Recently to close at London's Fashion and Textile Museum was a retrospective of creations by American fashion designer, Anna Sui. It marks the first time that an American designer has had an exhibition dedicated solely to themselves in the United Kingdom! While interning in London this summer I was recommended to visit the relatively small museum, which, with its bright facade, is quickly visible amidst the sometimes grey London weather.
I have never been one to muse about the colourful dresses and many prints that Sui incorporates into her designs, not as much as I do about the elegant simplicity of 1950s Dior ball gowns, and usually tend to stray from loud fabrics or too many accessories. I was therefore not anticipating to admire Sui's work as much as I did. Although visiting the exhibit has not convinced me to change my preferred style of dress, I did (much to my surprise) appreciate the work, which until now I considered unrefined.
While Anna Sui is of course not on par with the skilled tailoring of Charles James, she does nonetheless exude a unique vision and style; one which transcends not only the designs of her clothing, but also the atmosphere of her stores, the products she endorses, the art she loves and, most simply - her entire life. The exhibition aimed to replicate this signature ambiance. Featuring stained-glass panels, calling to mind the Art Nouveau designs of architect Hector Guimard, and prints by Aubrey Beardsley - one gets the sense that there is more to Sui's seemingly child-like designs than it appears. Indeed, Anna Sui is a graduate of Parsons School for Design and the daughter of Sorbonne-educated parents. Although of Chinese heritage, Anna Sui was born in Detroit, Michigan and knew from an extremely young age that she wanted to be a fashion designer. Perhaps it is this determination that allowed Sui to hone in on what she finds inspiring and the narrative she wants to tell through her designs.
Entering the exhibition room one immediately felt as though they are part of a new world full of unique characters; travellers, school girls, sunbathers, flappers, all gathered together to represent the effervescent vision of a lady who is inspired by the world around her. What proved to me that there is more to theses creations than I at first thought was precisely these elements of inspiration. They were vast. And so varied. And the curators did a wonderful job of bringing this to light. The mood boards, in particular, were perfect at showcasing the thought-process behind designing each collection. When seeing Gigi Hadid walk down the runway in a sandro rose print dress one does not expect that a single piece of clothing is the fruit of such an extensive amount of background research.
Sui preferred the muted, earthy colour palette of 1960s Biba fashion - as seen below in the editorial by Grace Coddington. She had a soft spot for flowery motifs of 1950s Hungarian china. She loved to layer textures of fabric and take inspiration from past decades and different walks of life. A designer who was not afraid of being different, Sui created a successful line catering to those who shared in her lavish and uninhibited style of dress. Even if it may seem not couture enough or in line with your personal style, I nonetheless encourage you to allow yourself to be immersed into the world of Anna Sui, which is actually much less peculiar once explored from a closer distance.
Mario Testino, February 2011 Vogue editorial, styled by Grace Coddington.
William Morris Vest Ensemble, Spring 2015.
Linen sleeveless jacket, metallic chiffon shirt and polyester lame trousers.
Scarf; Rayon panne velvet sneakers by Emma Hope for Anna Sui.
Zandra Rhodes print dress, Spring 2016.
Silk dress, Plastic/acetate hairpiece and necklace by Erickson Beamon for Anna Sui, Nylon socks by Atsugi for Anna Sui, cowhide shoes by Hush Puppies for Anna Sui.
Gigi Hadid walking the SS 2016 Anna Sui runway.
Lion Cap & Butterfly Cap, Autumn 2016, wool and felt.
These hippy-style animal hats were designed by friend and long-time collaborator James Coviello. Also a graduate of Parsons, Coviello and Sui met when she was styling an Italian Vogue cover shoot for Steven Meisel. Later, when Sui needed accessories to complete the outfits for her first runway show, she asked Coviello to design them. Since then, Coviello designs all hats, knitwear and even sometimes accessories for Anna Sui's collections.
Mood boards.
Anna Sui sequinned mini dress, Spring 1996 collection.
Naomi Campbell walking the SS 1996 Anna Sui runway.
Aubrey Beardsley, The Peacock Skirt, line block print on Japanese vellum, London, 1894.
V&A collections: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O140256/the-peacock-skirt-print-beardsley-aubrey-vincent/
The World of Anna Sui at The Fashion and Textile Museum in London.
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