Five Minutes with a Friend: Susanne Stein, SUZ
For almost two decades, Berlin-based milliner Susanne Stein has been refining a practice that balances technical mastery with artistic expression. Under her label, SUZ Berlin, she creates hats that feel less like accessories and more like sculptural objects, each one shaped by hand in her Berlin-Kreuzberg studio. Her work is defined by a modern, minimalist aesthetic that places form, material and craftsmanship at the centre of every piece.
“Circus Hat,” made in wheat straw braid finished with a raffia pom-pom.
Although felt occasionally appears in her collections, Stein works almost exclusively with fine wheat straw braid sourced from a carefully chosen supplier in Italy. Finding the right braid took months, a reflection of her commitment to quality and her deep connection to the material. Straw, she explains, offers endless possibilities. Its subtle sheen and soft golden tone give each piece an elegance, while its natural honesty aligns perfectly with her restrained visual language.
A SUZ Berlin hat collection
Each hat begins by hand before moving to a straw braid stitching machine that creates a stab stitch on the surface and a chain stitch beneath. Stein describes the sewing process as meditative — a rhythmic making that allows instinct to take over. Once stitched, each form is steamed and blocked over vintage or custom-made wooden hat blocks, using only a touch of stiffener to preserve what she calls the “life” of the material. For Stein, decoration is unnecessary; instead, it is the flow of the stitching lines and the purity of the silhouette that make each hat distinctive.
Susanne Stein wearing a hand crafted SUZ Berlin hat.
That clarity extends to her palette of black and natural tones, as well as to her design process. Rather than sketching, Stein visualises her ideas and experiments directly in three dimensions until the piece feels right. It is this intuitive approach that has given SUZ Berlin its singular voice.
The Dahlia Pom-Pom hat from SUZ Berlin
To celebrate the summer season, Selvedge is offering readers the chance to win a bespoke Dahlia Pom-Pom Hat from SUZ Berlin. Handcrafted from fine wheat straw braid with a navy bast pom-pom and ribbon trim, the design features a generous 14cm brim that can be worn three different ways.
We recently caught up with Susanne for our 5 Minutes with a Friend interview series, where she shared more about her thoughtful approach to making. Readers can also discover more about Susanne Stein and SUZ in Hat Trick, a feature in Selvedge Issue 130, Flower.
Five Minutes with a Friend: Susanne Stein, SUZ
Portrait of Susanne Stein, founder of SUZ Berlin
Susanne, what is your earliest memory of a textile?
My earliest memory of textiles is my grandmother’s hand-knitted sweaters.
How would you describe what draws you to textiles and the world of making?
Several things come together. But above all, it’s the feeling of making something and being able to feel and touch it.
Susanne in her studio in Kreuzberg, Berlin
If you create textiles, where do you feel most inspired to work?
In my studio, surrounded by materials, art, and things I like.
What has sparked your imagination or inspired you recently?
A trip to Antwerp.
What is your most treasured textile, and what story does it carry?
My most treasured textile is a coat, likely made in the 1960s, from a beautiful rep fabric.
Fine wheat straw braid sourced from a carefully chosen supplier in Italy
Where did you first learn your craft, and who shaped your early approach to making?
I trained as a milliner in Berlin. I was shaped by my knitting and sewing grandmother, and by my father, who used to build many things himself.
Is there a piece of music you return to while you work, that sets the rhythm of your making?
My current favourite song in the studio is by Hannes and called Stockholmvy. But it changes constantly, I’m very into music.
A model wears the “Circus Hat,” made in wheat straw braid finished with a raffia pom-pom.
What material or technique are you currently experimenting with or curious to explore further?
At the moment I’m trying to master silk organza. It’s not easy to work with, but I love its elegant transparency, especially combined with my straw hats.
If you could collaborate with any maker—past or present—who would it be, and why?
I would collaborate with Dries van Noten. I love how he combines materials. While still never losing their sense of lightness.
What does a perfect day of making look like for you?
Getting up early, being in the studio by 8, sunlight coming in, good music, and everything I’ve planned actually working.
Thank you, Susanne, for giving us an insight into your creative practice.
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Further Information:
Enter the competition to win a SUZ Dahlia Pom-Pom Hat. Click HERE to find out more.
Read more about SUZ Berlin in Selvedge Issue 130, Flower.
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Image Credits:
Lead: Portrait of Susanne Stein, founder of SUZ Berlin.
All images courtesy of Susanne Stein.