TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa

FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition

Image©JoshuaJordon

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MOD

‘MyfirstrunwayshowalsotookawalkdownCarnaby

Street,withsomeChanelandhip-hopmashedinfor

addedflavour.Hybridlifeforms–alwaysthetastiest.’

The1960s’ModisoneofAnnaSui’sreferencepointsfromBritain’s

youthsubculture.TheyoungwomenofSwingingLondonwereanearly

inspirationforSui,andtheinsouciant,revolutionaryattitudeofmodels

suchasTwiggyappearstimeandagaininherdesigns.Sui’sfirst

catwalkshowwasatypicalfusionofModswithhighfashionandstreet

style.Theyouthful,rebelliousModisaperennialintheSuilexiconof

styleandfeaturesinoneguiseoranotherinmanyofhercollections.

ModNaomiEnsemble(Toprowleft)

Autumn1992

MohairJacketandSkirtwithwooljerseyShirtandvinylsnakeskin

WaistcoatandUmbrella

Nylonhose;Pigsuedegloves;embossedcowhidebootsbyJohn

FluevogforAnnaSui;glassbroochandfobbyErickson

BeamonforAnnaSui

TheAutumn1992collectiontookasoneofitsmusesthe1960s’model

JeanShrimpton,whotypified‘SwingingLondon’s’bourgeoisstyle.Sui

referencedherinanumberofladylikeoutfitsaccessorisedwithgloves

andevenumbrellas.Thecollectionfeaturedboldcoloursandthemix

oftextilesincludedmohair,snakeskinandtouchesofvinyl.Thisoutfit

withitscollarlessjacketedgedwithvinylreferencesthesartorialstyle

ofTheBeatles.Theumbrella,likethewaistcoatandboots,ismadeof

vinylsnakeskin.

MohairCarCoatEnsemble(Toprowright)

Autumn1992

MohairCoatandvinylsnakeskinWaistcoatwithpolyestersuede

ShirtandsuedecowhideTrousers

MohairhatbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;glass/ceramic

necklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;cowhide/pewter

belt,pigsuedegloves;suedecowhidebootsbyJohnFluevogfor

AnnaSui

OneofthemusesfortheAutumncollectionwasthemodelJean

Shrimptonwhoepitomisedaladylikeandalmostbourgeoisimageof

1960s’fashion.Suitranslatedthislookintosuits,dressesandcoatsin

mohairandDonegaltweedinbrightcoloursaswellasplaidsthatalso

referencedBalenciaga,whoprovidedaconstantsourceofinspiration

forSui.Thisensemblejuxtaposesdiversetexturesfrommohairto

cowhidetovinylinastrongcolourcombinationofredandpurple,

Sui’ssignaturecolours.

PortraitDress(Middlerowleft)

Spring1996

Lycraandsequins

Sui'sSpring1996collectionwasinspiredbypreppies,asubcultural

stylethatacceptsratherthanrejectsthemainstream.ForSui,preppy

style"capturestheessenceofAmerica'scollectiveidentity."Typically

Sui'sinterpretationofpreppystylewastongue-incheek,aswasshown

veryclearlyinthefinalepieceswornbyNaomiCampbell(seenhere)

andLindaEvangelista.Bothsupermodelsworelycrashiftdresses

completelycoveredinsequinsandsilk-screenprintedwithblown-up

self-portraitstakenbyStevenMeisel-thesesameimageshadappeared

ontheinvitationforthefashionshow.Theresultingdressesseemedto

asserttheself-referentialitynotonlyofpreppystylebutofsubcultural

styleingeneral.AsauthorLisaBirnbachassertsinherbestseller,'The

OfficialPreppyHandbook'(1980):"Inatruedemocracyeveryonecan

beupperclassandliveinConnecticut.It'sonlyfair."

‘There’salwaysabitofmodonmy

moodboard.’

ModParkaCoatEnsemble(Middlerowcentre)

Autumn2011

NylonjacquardCoatandnylontulleDress

Plastic/ceramicnecklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;

nylonhosebyAtsugiforAnnaSui;suedecowhideshoesbyHush

PuppiesforAnnaSui

Thisoutfit,liketherestoftheAutumn2011collection,reflectsa

diversityofinfluencesthatspandifferentdecades,showingthebreadth

ofAnna’sresearchinterestsandthedepthofherdesigns.Thissetsher

apartfromotherNewYorkdesignerssothatshe‘thrivesinherown

bubble’(TimBlanks,Vogue,16February2011).Thecollectionwas

inspiredbyavisittotheBalletsRussesexhibitionattheVictoriaand

AlbertMuseumandSuiwasthefirstdesignertoseetherichpotential,

demonstratingherpositionas‘aculturalweathervane’,asTimBlanks

callsher.InthisoutfitAnnamixesamod-inspiredcamouflageparka

witha1920s’styleLBDreferencingChanel,whohadalsodesigned

fortheBalletsRusses.Thedecorativeembellishmentofthedress

togetherwithitssilhouetteseemtoevokea1920s’aesthetic.

MarilynNeuhartEmbroideredDress(Middlerowright)

Spring2009

Embroideredsilk/linenDress

Straw-coveredcowhidesandalsbyBallinforAnnaSui;rayon/

brass-coveredwoodbraceletsbyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;

linen/cottontote

OptimismcolouredSui’sSpring2009collectioninanintentionalbidto

balancethepervadinggloomandsurroundingtalkofanimpending

recession.ForinspirationshelookedtothetextiledesignsofAlexander

Girard(Sandro)who,fromthe1950stothe1970s,designed

furnishingtextilesthattransformedtheAmericandomesticlandscape.

