THE WORLD OF ANNA SUI The World of Anna Sui is a Fashion ...€¦ · pink and black circus tent...
Transcript of THE WORLD OF ANNA SUI The World of Anna Sui is a Fashion ...€¦ · pink and black circus tent...
TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
UI
FAIRYTALE
‘I’mastoryteller.WhichiswhyIlovefairytales….The
fantasy–thedressing-uppartoffashion–hasneverlost
itsmagicforme.’
MagicisneverfarawayinAnnaSui’swork.Thefantasiesthatshe
spinsoutthroughherdesignsreflectboththeprincessinthetoweras
wellasthewickedwitch.TheimportanceofstorytellingisclearinSui’s
collections,andthefairytaleworldthatsheconjuresupisoneof
Icelandicprincesses,pirates,fairies,Vikingsandenchantedanimals.
ForSui,thelightisalwayscounterbalancedbythedark,atwistthat
shelovestoinject.Hermagicalshowshavefeaturedsomeofthemost
whimsical,surrealaccessories,fromanimalhatstogingerbread
handbagsandahobbyhorse.
SnowQueenEnsemble(Toprow)
Autumn1998
Polyesterfakefur/alpineappliquéCoatandsilk/nylonDress
PolyesterfakefurhatandwoolbraidcapbyJamesCoviellofor
AnnaSui;brass/glassnecklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnna
Sui;cowhide/glassshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui
Fairy-taleillustrations,especiallythosebyWalterCrane(1845–
1915[L2]),formedtheinspirationforSui’sAutumn1998collection,
particularlyintermsofhercolourpalette.Crane,ahighlyinspirational
illustratorofchildren’sbooks,wasinfluencedbythePre-Raphaelite
brotherhood.Theresultinggarmentsshowcasedrichcolourtonesand
longleanshapesaswellasfairyprincessdressesforevening.Several
ofthedressesinthecollectionweretrimmedwithfauxfur,recallingthe
fairytaleTheSnowQueenbyHansChristianAnderson.This
connectionwasaccentuatedbythefrostyshimmeringofthepanne
velvetusedbySui.Thefakefurappliquécoatisalsotrimmedwith
edelweissbraidandrickrackaddingafolklorictone.Sui’sfavourite
children’sbookisTheLion,theWitchandtheWardrobebyC.SLewis,
whichfeaturesacharactersimilartotheSnowQueen,knownasthe
WhiteWitch,famousforherabilitytoturnpeople’sheartstostone.To
underlinethefairy-talesensibilityofthecollectionasawhole,Sui
endedhercatwalkshowwithaknightinshiningarmour.Thefactthat
hisarmourwasmadeofvelvetandhissteedofpolystyreneseemedto
emphasisethechildlikeinnocenceandtheplayfulnessofthecollection.
FairyPrincess(Middlerowleft)
Spring2014
Nylon/polyesterlaceDress
Brass/glasscrown,necklace;rayon/cowhideshoes
AnnaSuinamedthiscollection‘TheMistsofAvalon’,takingher
inspirationfromEnglishPre-Raphaelitepaintingscharacterisedbytheir
‘luminousiridescentcanvases’thatstronglyinfluencedhercolour
palette.ButbeingAnna,otherreferenceswereaddedtothemixsuch
asthe1960s,arecurrentthemeinherdesigns.Therehadbeenabig
Pre-Raphaeliterevivalinthatdecaderesultinginromanticclothingand
psychedelicpostersaswellasexoticinteriorspopularwiththerock
personalitiesoftheday.Addedtothiscocktailwasareferencetothe
shapesofclothingwornbyMasaimenthatSuihadobservedonatrip
toTanzania.Thisfairyprincessdressmadefromtulle,decoratedwith
goldenlaceflowersandaccessorisedwithacrownandagiant
butterflynecklace,encapsulatesSui’svisionforthecollectionwithits
castofromanticPre-Raphaeliteheroinesfloatingdownthecatwalk,
recallingArthuriancharacterssuchasQueenGuinevereandTheLady
ofShalott.Annadescribeshervision:‘Everythingisfleckedwith
antiquegold,orshotwithpeacockshadesofmetallicthread…an
entireenchantedforestfilledwithsparrowsandsongbirds,blooming
withpoppies,waterlilies,sunflowers.’
FakeSealShearlingSwissMiss(Middlerowcentre)
Autumn1998
PolyesterfakefurJacketwithwoolSweaterandmohairSkirt
Cowhide/goatskinboots;wood/wool/plasticlunchbox
ThisoutfitisfromSui’sAutumn1998collection,inspiredbychildren’s
costumesincludingstorybookanimalssuchaslions,bearsandrabbits.
FauxfurjacketsstyledafterInuitparkas,oftenwornwiththefurside
inward,werethentrimmedwithedelweisstrimmingsusingfolkloric
motifs.Otheroutfitsinthecollectionwereaccessorisedbyheaddresses
intheformoflargestuffedanimalheadsdesignedbyJamesCoviello.
Fairy-talehandbags,includingaHanselandGretelgingerbread
house,reflectedtheideaofamagicalenchantedforest,athemeSui
alsoinvokedinsweatersandcardigansknittedwithfairies,turtlesand
dragons,andfloralembroideriesonskirtsandwaistcoats.Sui
considersherAutumn1998collectiontobeoneofherpersonal
favourites.
