ONELIFE #35 – English

BORN NETWORK
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOCELYN TAM (1)
clothing, so she used her own experiences of
wearing equestrian clothes to create something
better and more closely in tune with today’s riders.
Her determination to achieve this and make a
difference ultimately led to her taking the bold
step of launching her own brand, MIASUKI.
Harnessing the technological advances of fast
fashion while maintaining high levels of quality,
she set about creating simple, elegant and durable
equestrian clothes able to cope with the wear
and tear of horse riding. Explaining her outlook,
Suki says: “When people think about horse riding,
they consider the look of the clothes. In the past
it often represented status, but now with technical
fabrics, function has become very important
too. I felt that there wasn’t an offering that really
encapsulated the function together with the
aesthetics and the poetic drama in this sport.”
MIASUKI products combine the heritage of
equestrian clothing, in particular the skilled craft
of manufacturing luxury pieces, with the latest
technological innovations. “I’m trying to make
clothing where you don’t feel any element is
inferior. Function is not inferior to elegance,
and elegance isn’t inferior to function.”
She sources her materials from Italy, where the
clothes are also manufactured to her exacting high
standards. Delivering style while dealing with the
rigours of everyday riding, Suki’s designs are now sold
through stockists around the globe, including Harrods.
Keen to share her experiences and encourage other creative
entrepreneurs to change the world through design, Mia Suki is now
working with BORN, a collective of individuals who have conceived,
designed and manufactured products that help society in some way.
CELEBRATING CREATIVITY
BORN is the brainchild of the collective’s founder and CEO
Jean-Christophe Chopin, who was inspired to foster creativity in
a spirit of collaboration. “Creativity and design must be satisfying,
meeting a need, pleasing to behold, and enriching to use,” he
explains. “But creativity can only achieve its aims with an audience.
My question was: how can we bridge the gap between consumers’
appetite for new products and designers’ need to finance them?
This was why I created BORN.”
Land Rover has partnered with BORN to present the annual
Land Rover BORN Awards, which recognise exceptional creative
achievements in design-led lifestyle. These awards seek to honour
creative individuals like Mia Suki who dive into the unknown,
following their passion and desire to redress a frustration with the
way things are. Previous winners include architect Jean-Michel
Wilmotte, film director Danny Boyle, entrepreneur Tom Evans,
designer Ramesh Nair, composer Jean-Michel Jarre and emerging
artist Annina Roescheisen.
“We all share a common passion for creativity in all its different
manifestations,” says Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Design
Officer.“ Design has the power to enrich people’s lives and raise their
spirits. The most compelling designs are the ones that differentiate
themselves from the ordinary and make an emotional connection.”
Those same goals are what motivated Mia Suki to be involved in
the BORN movement. “It’s a celebration of creativity,” she says,“ and
new creative ideas and leaders who are coming into the world.”
LAND ROVER
BORN AWARDS
Launched in 2010, the 2017 Land Rover BORN
Awards were held in July at Alesund, Norway,
recognising work in architecture, fashion and
accessories, home and design, sport and leisure,
beauty and cosmetics, and social impact.
From more than 5,000 registered candidates,
a shortlist of 20 nominees was chosen by an
esteemed international panel of design experts
and entrepreneurs. The ten winners have now
been inducted into the BORN network, gaining a
lifetime membership of the collective. Each 2017
winner also received a triangular-shaped BORN
award, created by the Land Rover Design Team
under the direction of Gerry McGovern. This year,
the awards are made of marble – significant, as
this was used as the background material for the
launch of the New Range Rover Velar.
As well as being cut from a single piece of
marble, the form of the award itself echoes the
ethos of BORN: individually each talent – and
each award – stands on its own, but when
placed together as a collective, they combine
to create a larger, more powerful whole. It’s an
ideal that underpins Land Rover’s support of
the awards, and the wider BORN movement.
Look out for more on the 2017 Land Rover
BORN awards next issue, or visit born.com
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