More than a year before the creation of SUMBA RÊVERIES, I first discovered Sumba.
I came searching for a break.
A moment for myself.
A chance to disconnect from the noise of everyday life and reconnect with a different rhythm, a different perspective.
I think today we live in a world where everything moves too fast. A world constantly pushing excess, fast consumption, and immediacy.
I still remember looking through the airplane window as the island slowly appeared beneath the clouds — wild coastlines, untouched landscapes, earthy tones, and vast nature everywhere.
It already felt different.
I started to breathe again.
To slow down.
Less polished than Bali. More raw. More grounded.
I reconnected with slower inspiration. Real inspiration. The kind that only comes from being fully present. And Sumba gave me exactly that.
Learning To Slow Down
Sumba reminded me of the importance of intention.
I stayed at Cap Karoso, where everything unfolded into a serene sensory experience. The attention to detail, the space, the quietness of nature… I felt immediately at peace there.
It was secluded, calm, uncrowded — a place where refined simplicity and nature coexist beautifully.
I spent my days walking through the gardens, discovering the organic farm, feeding the horses, reading by the pool, and simply existing there without rushing.
And somehow, that simplicity became deeply inspiring.
The Soul Of Sumba
There is something deeply authentic about Sumba.
The island feels connected to something ancient. The people, the traditions, the relationship they have with the land — it all feels incredibly real in a way that is becoming rare today.
One of the most unforgettable moments of the journey was witnessing the Pasola ceremony — a sacred tradition where Sumbanese horse riders engage in ritual spear-throwing battles symbolizing gratitude, balance, and ancestral spirit.
I was also invited into a local village where I shared meals and conversations with the community. They even gave me the name “Abubebe.”
Their warmth, generosity, and simplicity left a lasting impression on me.
Sumba is also the island of horses. Seeing them running freely along the beaches creates a feeling that almost feels outside of time.
The silence.
The landscapes.
The traditions still alive there.
Everything felt connected to something deeper.
How Sumba Inspired AANOUKIS
Those quiet moments nourished my creativity far more than I expected.
I wanted AANOUKIS to feel less performative and more emotional. Not only a beautiful swimwear brand, but a universe women can emotionally connect to — something that reveals femininity with elegance and intention.
There is a very special energy in Sumba.
An elegance that comes from nature itself. From simplicity. From silence. From authenticity.
I started imagining textures differently.
More earthy tones inspired by the island itself.
More organic shapes.
More fluidity.
More softness.
But always with elegance.
Always with solar energy.
Sumba Changed The Way I See Beauty
Sumba changed something in me.
A softness.
A solar femininity.
A sense of escape.
The collection was inspired not only by landscapes, but by emotions experienced there.
The movement of fabrics under the wind.
The earthy palette of the island.
The softness of mornings.
The feeling of freedom near the ocean.
The contrast between raw nature and refined simplicity.
Every piece carries memories from this journey.
All those emotions slowly entered the collection and became part of the AANOUKIS universe.
A Personal Collection
Maybe this is why SUMBA RÊVERIES became such a personal collection for me.
Life brought me many challenges to overcome, and I needed time to reconnect with my soft but powerful energy as a woman.
And this is something I want to share with other women who may resonate with this message.
Good things take time.
Everyone has their own rhythm, and that is okay.
Life will test you. Sometimes it tries to break you only to align you with a higher version of yourself.
I did not want to rush this collection.
It took time. Emotion. Reflection.
I was not searching for perfection.
I was searching for feeling.
Pieces that feel alive.
Elegant but free.
Sophisticated but natural.
A collection designed for women who travel not only to escape, but to reconnect with themselves.
The AANOUKIS Woman
For me, the AANOUKIS woman is not only someone who dresses elegantly.
She is someone who searches for beauty in experiences, travel, emotion, art, and meaningful moments.
She loves destinations with soul.
She values authenticity as much as aesthetics.
She feels connected to nature.
She appreciates quiet luxury.
She wants to feel free, feminine, and deeply herself.
That woman is the essence of AANOUKIS.
And somehow, Sumba became part of her story too.
SUMBA RÊVERIES
SUMBA RÊVERIES is an invitation into this world — a world of solar elegance, refined simplicity, and emotional escape inspired by one of Indonesia’s most extraordinary islands.
When I look back at this journey, I realize this collection was never only inspired by a destination.
It was inspired by a feeling.
The feeling of slowing down.
Of reconnecting with beauty in a softer way.
Of finding inspiration again through nature, simplicity, and emotion.
A place where I allowed myself to pause, breathe, and dream again.
Alexandra Adamiak
CEO and Creative director of AANOUKIS
