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Onia debuts latest collection at New York Pilates Studio

By Kristopher Fraser

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Fashion

Onia's come a long way since they first launched in 2009. The brand debuted their spring/summer 2019 collection this week at New York Pilates studio in SoHo, and this season there was an increased focus on both their women's collection and the introduction of luxury materials. Onia co-founders Nathan Romano and Carl Cunow, along with women's creative director Dalia Cunow, were inspired by the Memphis Milano cultural movement of the 1980's.

The radical abstract patterns of “Memphis” are represented throughout this season’s colors and prints. The innovative swimwear and ready to wear styles embody the radical shapes used by prominent Memphis Designers, including Matteo Thun, Ettore Sottsass, and Peter Shire.

Onia was inspired my Memphis Milano for spring/summer 2019

Ready-to-wear was a key focus of the collection this season as the brand works on ramping up their women's offerings. Luxurious silks were introduced to the collection to bring in more of that high end consumer. Fabrics were sourced from Italy, Portugal, France, Spain and Japan. Although Onia has only been doing women's for three years, the business has grown to be more over 50 percent womenswear. They've been able to nab some impressive retail partners including Barney's New York, Bergdorf Goodman, and Intermix.

"Women are reacting really well to our fits, fabrics, and price point," said Cunow to FashionUnited. "There's a void in the market for swimwear at this price point, fabrication and look that's more metropolitan than bohemian."

Although the ready-to-wear market has been very challenging, Cunow feels that they are at an advantage being a resort year round collection. They are aimed more towards that tourist customer who is traveling, which has saved them from being affected by the day-to-day retail struggle. The brand's biggest seasons are spring/summer followed by resort, and their fall line is smaller with more pieces like beach cashmeres, linen sweaters, and muted swimsuits. California, Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean are the top markets for the brand right now.

"We definitely travel a lot to different markets to service the customers," Canow said to FashionUnited. "Being a resort wear brand we have to service what all our customers need at different times of the year. During Thanksgiving and Christmas we look at where people are traveling and what the room rates are to figure out what kind of product people are buying. A customer at the Ritz Carlton is going to be shopping different product from a customer at Aman Resorts."

Helping to spearhead the transition into womenswear is their women's creative director Dalia Canow, wife of Carl Cunow. "From our first season, we saw a really great response to our womenswear," Dalia said to FashionUnited. "One of the things setting us apart from other brands is the fabrics we use. We work with mills to develop our own take on things."

One of the best pieces of advice Dalia had for retailers was the importance of customer response. "It's always a balance," she said to FashionUnited. "You want to have a vision and stick to that vision, and you want your whole collection to be a representation of your brand, but, you always have to keep the customer in mind. One of the most important things to us is fit, and we also look at what's selling from season to season."

This collection went a lot more bold and bride in terms of color choices, fine fabrics were represented in new silhouettes such as the Martine dress and Ronnie polo, elevating the collection, creating a day to evening vibe. "It's appropriate for the beach, and appropriate for the beach bonfire," Dalia said to FashionUnited.

While it's a new phase for Onia, they have still kept their refined and elegant aesthetic.

Photo courtesy of the brand

Onia