"I hope you enjoy wearing my garments
as much as I do designing them."
--Suzanne
Gentes
My work highlights my passion
for color and pattern. These limited-edition garments are truly distinctive
for their combination of individually hand-loomed, fair-isle knit
accents and ultra-soft, light-weight polyester fleece. They're just
as warm as wool, but at half the weight and much easier to care for.
In addition, because they "breathe" so well, they span the seasons
comfortably.
After designing the garment
silhouettes, I carefully choose a full line of this luxurious fabric
in stunning prints and solid colors that are compatible with the top-quality
yarn I use in my knitting. Then, the knit pattern design process begins.
I derive great pleasure from experimenting with a variety of geometric
patterns and determining how they relate to an actual fair-isle knitted
fabric and to the fleece fabric with which they will be combined.
After knitting numerous swatches
in several colorways, I choose only the most distinctive ones to knit
up as collars, pleats, lapels, and other key accent pieces that I
sew into these very special garments. Being a perfectionist, only
the highest workmanship receives the SÜZKNITS label. My line
has been successfully sold at rigorously juried artist shows, galleries,
boutiques and fashion shows showcasing wearable art. The styles have
received rave reviews for their unique combinations of textures, as
well as their silhouette, fit, color, and pattern, perfectly fusing
fashion with warmth and comfort.
Why only Malden Mills fleece?
All styles are sewn from polyester fleece purchased from Malden
Mills of Lawrence, Massachusetts. The top-performing fleece on the
market, it is well known for its luxurious softness, breathability,
superior warmth, and wide selection of weights in beautiful prints
and solids. There are many fleece imitatators on the market, but those
by Malden Mills are of the highest quality.
How did I get started doing
this?
I was raised in Lewiston, Maine in a lively family of six girls
and one boy. I now thank my wonderful parents for wisely encouraging
my strong desire to make my own clothes. By my college graduation,
I had frugally created a wardrobe of fully lined business suits with
matching silk blouses. In 1991, however, my own young family's demands
required that I leave the corporate life behind for a more flexible
working schedule. I still work from my home studio, around my now
two teenagers' busy schedules and my very supportive husband's
career demands. It's a bit hectic at times, but it works for us!
All in all, I've been
a self-taught hand-knitter since 1985 and fair-isle stitch machine
knitter since 1991. Additional coursework and extensive research
include clothing design, color theory, pattern-making, draping,
hand and machine knit stitch construction, fair-isle knit motif
design, using computers to design clothing and knitwear, embellishment
of sewn and knit clothing, marketing one's knits and crafts, and
creating a web site. I also hold current professional memberships
in the American Craft Council and the National Association of
Independent Artists.
Caring for your SÜZKNITS
garments
The care instructions sewn into each piece stress that proper
care must be taken to safeguard the garment's beauty. Specifically,
one should turn it inside-out, machine wash it in the gentle cycle,
and hang it up to dry. Never machine dry. These high-performance
fleece fabrics are specifically designed to be quick-drying fabrics,
hence their breathability. Heavy machine agitation and overheating
in a dryer may eventually lead the fleece to pill, and worse, may
risk destroying the hand-loomed knit accents.
