Suigeneric Watch Straps
Josef Albers-inspired stripes and leopard prints in an inaugural collection of waxed cotton watch straps
While a watch face may be timeless (pun not intended), over the course of changing seasons a watchband can wear out or its novelty can wear off. Fresh off the digital printing press in Seoul, South Korea are Suigeneric watch straps, featuring vivid colors and designs to change up the mood of your beloved timepiece.
Suigeneric is purportedly the first to incorporate waxed cotton, a naturally water-repellent fabric used in vessel sails and classic Barbour jackets, into watch straps. The brand was founded by Wonjin Lee and Michael Park, who have been friends since preschool in South Korea. While both are admirers of the classic NATO watch band, the two designers fell tired of cheap nylon and the same solid or single stripe designs.
Their inaugural collection features vibrant patterns like leopard and marble prints as well as more subdued blocks of stripes. The inspiration for the colors and progression for the blanket stripes line came from Josef Albers’ famed series of paintings, “Homage to the Square.” Designed in New York and produced in Seoul, the straps are hand-waxed in-house in the artsy Hongdae area.
Spotted on the wrist of fashion director and sartorial favorite Nick Wooster, these straps are already spurring copycats, who undoubtedly delight in the durability and stiffness of the waxed twill canvas. Suigeneric straps are reasonably priced at $45. You can view more styles and purchase waxed cotton straps from their website or at NeedSupply.
Leopard print images by Suigeneric, all others by Nara Shin
