Shio: A Love Letter to the Baltic Sea
Dear Diary, today I’m diving into a collection that’s turning heads and tides: Shio by the visionary designer Beda Suni.
Welcome to Glass Hour, a reflective and intentional space for exploring fashion's layers – from sustainable innovations and brands to event productions and personal projects together with the stories behind them. It’s a journal in every sense: transparent, intimate, and filled with curiosity.
Dear Diary, today I’m diving into a collection that’s turning heads and tides: Shio by the visionary designer Beda Suni.
The Art of Algae
In Japanese, Shio means tide, a fitting name for a collection born where waves meet the shore. For designer Beda Suni, it’s also where her journey with Saccharina latissima – better known as brown algae, sugar kelp, or sea belt – began. Harvested by hand on the coast of Norway, this seaweed forms the heart of six of the collection’s twelve pieces, the rest being created from dead stock materials. Another interpretation of Shio is salt – a beautiful reflection of the salty waters that inspire and supply this creation.
The material's journey mirrors the tide itself: seasonal, rhythmic, and transformative. The algae is easiest to gather during low tide in late autumn when it has naturally detached from its growing substrate. From Norway, Suni transported the seaweed to an empty hall in the countryside of Köyliö, Finland, where it was carefully washed and dried. The dried algae then made its way to Suni’s studio space in Helsinki, where it was treated with glycerol to make it sturdy enough for wearing. Some pieces were also dyed with Natural Indigo, adding depth to the oceanic palette. After many moments of care, trial and error, pattern making and production, Shio was born.
A Sensual Commitment to Sustainability
Shio embodies the union of material innovation and thoughtful craftsmanship. The collection explores the repetitiveness of tide and life – the fragility of dried algae contrasts with the resilience of nature, echoing the collection’s thematic exploration of routines and cycles.
One standout piece, aptly named Pillow, represents the comfort and monotony of dreams and routine as an act of repetition, an anchor in the midst of change. The collection’s beauty is grounded by its simplicity, yet it feels alive, almost like it’s breathing with the wearer. Shio invites you to think about what you’re wearing, where it came from, and where it will go.
For Suni, this isn’t her first exploration of algae. A graduate of LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts, she incorporated seaweed into her thesis collection and has since expanded her expertise into her work as a designer, a product development manager at Vain and a stylist.
Inspired by material-driven design, Suni’s love affair with algae began in 2021. Discovering Julia Lohmann’s seaweed design work sparked a realization: if others could create extraordinary things with such unconventional material, why couldn’t she? This realization led her to connect with marine biologists and seaweed experts, ultimately leading also to the Shio collection.
Suni’s philosophy resonates deeply: ”I once thought I couldn’t stay in fashion because I needed to align more with my values – like protecting the environment and supporting human rights. But then I realized, why not do both? Combining my passion with purpose has been the most fulfilling revelation.”
What’s Next For Shio?
The Shio collection is supported by the John Nurminen Foundation, a protector of the Baltic Sea. Additionally, the design process benefited from knowledge shared at the Origin by Ocean Academy, a multidisciplinary community dedicated to shaping the future of our oceans, which fueled Suni’s drive to make meaningful change visible through her work.
But the creation of Shio and is far from a solo effort. From friends who pitched in during the intense final days of production to the photographers, stylists, and models who brought the vision to life, Shio reflects a beautiful truth: “No one thrives alone, and luckily we don’t have to.”
Beda Suni invites all Baltic Sea protectors to donate an amount that suits them to the MobilePay number: #17584
All funds raised will be donated in full to the John Nurminen Foundation.
Fundraising permit RA/2021/1341.ÅLR/2023/8710.
Saving the Baltic Sea and its heritage
The collection is available for rental, either as individual pieces or full looks. While being a part of living nature, its biodegradation journey won’t start anytime soon – these works of art are here to inspire. Suni hopes audiences will experience the collection – as well as the Baltic Sea – in person, rather than just through photographs, to connect more deeply with its essence.
As Shio reminds us, the tide doesn’t just pull us toward the ocean – it draws us toward ourselves.
Credit & Contact
Fashion Designer – Beda Suni
Cast – Aada, Ati, Katrina, Kenana, Peng, Maria, Yar
Photography – Aino Ahola, Liisa Hietanen, Sala Mboup
Visuals – Milja Liedes, Siiri Luukkonen
Makeup – Siiri Hämäläinen, Kaisa Laitala
Hair – Panu Männikkö, Jonna Ojala, Nian Rasul Zada
Shoes – WeaRini
Jewellery – Ildar Wafin for Kalevala Koru
Tattoo Design – Janina Hannula
Sound Design – Enkel - Shio
* Glass Hour *
by Roosa Saarni
