Meet Sukanya Bose | Multi-disciplinary Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sukanya Bose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sukanya, what makes you happy? Why?
The smell of fresh fabric.

I have always loved fashion and styling. As a kid, I would sneakily watch Fashion TV and be in awe of the wonders of imagination, and how a single thread or yarn of fabric could translate into so many textures, shapes, and forms. Decades later, I still feel the same way.

My love for fashion is what led me to become a designer. I’m a graphic designer now, but I believe my work is inspired by movements in fashion. From colors, silhouettes, and cuts to the dramatic touch of presentation of fashion shows – and above all, the courage. I believe trends in culture and fashion always start with a huge risk taken by designers or brands. Just knowing that there is someone out there trying to change the norm, one piece of clothing at a time, reminds me to find happiness in the wildest of times.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my career in advertising in Mumbai. I was 21 and fresh out of college. I had so many ideas about what design could do to change the world, but working in an industry that caters to a diverse and divided audience of 1 billion people was a great lesson in humility. The pace of life and work in a city like Mumbai taught me to think on my feet. There was an insight to be gained around every corner. I was forced to learn to differentiate a good idea from a great one. This experience gave me a tremendous jump start.

Since starting out, I have worked full-time at BBH, Interbrand, and Madwell NYC and have had the opportunity to intern at some really cool studios, both back home in Mumbai and in New York.

As far as challenges are concerned, time management is a big one. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I am inefficient with my time. I just feel like the restless creative in me wants to do so much that 24 hours are never enough. The real dilemma stems from the realization that we all need to do nothing sometimes to be able to do everything well all the time. It’s so important to take time off and experience life, especially when working in the creative industry. How would we fuel our thoughts and ideas if we never stopped producing?

There’s a book I go back to all the time called Work Clean by Dan Charnas. It’s about applying the mis-en-place strategy (a culinary school technique) to our daily lives. It has helped me learn to prioritize, be more honest about time, and show compassion to myself. The latter has been a game changer because it taught me to let go of the illusion of control.

A majority of my grad school experience was virtual because of the pandemic. I was living alone all through the worst of it, busy trying to keep myself alive and sane and working on my thesis project. And yet, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. It was hard to overcome that feeling. Realizing that things are beyond our control and doing our best, even if it is a little less than the day before, has gotten me through some of the most challenging days.

During that time of social isolation, I had another crazy idea. I wanted to start my own brand of streetwear bags. So, I built my thesis around it. The idea was to make felt out of recycled scrap cloth. India, being one of the largest exporters of garments, I collaborated with a friend who has access to a garment factory to help me with production design. It was great! I learned so much about starting my own business. The program at SVA equipped me to truly understand the intricacies of entrepreneurship. We even produced multiple prototypes. The brand was called Equal Two. Unfortunately, our production line didn’t make it through the second wave of COVID. I haven’t given up on the idea yet, though – you never know, you might just see an ad for it on social media one of these days.

Shortly after graduating from the School of Visual Arts, I joined Interbrand. I got to be a part of the team rebranding the London Stock Exchange Group, one of the projects I am proud of. It’s so cool to have contributed to this legacy, and the joy of seeing my work pop up randomly on a website or at a subway station just makes my day! At Madwell, NYC, I worked on a Verizon Gaming advert (the one with the NPCs), which went on to win many awards, which was very fulfilling. While there, I also worked on a proactive project to rebrand the Women and LGBTQ+ employee resource group at the company. Developing a typographic logo that is variable and demonstrates the uniqueness of personalities was a true delight.

One of my latest projects was recently published in a book titled Posters for Humankind – a set of typographic posters I made for World Kindness Day on November 13th. This project satiated my thirst for doing things for myself that made a difference and gave me an excuse to spend more time doing something I love: playing with words and letters.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
New York City in the summertime and fall is my absolute favorite. I’d kick off the perfect day at Battery Park and take a leisurely walk along the riverfront promenade, soaking in the breathtaking views. Exploring Chinatown and Little Italy is a must, with recommendations like Yi Ji Shi Mo for rice rolls and Mei Lei Wah for quick snacks. If I’m in the mood for Malaysian, Kopitiam is a low-key gem with amazing food. And for the best burnt-cheesecakes, Keki is a Japanese dessert spot that never disappoints.

When the craving for Korean BBQ hits, Cote or Jongro are my top choices. Grace Street Café is perfect for indulging in shaved ice-cream sundaes. A day spent picnicking at Central Park, Chelsea Pier Park, and visits to MoMA, The MET, The Whitney, and the Bronx Botanical Garden would round out my ideal week in the city. Walking from Battery Park to Columbia University, Riverside Park offers a serene escape with stunning views.

Working in the West Village has its perks, especially with an abundance of food options and charming boutiques. Taco Mahal, Menkoi Sato, Daily Provisions, and Raffeto’s are my regular spots. Maman’s almond croissants and the divine offerings at Venchi on 17th Street make the West Village a delightful place to be.

Venturing over to Williamsburg in Brooklyn is always a treat. Mama Lee, Birds of a Feather, The Butcher’s Daughter, and Roberta’s are some of my favorite spots. I love exploring local businesses along Bedford Avenue and indulging in some thrift shopping at Beacon’s Closet. Williamsburg captures the essence of Brooklyn living, and it’s a neighborhood I could happily get lost in.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout list is so long that we would need more characters. Ha! If I had to pick, it would be my parents. I know it’s cheesy, but I wouldn’t be a designer if it weren’t for them. I was born and raised in India, a country obsessed with engineers and doctors, yet by the age of nine, I had announced that I wanted to be an artist. I’m unsure if they took me very seriously, but they ensured I was exposed to different cultures, literature, movies, and art worldwide. I remember watching movies like Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder and singing Boney M before I was even ten. This unfiltered approach to culture has informed my practice through the years and helped me build a personal brand.

Skipping to 2019, when I was accepted into the MFA Design as Entrepreneurship Program at the School of Visual Arts, they supported my decision and took a considerable gamble, no questions asked. Eh, maybe a few, ha-ha. The opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s best designers, including Steven Heller, Lita Talarico, Justin Colt, Jose Fresneda from ‘The Collected Works’, and Stefan Sagmeister. Of course, meeting my peers from the MFA program has also been a life-altering experience. To make all of this even more unique, we experienced all of this during this thing you may have heard of called the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought us closer together. It was also when I met my partner, who has been one of my greatest comrades in spontaneous adventures and has humored my design whimsies.

Website: www.sukanyabose.com

Instagram: @sukbose

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/sukanyabose

Image Credits
Sukanya Bose