Our Story
The Label
Aleks Susak, Founder and Creative Director of BALESSA, launched the line in 2019 in Toronto, Canada. Aleks designs and produces ready-to-wear collections and specializes in luxury silk and leather garments that are made-to-measure, hand-painted and one-of-a-kind under The Silk Collection line and The Leather Collection line.
Aleks’s inspiration comes from a variety of sources. With a passion for photography and travel much of it comes from observing different cultures. Period films as well as major fashion icons from the 1950s and 1960s are sources of inspiration. Aleks often combines traditional cuts with modern fabrics and vice-versa. One of the most recognizable aspects of Aleks’s work is the ongoing mix of art and fashion, as well as traditional artisanship, where hand-crafted elements are incorporated in almost every collection.
Notable personalities such as Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Jessica Mulroney and Housewives Joan Walker Kelly and Roxy Earle have worn pieces from the collection. The line was featured in the first season of The Real Housewives of Toronto.
Aleks holds Honours BA and MA degrees from the University of Toronto.
