suely moura, designer

@suelymoura

Ola my name is Suely Moura, (pronounced sway•lee more-ah). A little bit about me! 

I was born in Recife, Brazil but mainly grew up in Acre; a city in the northern part of the Brazilian Amazon. I moved to Rio de Janeiro at the impressionable age of seven and this is where my inspiration for fashion began. Everything from the men who played bossa nova to the beautiful girls from Ipanema; the casual chic everyday wear inspired my fashion at an early age and continues to inspire my designs now.

I moved to the United States in 1984 in pursuit of the “American Dream”.

After living in Washington D.C. and San Francisco; I moved to Key West in 1989 working as a chef for several years before having my two beautiful children in 91’ and 93’. Simultaneously, I decided to invest my efforts toward my own business as a seamstress and fashion designer.

As my kids grew up and started school, I became very involved with building up the arts within my local community. In 2001, I opened an Arts & Dance Cultural Center in Bahama Village - an under-resourced neighborhood in Key West at the time.

For over 30 years we’ve continued to amplify the arts in our community by providing lessons in sewing, puppet making, painting, and dance. Teaching has become a life passion. I enjoy giving back through sharing the knowledge and lessons I’ve learned throughout the years. 

Nowadays, I spend my time running my business, One Hemp Family founded in 2019. The name was inspired by The One Human Family Foundation here in Key West. I have a small studio where I offer all kinds of services like alterations, costume design, cushions, etc. but at heart I am a fashion designer that has been designing and creating sustainable fashion through handmade hemp clothing for 35 years. 

I had my first fashion show at Blue Heaven in 1995. Since then I have organized and produced fashion shows in Key West, FL at local hotspots like The Garden Hotel, Andy’s Cabana, Sister Season and The Conch Republic. Additionally, I attended this year’s Fabulous Fashionista Fashion Show Fundraiser; where I was able to raise the most money of the night with two auctioned outfits and also winning the People’s Choices award for best designer.