Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina launch new line

Italy has a new men's wear label in town. Southern Italian born Simone Rizzo and Frenchman Loris Messina have come together to launch a new men's wear line titled Sunnei. The name of the brand was inspired by Rizzo and Messina singing "Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain," and they decided to twist the word sunny into the more opulent Sunnei.

Messina was a visual merchandiser at Gucci, and Rizzo was a digital manager and buyer. The two quit their jobs to start the label, and have shamelessly admitted that they are not really fashion designers. Where other designers rely on their artistic skill and ability to churn out a successful collection, Messina and Rizzo rely on the skills they developed in their previous jobs to help them bring something different to the fashion scene.

“We revisited the Italian sartorial tradition of the Seventies in a contemporary key,” said Rizzo to Women's Wear Daily, explaining that for their first collection they focused on specific items, such as shirts, blazers, workwear jumpsuits and bombers, which they infused with a streetwear sensibility. “We do what we like and we do research on the street,” Messina added.

Everything Sunnei produces is in the Vento region to ensure that their cloths are top quality. The designers really do work very hard to make sure their customers are getting something different. For their spring 2015 collection, the duo collaborated with a Como-based company that gave them access to their archives so they could have a variety of vintage fabrics to choose from. One of the trademarks of the brand is denim, which they do with either special treatments or turn inside out.

Rizzo and Messina launch new men's wear line

The duo is not only working hard to give their customers something original, but also making sure that they are making their brand known as well. So far, they have presented their collections in Florence, and at the trade shows White in Milan and Man in Paris. Some of the brands most unique looks include a wool coat constructed with a rubber material inside, a striped shirt crafted from cotton jacquard, and soft corduroy pants.

This is certainly not your father's sartorial inspired choices. They have already managed to win the heart of Opening Ceremony who carries the brand in their New York store. By the time their fall collection rolls around, Sunnei will have expanded to 16 stores across the globe, including stores in Italy, the U.K., Mexico, Canada, and South Korea. The brand is at a slightly higher price point, but more in the realm of affordable luxury, with prices ranging from 180 dollars for a shirt, 265 dollars for pants, and around 890 dollars for a coat. While the pair may not be your traditional designers, they certainly know how to give the public one stupendous collection.

photo: Complex.com