Hey, I Like Your Style! The founder of Suku Home on not taking fashion too seriously

“I like to have fun with it and the idea that I have to dress a certain way or like a certain thing to fit into a particular fashion box sounds so exhausting and restrictive.”

We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years), so we’ve introduced a new series Hey, I Like Your Style! diving into the fashion psyche of our favourite creatives. We’re talking the good, the bad and the 2007.

While the internet has made our fashion icons feel closer than ever before, even the most effortless of outfits came from a closet with some (well-dressed) skeletons. Clickable product tags, photo archives and lives chronicled in 30-second clips just don’t tell the full story.

For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.

These are the stories behind the wardrobes, exploring how we develop our own personal style. There’s a brilliance behind the way we choose to express ourselves and at FJ, we know every outfit has a story.

Chrissy Lafian founded the Australian-Indonesian label Suku Home seven years ago. Since that time, the fashion and homewares label has gone from strength to strength, becoming a delightful bright spot in the often monochromatic and minimalist Melburnian fashion scene.

Having grown up in Indonesia, her approach to fashion has always been informed by colour and pattern. Comfort and fun are the most important outfit considerations for Chrissy, and despite being exceptionally well-dressed at all times, she doesn’t “think that seriously about fashion”. This week, we’re talking about her style journey.

Who are you and what do you like to wear? 

I’m the founder and creative director of Suku Home. I like to wear something that makes me feel good about myself and comfortable.

What has your style evolution looked like? Do you feel like you’ve gained confidence in the way you dress?

As I grow older, I like to dress more casually than when I was in my twenties. I feel like I dressed to impress back then, whereas now, it’s more about how I feel when wearing it. I definitely feel much more loving and in tune with what I wear as I get older, this includes my relationship with my body too. There is a difference between wearing something and when the clothes wear you.

Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?

I don’t think that seriously about fashion. I like to have fun with it and the idea that I have to dress a certain way or like a certain thing to fit into a particular fashion box sounds so exhausting and restrictive. If an outfit makes someone feel confident and happy when wearing it, then more power to them!

Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets?

I can’t think of one but if there are any, it’s mostly wearing something too tight when I’m out eating ‘all you can eat’. Nothing worse than wanting to eat more but you can’t because your tight outfit is squeezing your gut.

What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?

My most expensive would probably be my wedding skirt that my friend Pamela Usanto made for me for the reception. She hand-sewed hundreds of pearls into it and it’s beautiful. My least expensive might be a pair of socks.

What is the most meaningful fashion piece you own?

Too many. I am quite sentimental with clothes. I am that person who would remember what outfits I wore in certain moments of my life. I think the most meaningful piece that I treasure the most would be my mother’s Chanel 2.55 bag. My mum is an entrepreneur like me, so this was the bag she bought for herself as ‘I made it’ gift. She passed it onto me on my 21^st birthday as a gift and a reminder that I too one day should be able to afford my own Chanel bag. I did in the end buy myself an ‘I made it’ gift but it wasn’t a Chanel bag. Turned out I’m not a bag person.

What’s in your cart at the moment?

A lot of homeware and furniture pieces.

What fashion piece are you saving for right now?

I’m saving for my house reno at the moment so it’s hard to think of a fashion piece, but I will start looking for a summer sandal soon, so I’ll be saving for that.

What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?

Any Suku Nini pant (I have about four prints), oversize crewneck or sweater, and Asics sneakers – this is my everyday uniform.

Who are your favourite local designers? 

P.A.M.