Leave it to Stevie Wonder to set the tone for clothing that makes your soul smile. Moved by the singer’s 1962 single “Sunny,” Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo founded their brand Sunnei with a simple intent: create clothes that let anyone “feel the best version of themselves.”
Since 2015, the Milan-based label has leaned into brighter tones, looser fits, and a freewheeling attitude toward style. The denim that’s remained in its DNA since the beginning is decidedly relaxed, featuring lighter washes and the kind of legroom ideal for splaying out on a lawn chair or cannonballing across a roller disco.
From its love for stripes that scream Sesame Street to sweatshirts that state “i hate fashion,” these clothes aren’t meant to be cooped up in a cold office or cynical art event but to be walked out into the sun with a bounce in its step.
Like Rizzo and Messina, both with backgrounds in photography and no traditional fashion training, Sunnei basks in the cheery contrast it brings to a city known for its high and mighty luxury labels. As adamant as the brand is at working with Italian factories to produce its clothes, it took a while for its motherland to recognize their fresh take on Italian fashion. It had to take nods from the New York Times and shelf space in downtown emporium Opening Ceremony before the brand felt any amore from Milan’s cool kids and style cognoscenti.
