Funoas: “Sustainable Fashion”

Words by Imthishal

Global warming is undeniably one of the major issues we face in our motherland. We are an archipelago of low-lying islands and atolls, therefore our very existence is threatened because of the dangerous rise in sea levels. Funoas aims to emphasize this very fact, and create a movement of change. The brand name itself speaks heaps in undertone, with the simple objective of creating awareness; “We follow an ancestral weather system that only Maldivians know of, it is called the Nakaiy system. Fortnightly the weather changes, and Funoas is one of the major Nakaiy’s of the Hulhangu monsoon, which is the wet season.” Funoas, in short, consists of storms and rough seas with frequent sudden gales. Correspondingly, “represent(ing) climate change, and something that is uniquely maldivian”.  

After first scuba diving back in 2015, founder; Sumaiya Haleem fell in love with “the beauty under water”. She soon realized, all that the oceans had to offer could effortlessly be lost “if we don’t do something about it”. Therefore, in the process of playing her part to better and spread awareness of the environmental conditions, Funoas came to be. As Maldivians we are all in possession of and frequently use swimwear, and so the idea of designing swimwear came to Sumaiya quite naturally. Funoas displays artwork that are in a way nature’s blueprints, patterns you’d come across in the ocean, and awe-inspiring creatures that are at risk of going extinct; all in the favor of creating talking points in relation to climate change.

Being an anesthetic technician based in Perth, Australia, Sumaiya started out with no industrial experience; “ it’s quite difficult to get your foot in if you don’t know the right people and haven’t studied fashion. It was hard, I taught myself how to make textile, find suppliers and do the groundwork. With guidance from Koki Salah from Island Bazaar; one of the pioneers in curating local talent, Funoas was slowly but surely on its way.

Funoas is currently working with NGOs, such as ‘Small Island Geographic Society (SIGS) Maldives’. Sumaiya elaborates; “We are in the process of making reusable metal coffee flasks, with Funoas artwork. They are basically thermistors in the shape of a cup with a silicon lid, the whole product is reusable. The concept is to take the reusable cup to the coffee shop, rather than buying a paper cup everytime and throwing it out.”

Furthermore, working with other local up and coming artists/designs is something Funoas hopes to do more of. The most recent collaboration is one with artist Asadh Thaufeeg (instagram: ‘’y0urass’’). Where a Koari; a traditional fishermans sunhat, was made using Funoas designs that were printed onto 100% cotton fabric. After sending these prints to Male still unsure of what they would create, Asadh’s father, being a traditional Koari maker from Gaaf Alif Atoll, suggested the idea and taught Asadh the craft himself. Honoring, upholding and spreading traditional knowledge of art.

Last but not least, keep your eyes peeled for Funoas will also be a part of British Vogue 2023 issue. Sumaiya highlights; “that was wild. When I got the email I thought it was a scam, but then my husband and I did the research and realized it’s the real deal.” Gaining the attention of British Vogue, Funoas has been invited to the Summer Campaign 2023. With such a platform this local brand is eager to use it to their benefit to spread awareness in regard to climate change and everything Maldives stands for.

Don’t wanna miss the fashion show? Funoas has got you covered. They will go live on Instagram on the 23rd of June, so you won’t miss a thing.