TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa

FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition

Image©JoshuaJordon

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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

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ORLD

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