Suno

Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty of the young New York brand Suno are the latest designers to create a capsule collection for Uniqlo. It's the first time they've collaborated with a larger brand.

On May 20, the retailer will introduce a line of women's clothing that puts the spotlight on the designers' ability to mix prints. Specifically, this collection of sleeveless shirts, t-shirts, tank tops, dresses, skirts, and jeans will combine stripes and florals with a distinctly East-meets-West feeling.

"The inspiration for the collection was Japanese Americana — taking something that felt distinctly American, and then mixing it up in a Suno way," Beatty said. "We wanted to create something sweet, straightforward and easy."

The collaboration will retail from $20 to $40. A look at a few pieces here in the gallery.

Neil Rasmus/BFANYC.com.

We're ecstatic that we're finally able to wear all of our pretty Spring things this month! That being said, our April shopping list includes an array of refreshing floral prints, chic totes, and statement accessories to finish off our warm-weather ensembles. We're also updating our shoe arsenal with a few new essentials — like striped espadrilles and leg-lengthening sandals — and plan on ditching our heavy jackets for lighter, brighter fare. Click through to shop all of our editors' April must haves now.

For Suno's Fall '13 collection, duo Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty made a case for prints, juxtaposing stripes with brocades, florals with plaid — and it worked. It might sound like pattern overload, but the results were nothing short of chic, refreshing looks. Instead of competing against one another, these prints complemented in every way, resulting in a bold yet effortlessly elegant lineup of dresses and separates. From a short, sleek gold-brocade jacket and matching trouser to a striped jumpsuit, see our favorite printed looks from Suno's Fall '13 collection right now.

Leave it to Suno's Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty to make daring pattern combinations look downright chic. For Fall 2013, a season in which other designers have used bold flashes of color or shown an allegiance to one family of graphics, this duo stuck to their signature master mixing and fused pinstripes, paisley, florals, dots, jacquard, and plaid together with pleasing visual harmony. Three-dimensional decorations included the Swarovski crystals arranged in a geometric pattern on a final grouping of neoprene pieces and tassels that trimmed a tunic and a pair of trousers.

In accordance with the icy weather, the mood at the Suno Fall 2013 presentation was purely autumnal. The hair was windblown as if just off the slopes, and the eye shadow was touched with a tinge of red to evoke an air of seasonal warmth.

The look: Electrified ponytails, red eye shadow, and foil-flecked nails
The inspiration: The comforts of Winter
Key tips: Blow-dry hair upside down for added volume, and mix shadow with eye cream for a velvet texture

As evidenced by a front row lined with fashion's heavy-hitters, like Jenna Lyons and Joanna Hillman, and icons like Lynn Yaeger and Bill Cunningham, it's clear that Suno has been on a steady rise since its 2009 beginnings. This season we got a new incarnation of Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis's prints — a quirky collection of stripes and delicate, silky florals, punctuated by louder blues, blacks, and purple accents — and even a quirky nod to technology. There was a softness and a sweetness in both the color palette and feminine layering — like a floral peplum to give shape to a midi skirt and a tomboy button-down. But where dainty flowers may border on country-chic, this rendition was crafted with the label's contemporary edge. It's not just the fact that the florals had a subtle metallic sheen, but an expertise in proportional play that took this lineup beyond any literal references to traditional Americana.

• Trends: Crop tops, stripes, florals, peplum, tunics.
• Colors: Soft blues, grays, peaches, with pops of purple, black, and bright blue.
• Key Piece: The floral crop tops and pencil skirts.
• Accessories: Embroidered, printed peep-toe booties.
• Who Should Wear It: Stylers with a quirky kind of charm; Solange Knowles, Elizabeth Olsen, and Kirsten Dunst.

A fashion show may take less than 10 minutes start to finish, but so much happens in the days and weeks leading up to the big day. Before the runway show, before the backstage frenzy, there's the all-important hair and makeup test — where designers and beauty teams confer on the final runway look. For Spring 2013, hair genius Odile Gilbert partnered with Suno, a duo whose clothing incorporates African textiles. Here, an exclusive peek at the process of perfecting the look just 24 hours before the show.

Photos: Caroline Voagen Nelson

Take a dash of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, a splash of Issey Miyake (as seen through the lens of Irving Penn), and mix in a heavy dose of folk, ethnic-inspired prints, and ticking stripes, and what do you get? A feast for the eyes, for sure — or Suno's Spring 2013 collection. Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty combined all with their usual deftness, resulting in a collection that not only felt fresh, but also felt right in line with the aesthetic they've been building steadily for the past few seasons. The use of some high-shine fabrics — in the form of printed silks and metallic novelty chiffons — added a hint of glamour, while midriff-baring tops, drawstring jackets, and ruffle-bottomed skirts lent a youthful edge.