Mission
SUFi started out in 2021 as a small collection of homemade, naturally dyed, organic women’s clothing. When designer and tailor Sophie Nelissen learned about the challenges of the current fashion system, she committed to creating the timeless outfits she loves, in a better way.
Sophie got taught to knit, embroider and make clothes from a young age by her paternal grandmother. Her maternal grandmother, on the other hand, was a farmer. In SUFi, Sophie combines her love of creating with her love for the land. Honouring the wisdom of our ancestors while caring for the needs of future generations is what lies at the heart of SUFi.
When getting dressed, we often forget that the materials for our clothes originated at a farm. At SUFi, our goal is to remember that fact, by cultivating textile ecosystems. We create a supply chain that is beneficial along every step of the way, from farm to factory to fashion.
In practice, that means that we collaborate with sheep farmers to increase soil quality, biodiversity and carbon storage. We collaborate with manufacturers to ensure our products are toxin free, circular and spark joy. And, last but not least, we collaborate with you as our customer to repair, customize or re-love your SUFi clothing. So that whatever we create is enjoyed for a long, long time.
Sophie chose the name SUFi rather intuitively, all the way back in 2016 when she first registered as a business owner. It is how people often pronounce her name in Arabic, a language she has studied and loves.
In Arabic, the word ṣūf 
means ‘wool’, while ṣūfī means ‘woolly, made out of wool’. It also refers to the Sufi mystics, who were known to wear woollen clothes in their search for simplicity and spiritual fulfillment.
