TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
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AS
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RETRO
‘Icouldn’taffordtheclothesthen,buttheminuteIcould,I
startedcollectingthem.Justlikechasingadream…Andthe
dreamstayedwithmeasaninfluenceonmyownstyle.’
Theideaof‘retro’runsthroughAnnaSui’snarrative.Herpassionate
enthusiasmforhistoricfashionsinspiredherworkfromtheearliest
days.Neverslavishlyremakingbygonestyles,Suicastshercharacters
inimaginaryroles,alwaysthroughtheprismofherdistinctiveeyeand
informedbyherresearch:filmstarsfromthe1930sand1940s’
femmesfatalesarereimaginedinthedesigner’sownway.Whereshe
excelsisinintimatingthepastwhilecreatingclothesthatare
contemporaryincut,colourandfit.Ultimately,Sui’sclothesaremade
tobeworn,reflectinghistorybutwithup-to-the-minutestyling.
BoudoirEnsemble(Toprow)
Spring1993
Embroiderednet,nylon/rayonsatinwraptopwithmarabousleeves
WrapTopandsilkTrousers
Silkrosecorsage;rayonsatin/maraboubagbyJamesCoviellofor
AnnaSui;nylonanklesocks;metalliccowhide/rayonshoesbyJohn
FluevogforAnnaSui
Thisboudoirensemblewithitssubtlyfadedglamourreflectsthemajor
inspirationsforSui’sfamousSpring1993grungecollection,which
included,amongothers,the‘granny’sensibilityofBiba’sfashionsof
whichSuiisafan,aswellasreferencestoLuchinoVisconti’s1969
film,TheDamned.Thisfilmfeaturedanumberof1930s’-stylebias-cut
dressesaswellasfloralcorsages.Theretrofeelalsofitsintogrunge
styleasthriftshopvintagedresseswereafeatureofthegrunge
aesthetic.Themarabousleevesandmetallicshoesaddanoteof
1970s’glamourtotheoutfit.TheSpring1993collectionclearly
demonstratedSui’seclecticismwithitsarrayofreferencestopopular
culture.
ChristianBérardTheatredelaModePrintBlackDress(Middlerowleft)
Autumn2004
SilkDress
Rayonvelvetcorsage;pigsuedegloves;glassearringsandplastic
braceletbyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;nylonhoseby
AtsugiforAnnaSui;cowhideshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui;
silk/cowhidebelt
ElsaSchiaparelli,wholikeSuiexhibitedaplayfullyinventiveapproach
tofashion,providedtheinspirationforSui’sAutumn2004collection.
Thedesigner,whoseownfashionsoftenrevealSurrealistthemesof
illusionandartifice,filledhercollectionwithelaboratevisualjokes
includingtrompe-l’oeileffectssuchasfauxpetticoatsandfloralprint
dresseswithappliquédfloralmotifs.Thereweretwoprintsfeaturedin
thecollection,bothdesignedoriginallybyChristianBérard,who
illustratedSchiaparelli’sfashionsaswellasprogrammecoversforher
shows.BothprintswerecreatedforthetextiledesignerZikaAscher
andwereusedbySuitocreate1940s’-styledresseslikethisone.Sui
firstusedBérardprintsinherSpring1995collection.
ThirtiesHouseDress(Middlerowcentre)
Spring2008
SilkDress
Nickel/plasticbroochandplasticbraceletbyEricksonBeamonfor
AnnaSui;plastic/elasticbelt;nylonsocksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;
snakeskinshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui
ShowcasingoneofSui’strademarkfloralprints,thistimeinbrightneon
colours,thisveryfemininedressmatchedwithsparklysocksreflects
Sui’sabilitytotakeinspirationfromthepastandmakeitmodern.
BusbyBerkeleymusicalsandBibafashionsprovidedSuiwiththe
inspirationforherSpring2008collection,whichalsohadnotesof
1970s’styling,acocktailthatVoguereviewedenthusiastically:‘Mixed
together,theyproducedoneofhermostdressed-upcollectionsin
seasons:allacid-brightsequins,neonprints,andsilveryfeathers.’
