left - Sketches of Dakar scarf, right - Monsieur Bruno (photo courtesy of Missbruno)

A KINSHIP THAT DRAWS FROM THE PAST TO CREATE FOR TODAY

If a pair of designers told you that they weren’t fashionistas, but instead a musician and a filmmaker, what do you think their creations would like? What if that same daring design duo came out with a line of scarves made with silk, lace, vintage leather, linen, batik and snake skin? I doubt you’d imagine them being anything that you’d actually want to wear, but the Bruno sisters, Shirley and Marjory, will change your mind.

The contrast loving, risk taking Haitian-American siblings behind the Missbruno label, are able to do what’s been intangible for many others in fashion the world - unite wearable art and comfort. With the sister’s My So-Called Scarf collection forget about wearing items that can only be worn on special ocassions or have buttons and clasps that are more intended for decoration, than to hold anything together. “It can’t just be for show,” shares Marjory, “It has to have a purpose and function, but purpose and function doesn’t have to be ugly.”

And, they’re made-to-order, versatile pieces are far from ugly. From the bright colored houses in Haiti to Crown Height, Brooklyn’s corner-store bodegas, Missbruno’s scarves embody the eclectic beauty and history of the African Diaspora that inspires them. “[The Diaspora] is really the springboard of our designs,” explains Shirley, “When you know who you really are, and it’s there unapologetically, it comes across in everything you do.”

Rupees & Yen scarf (photo courtesy of Missbruno)

Similar to the various cultural influences of diasporic people, the creative kin demonstrate a wholistic philosophy of hand-making pieces that remain relevant to the wearer long after the trends of the moment become tomorrow’s questionable fashion choices. They are committed to making items that can be dressed up, dressed down, wrinkled and “crinkled beautifully” because everything they conceive is meant for sustainable living.

In March, the ladies plan to launch their My So-Called Dress collection and host a fashion show. At the moment, they are in the developing stages of their Buster Bruno men’s collection. Has fashion erased their love for music and film? Definitely not. Marjory continues to work on her music and with the help of designers from their collective We 360, Shirley is directing a costume drama made up of a series of musical vignettes.

The talented sisters acknowledge that their passion for other expressive forms of art is what led them into designing. “There’s just so much you can say with clothes, doesn’t have to be intentional,” says Shirley, “You don’t even have to think about it.”

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