Ella Peru exploded onto the Canadian fashion scene in 2009 when Creative Director Su-Hui Chu was crowned Best Up-and-Coming Designer in Western Canada's Generation Next competition. Her winning debut collection attracted loads of media attention; but don't worry, it wasn't a one-off thing. In the years since, the press has continued to praise Su-Hui for exactly what got her so noticed in the first place: her print-heavy and nouveau-classique style.

Schooled in Ottawa at Richard Robinson Academy, Su-Hui has taken what she learned there and applied it artistically to her inspirations, many of which come from the insane amount of traveling she's done all over the world. It's this combination of professionalism and adventure that leads to Ella Peru's unique look, a look that one writer referred to as "whimsical edginess." To be sure, Su-Hui follows her fancies, lets them take her wherever they will, and doesn't shy away from rocking the boat, all the while keeping her designs classic and utterly feminine. Her dedication to furthering fashion is the most wonderful complement to her playfulness with prints and cuts, as together they lend themselves perfectly to the beauty she creates.

It's all about Ella Peru, and the dreamed-up vision of who this fantastic girl is. Ella Peru is Su-Hui's muse, and whom she designs and creates for. She's a young woman turning into herself, free-spirited and unafraid, sweet and quirky and powerfully independent. Ella Peru is expressive, experimental, and exceptional, and the line was made for her and for you.

by Marcus Kaulback

photo by Karolyne Ellacott