution of Los Angeles. In recent years, we’ve seen a huge surge of Europeans, New Yorkers, and other international creatives moving here. It follows with local trends in art and music, which are greatly developing,
When you’re in New York, what’s on your must-see list?
I like the Gagosian Gallery on West 21st Street, especially the “Picasso & the Camera” show. Then, I like to go for a walk along the High Line!