Sui’scollectionemphasisedcolour,patternandtexture,focusingon

MexicantextilesasifthroughtheeyesofGirard.Inhertypicalway,

Suithenaddedanextraelement:theworkofMarilynNeuhart,who

workedongraphicsonseveralGirardprojectsandwhoalsodesigned

colourfuldollsforhisshop,whichSuiherselfcollects.Thesedollswere

madeofMexicancotton,combiningmodernisformsandtraditionalist

finishes.Suisays:‘Ilovedtheiryarnhairandtheirhandembroideries’.

Thisensembleencapsulatesthisartisanalsensibilityinitsembroidery,

whilethecolouringandthestraw-coveredsandalsevokeholidaysin

sunnyclimes.

CarnabyStreetSuitEnsemble(Bottomrowleft)

Autumn1991

WoolJacketandShorts

Glovesandspats;WoolhoundstoothcapbyJamesCoviellofor

AnnaSui;Brass/glass/ceramicnecklacebyEricksonBeamonfor

AnnaSui;nylonhose,patentleatherboots

TheAutumn1991collectionwasinfusedwithnostalgia,lookingback

toAnna’schildhoodandherearlyfascinationwithSeventeen,herfirst

magazinesubscription.Suiwasparticularlyexcitedbytheback-to-

schoolthemedissuesofthe1960s,whichinspiredheryouthful,

exuberanttakeonModfashionandCarnabyStreet.Windowpane

checksuitsfeaturingshortflirtyschoolgirlskirts,houndstoothmicro

shortsandvinylcoatswerestyledwithbright-colouredstockings,

matchinggloves,bagsandrap-styleoversizedjewellery:chains,

Maltesecrossesandfobwatches.AndrewBoltondescribesthelookas:

‘ChanelmeetsRun-DMCbywayofChristianLacroix.’Onceagain,Sui

withhertongue-in-cheekstylingcreatesanewandexcitinglookthat

whilelookingbackintimealsoappearsfreshandmodern:

‘WheremodfailedAnnaSui’sstandardsofcool,AnnaSuithe

revisioniststeppedconfidentlyin,andgavethemodsthebenefitofthe

mostcreative,imaginativedesignermindofhergeneration.’(Amy

Spindler,NewYorkTimes,7April1995)

BikerJacketEnsemble(Bottomrowcentre)

Autumn1991

WoolJacketandSkirt

Glovesandspats;Brass/rayonfobandbrass/glass/ceramic/vinyl

necklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;nylonhose;wool

windowpanebonnetbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;patent

leatherbootsandspatsbyJanetHaspar

Thissuitcombinesdemurechicwithabikervibereflectedinthestyling

ofthezippedjacket.Thewhitetightsandwindowpanebonnetgivethe

outfitayouthful,playfulnote.AsAndrewBoltoncomments,theAutumn

1991Collection‘seemedpoisedonthebrinkofpuberty’,reflectinga

schoolgirl’sfantasy.Theoversizedglitzyjewellery,includingrings,

broochesandpendantsintheshapeoflionsandMaltesecrosses,was

boughtfromawholesaleshopandthendecoratedwithgluedongems

andbeadsbyEriksonBeamon.ThisalmostDIYapproachwasvery

familiartoAnnaSuiinherdaysattheMuddClubinthe1980swhere

she,alongwiththelikesofdesignersBetseyJohnsonandStephen

Sprouse,‘helpedshapeastylethatcombinedbothdressyandthe

homemade’.(TimLawrence,‘LifeandDeathontheNewYork

Dancefloor1980–83’).ThisDIYethoscametoprevailinthe

undergroundsceneandsoonbecamemorewidelyfashionable.

CrinkleSatinModDress(Bottomrowright)

Spring2006

PlissésilkwithlacetrimDress

NylonhosebyAtsugiforAnnaSui;cowhidebootsbyBallinfor

AnnaSui

Throughouthercareer,AnnaSuihasdemonstratedherloveofprint:‘I

can’thelpbutusesomeprints–they’reintrinsictomyidentityasa

designer’.IndeedSuiconsidersfloralprintstobe‘oneofthedefining

elementsofmyfashions’.However,unlikeitspredecessor,theAutumn

2006collectiondidnotincludemanyprints,demonstratingthe

designer’stendencytooftencontradictpreviouscollectionsasamatter

ofcourse.Thiscollectionwasinfluencedbytherigorouslycontrolled

appearanceoftheRegencydandy,‘Beau’Brummel(1778–1840),and

inparticularhissobercolourpalette,whileatthesametime

referencingYvesSaintLaurent’s1960s’blackdresseswithwhitecollars

andcuffs,aswornbyCatherineDeneuveintheLuisBuňuelfilm,Belle

duJour(1967).Therewasalsoatouchof1920s’monochromeChanel

chic.Thisdressreflectsalltheseinfluenceswhilemaintaininga

superficialsimplicity.Itsintrinsicdemurechicandfemininityisthen

contradictedbythebeltandcowhideboots.

TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa

FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition

Image©JoshuaJordon

THEW

ORLD

OFA

NN

AS

UI