‘Sheisinthetruestsenseoftheterm,a
raconteur.Butinsteadofusingwords
orletters,Suiusesstitchesandseams
toexpresshernimblycraftedfables’
(AndrewBolton,AnnaSui,2010)
NordicVikingEnsemble(Middlerowright)
Autumn2015
Polyester/sequinsDressandpolyesterfakefurCape
WoolhatbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;cowhidebootsby
BallinforAnnaSui;cowhide/shellnecklacesbyErickson
BeamonforAnnaSui
‘AfterfallinginlovewithVikings,theHistoryChannel’sswords-sex-and-
shearlingspectacular,shemadeatypicallylateralleapintothemid-
centuryScandi-designthatreshapedtheworldinitsimage.’(Tim
Blanks,Vogue,18February2015)
Suidescribedthiscollectionherselfas:‘afullonNorseMythology
fairytale’.InspirationforherdesignscamefromtheArtsandCrafts
movementinNordiccountries,inparticularthewatercoloursandhome
ofCarlLarsenaswellastheneedleworkandtapestriesofthe
Norwegian,FridaHansen.Suithendecided‘tomakeitallabit
cheerier’(herownwords),byreferencingmid-centuryScandinavian
decorativearts,ceramics,furnitureandprintedtextileswhile
simultaneouslylookingbackwardstoaddamoreprimitivepagan
elementemphasisedbytheuseofshearlingandfur.Thecollection,
whichincludedprintsoffolklorictapestries,needleworkandcrochet
thatwerethenover-embroideredforaddeddimensionality,reflectedthe
amountofworkanddetailthatSuiinvestsinherdesigns.ModelJamie
Bochertclosedthecatwalkshow:aValkyrieinknittedVikinghelmet
andashimmeringsequindress,asseenhere.
RococoPirateEnsemble(Bottomrowleft)
Spring2007
KnitcottonTopandhabotaisilkSkirt
Cotton/rayonjerseysleeves,socks;strawhatbyJamesCoviellofor
AnnaSui;silkscarf;cowhideshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui;
brass/glassnecklacesbyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui
SofiaCoppola’ssomewhatanachronisticandimpressionisticfilmMarie
Antoinette(2006),whichmixed1780s’-inspiredcostumeswitha
soundtrackthatincludedclassicalmusicaswellas1980s’post-punk
andNewRomanticmusic,providedthecatalystforSui’sSpring2007
collection.SuitookCoppola’svisiononestepfurtherandmergedthe
auditoryandsartorialelementsofthefilmcreatinggarmentsthat
combinedtheinfluencesof1980s’Britishmusicwitheighteenth-century
costume.Forinspirationforthishybridlook,SuilookedtoVivienne
Westwood,andinparticulartoher1981‘Pirate’collection,focusing
onthedefiningdetails,namelythelayering,thebillowingsilhouette
andtheeclecticmixingofcoloursandtextiles.Thisoutfitcombinesred,
blueandgreenProvençalprints,basedonIndianwoodblockprints,
withablueandwhitejerseytubetop,armbandsandsocks.
DorothyDraperPirate(Bottomrowcentre)
Spring2007
SilkcrepedeChineandlaceDress
Straw/nylon/ostrichfeatherhatbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;
nylonsleeves;Brass/plasticnecklacebyEricksonBeamonfor
AnnaSui;nylonhose;cowhidebootsbyBallinforAnnaSui
Thisdressisinspiredbythe‘robealafrançaise’,theeighteenth-
centuryRococogownfavouredbyMarieAntoinette.Sui,however,
radicallyalteredtheproportions,givingthemapunkmakeoverby
cuttingthemoffmid-thigh.Shecreatedaseriesofthesedressesinsilk
chiffonandcrepedeChineprintedwithhearts,roses,stripesand
polkadots.Theywerewornwithpetticoatsandproducedina
combinationofred,whiteandblack,acolourmixthatevoked
memoriesoftheband,TheNewYorkDolls:‘I’djustseenBobGruen’s
documentaryontheNewYorkDollscalled“AllDolledUp”,andit
remindedmethatbackinthe1970s,ifyouwerepartoftherockscene
orifyouwenttoclubslikeMax’sorCBGB’s,youonlyworered,white
orblack.Everythingwasheavilycodified.’Versailles,too,was
governedbyrigidcodesanditwasthiscodifiedaestheticthat
providedthelinkforSui’scollection.
MarchingBandEnsemble(Bottomrowright)
Spring2010
SilkjacquardDressandembroideredcottondenimCape
PolycottonpassementeriehatbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;
cowhideshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui;plasticbraceletby
EricksonBeamonforAnnaSui
TheinspirationforAnnaSui’sSpring2010collectionwasthe1967
versionofDoctorDolittle,starringRexHarrison,andinparticularthe
film’scircusscenes.Itwasthe1960s’Victorianvibeofthefilmthat
particularlyappealedtoSui,whostagedthecatwalkshowinahuge
pinkandblackcircustentstartingthespectaclewithhercircus
ringleadersportingamajorettecapeandfloraldress.Thecollection
wasariotofpatternandtextureincludingplaids,florals,Libertyprints
(re-colouredespeciallyforher),metallicsandpatchwork,all
accompaniedbyplayfulaccessoriessuchaspeep-toestackedbooties.
Thecollectionfeaturedmoretomboyishlooksthanusual,thankstothe
sartorialinfluenceofRexHarrisonandhiswaistcoats.Thismajorette-
inspiredensembleshowcasesanabstract-stylepeacockprintpaired
withadenimcape,trimmedwithpassementerie,andtoppedoffwitha
matchinghatdesignedbyJamesCoviello.Thiscollectioncameshortly
afterSuihadbeenpresentedwiththeCFDALifetimeAchievement
Award.
TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
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