Golden Duo

As Sara Ferrero appeared on-screen for this interview, she shared that she was under the weather. Yet it’s unlikely anyone would have known. Swathed in Sa Su Phi knitwear, the fashion brand she launched in 2021, she was a portrait of grace and elegance—as was her co-founder Susanna Cucco, who also wore a piece from their eponymous knitwear line.

Sara (“Sa”) Ferrero and Susanna (“Su”) Cucco have worked together for over 20 years. At first their collaboration started from afar, crossing paths a few times in London, via the fashion brand Joseph in London, where Ferrero was CEO and Cucco an occasional art director. From there they worked together at Valextra, a Milanese leatherwear brand and institution. And now, in the spirit of true collaboration, together they have created Sa Su Phi.

Despite the overcrowded retail landscape Sa Su Phi speaks for itself, enabling customers an understated form of self-expression through the highest quality knitwear, silks, and tailoring. For Ferrero and Cucco, building this brand was about creating consistently chic clothing for their customer: a truly modern woman, who doesn’t have time to change outfits between work meetings and dinners out, but always wants to look, and feel, her best.

The result is a label that’s not about showing off, but about being seen. Each garment, uniquely contemporary in its design, is produced with luxurious and lasting fabrics that would make anyone melt. And while it’s tempting to sweep Sa Su Phi into the much overused “quiet luxury” category, that would be a disservice to the inherently bold attitude of its wearer.

The brand’s essence wouldn’t exist without, Milan, its birth city. Unlike the bombastic flair of Rome or the ornate romance of Venice, Milan lures you in with its endless grit and glamour. Sa Su Phi’s aesthetics, meanwhile, reflect the designers themselves. Ferrero self-describes her personal style as classically feminine, while Cucco deems her own to be more architectural. Yet both women dress themselves the same fervor and intention that one would expect from any fashion enthusiast.

And what about the “Phi” in Sa Su Phi? It refers to the Greek letter for the Golden Ratio, a mathematical constant that appears in nature, art, and architecture due to its aesthetically pleasing proportions, and one that often symbolizes beauty, balance, and harmony. The full name said aloud is also a play on the French phrase, ça suffit—as in, ‘that’s enough.’ Basta, as they would say in Italian. Sa Su Phi is more than enough.

Sa Su Phi is available through their website, Net-a-Porter, and Bergdorf Goodman.