at sula we have often been sparing with the black fabrics we include in our collections, often veering towards faded blacks. this is no surprise with designer alison taylor's painting background — once black is added to a painting it is drastically changed. many painters opt for a dark blue/brown mix as an alternative for black, and this idea has permeated through into our ideas on colour. we have decided that now we are using black, we want it to be a flood of black.

for autumn winter 2025 we have chosen to use deep, sinking true black. alison was inspired in vietnam after a friend introduced her to bồ kết, a fruit from a tree of the same name — it starts off a green-yellow colour and then turns black as it ripens. bồ kết is historically used in vietnam as a hair cleanser. it is incredibly beautiful close up, but the most astonishing sight is when you see a whole pile of them together — the black is hypnotic and consuming.

in this collection we are using a black alpaca and merino mix wool for cardigans, scarfs and vests. it is fluffy, which softens the deep black yarn as little tufts catch the light. we have added petrol black buttons, which have a hint of greeny blue pooling in the black — a dark black thread connects the button back to the cardigan.

we will be using a velvet so black your eyes sink into it. from this we are making classic elegant trousers, oversized boyish jackets and warm winter dresses. the velvet is luxurious and soft.

we have also brought our classic fluffy wool fabric back in black, lined with black silk cotton satin. it is amazing how much variety there is between blacks — pairing pieces from autumn winter 24 together, you could wear an outfit entirely of our black clothing and there would be so much depth and difference.

one of the fabrics we are most excited about for autumn next year is an italian cotton silk mix called croccante — a beautifully elegant, suit-like fabric with a bubbly crinkle.

black is notoriously hard to photograph but often a go-to wardrobe staple for so many people, and we are really excited to shop the collection with you soon.