(NicolePhelps,Vogue,10September2007)
‘Fashionisareflection.That’salways
thechallenge.Youhavetobringit
backsothatapersoncanwalkdown
thestreetandnotlooklikeshewalked
outofacostumeepicoratime
machine.It’sgottofitintohowpeople
aredressingtoday.’(AnnaSui,New
YorkTimes,November1999)
BusbyBerkeleyRehearsalEnsemble(Middlerowright)
Spring2008
Nylon/plasticBoleroJacketandsilkBlousewithwool-blendglen
plaidShorts
Plastic/elasticbelt;plasticbraceletbyEricksonBeamonforAnna
Sui;patent/LuciteshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui
Aswellasfeaturing‘showgirl’clothesreferencingheroinesofthe
BusbyBerkeleymusicals,Suiwasalsoinfluencedbythedancers’so-
called‘rehearsal’clothes,whichincludedtops,jacketsandhigh-
waistedshortsasseenhereinthisensemble.The1970s’stylingwas
inspiredbytheoutfitswornbysuper-groupiessuchasSableStarrand
CyrindaFoxe,bothofwhomdresseduptobenoticed,especiallyStarr
whofavouredmicroshorts,platformshoesandvintagehatswithveils.
Sui,ofcourse,putherownpersonalspinontheseitems,givingher
platformsLuciteheelsanddecoratingherhatswithtoypianosand
clarinets.
MarabouChubbyEnsemble(Bottomrowleft)
Spring2012
SilkDressandMarabouJacket/Shrug
Silkturban;plasticnecklaceandbraceletbyEricksonBeamonfor
AnnaSui;nylonsocksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;cowhidespectator
shoesbyHushPuppiesforAnnaSui
Thisoutfitfeaturesafloralprintsilkdressthathasbotha1940s’
sensibilityaswellasa1970s’feeltoit,asreflectedintheultra-
glamorousmaraboucover-up.Intermsofthecollection’sstyling,Sui
wasalsoinspiredbytwomodel/actressesofthe1970s,JaneForth
andDonnaJordan,whohadappearedinAndyWarholfilms.Both
thesewomenwereknownforwearing1930s’and1940s’fashions,
styledwitha1970s’vibe.Suidescribestheirstyleas‘amixof1930s/
1940sHollywoodchicand1970sDowntownNewYorkchic’,an
anachronisticblendthatmusthaveappealedtoheridiosyncratic
historicism.
ChristianBérardFacesPrintDress(Bottomrowcentre-left)
Spring1995
RayonDressandcowhiderayonBelt
Straw/nylon/acetatehatbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;nylon
socks;cowhideshoesbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui
ForSpring1995,SuitookinspirationfromYvesSaintLaurent’siconic
1940s’-inspiredcollectioncalled‘Libération’or‘Quarante’.LikeSaint
Laurent,Sui’scollectionincludedpuffsleeves,squareshouldersand
platformshoes.However,whereasSaintLaurent’sstylemusewas
PalomaPicasso,Sui’sinspirationcamefrompulpmagazines.Suiused
1940s’-styleprints,themostnotablebeingthosedesignedbyChristian
BérardforZikaAscher.Suihadthesere-colouredtosuitherown
purposesusingthemtocreate1940s’-styleskirtsanddresseslikethis
one,whichusesBérard’s‘faces’print.MinnieMouseprovidedanother
sourceofinspirationinthedesignoftheEmmaHopeshoes,showing
Sui’sloveofmixinghistoricalreferenceswithpopularculture
references.
ChristianBérardInteriorPrintDress(Bottomrowcentre-right)
Spring1995
SilkchiffonDress
Straw/nylon/acetatehatbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;nylon/
cottoncorsageandplasticbraceletsbyEricksonBeamonfor
AnnaSui;nylonanklesocksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;cowhide
shoesbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui
AsecondChristianBérardprintdressfromSui’s1995collection,this
timeinsilkchiffonandfeaturingBérard’sinteriorsprint.Theensemble
isonceagainaccessorisedwithafloralJamesCoviellohatandEmma
Hopeshoes.
ChristianBérardFacesPrintRedDress(Bottomrowright)
Spring1995
RayonDress
Straw/acetatebackpack,straw/nylon/acetatehat[L5]byJames
CovielloforAnnaSui;nylonanklesocksbyAtsugiforAnna
Sui;redcowhideshoesbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui
Anultra-femininedressinspiredbyYvesSaintLaurent’s‘Libération’or
‘Quarante’collectioninvibrantred,featuring1940s’-inspired
shouldersandneckline.Thefloralhatcreatedforthecollectionby
JamesCovielloandtheEmmaHopeshoesbothaddfemininityand
glamourtotheoutfit,whilethebackpackaddsacontemporarytouch.
Sui’stakeonretroglamouralwaysincludesdetailsthatbringitupto
dateforthemodernwoman.
TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
UI