Alisa Menkhaus

Hi, nice to meet you.

My Name is Alisa Menkhaus.
I am a Fashion Designer and Founder of the Japanese German fusion Fashion Brand SUSUMU AI.

In the summer of 2015 I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the French Fashion University "Esmod" and debuted with my KUROSHIRO collection in Berlin, Germany. The collection was made exclusively with Japanese fabrics - including chirimen for dresses and blouses, for example - and was awarded both the Esmod "Golden Needle" prize (highest quality tailoring of the university's cohort) and featured in Vogue Talent of Vogue Italy in September 2015.

In 2018, together with my brother Keiho Menkhaus, who is responsible for the administrative part of the company, We founded SUSUMU AI Ltd. SUSUMU AI (進愛) stands for dedication to detail, preservation of Japanese craft, tradition, love for our grandfather and our vision as siblings.

At SUSUMU AI, only traditional Japanese fabrics are used. To find the best materials for its collections, the team travels to Japan twice a year and visits traditional production sites. In our studio in Berlin, we then process these exceptional fabrics into garments made to order, among other things.

Me and my brother were raised with both Japanese and German roots, and in each country, always perceived as foreigners.
​We are often asked “Do you feel more German or Japanese?” To answer this, We've spent a long time trying to come up with a truthful answer to what has most shaped our character and personality.

Our answer is "We are what we create."
We are SUSUMU AI - "Continuous Love"

I am happy to hear about your thoughts to my course and like to learn with you together.