TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa

FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition

Image©JoshuaJordon

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SURFER

‘Thedarkertruthsbehindallthatsunandsurfandblonde

hairandwhiteteethappealedtomytwistedside.’

Thesun-soakedsurfculture,particularlyasseeninthebeachmoviesof

the1960s,resonatedwiththeyoungSuigrowingupinMichigan.The

wildlysuccessfulgenreofbeachpartymovies,suchasHowtoStuffa

WildBikini,speakstothetongue-in-cheeksensibilitythatispartofSui’s

approachtodesign.Foradesignerwholayerseverythingwith

optimism,theescapistsunandsurfcultureisanaturalinspiration.

Returningtotheoriginalsources,Sui’sgrown-uprecognitionofthe

artificialityofthefilmsspoketoherappreciationofthingsthatare

slightlytwisted.Whendesigningsurf-inspiredcollections,shehastaken

upthechallengetoaddtheslantthatmakesthefashionscontemporary

andsoveryAnnaSui.

BoardShortsInspiredDress(Toprowleft)

Spring2004

CottonblendDresswithLycraT-shirt

Plasticsunglasses,shellearrings,bracelet,ankletbyErickson

BeamonforAnnaSui;cowhide/plasticsandalsbyJutta

NuemannforAnnaSui

ThecentralcharacterofSui’sSpring2004collectionisamodern-day

teenagesurfergirl,independentandwithastubbornstreak.Shealso

appearstohankerafterthepsychedelicera,wearingswirlingfloral

andpaisleyprintsinintensecolourcombinationssuchaslavenderand

blueorturquoiseandgreen.ThisensemblecombinesasportyLycraT-

shirtwithacottondressinspiredbyboardshortsalthoughtrimmedin

femininelace,atypicalSuitouch.TheuseofLycrainthisnostalgic

outfitunderlinesitsmodernity.Suioftenincorporatesinnovativeand

sometimesunusualfabricsinhercollections,emphasisingthefactthat

althoughsherevelsinthefashionsofthepastsheisfirstandforemosta

contemporarydesigner.Theshell-inspiredearrings,braceletandanklet

addtothebeachsidevibe,whilethefloralsandalsgivethe‘girly’

dimensiontothislook.

PartyDressBeachEnsemble(Toprowright)

Spring2004

SilkPartyDresswithLycraT-shirtandLeggings

Shellearrings,necklace,shell/cowhideankletbyEricksonBeamon

forAnnaSui;plastic/cowhidesandalsbyBallinforAnnaSui

‘Myentirecollectionwasbasedontheideaofagirlwhocouldnot

waittogetinthewater,soevenifshewaswearingapartydress,she

wouldhaveabikiniunderneath.’

SuiisabigfanoftheFrankieAvalon/AnnetteFunicellobeachparty

moviesofthe1960sandisparticularlyfascinatedbywhatshecalls

‘thebeach-bumlifestyleofSouthernCalifornia’.Although‘surfergirl’is

alwaysreadytoplungeintothesea,shealsolikestopartyandthis

ensemblecombinesthesportysurferlookwitha‘girly’partydressin

anintensefloralprint.‘Partysurfergirl’thenupstheantewithchunky

goldseashelljewellery.Theplasticsandalschannelthebeachvibe.

StuddedPsychedelicBoardShortsEnsemble(Middlerowleft)

Spring2004

CottonBarongShirtandBoxerswithStuddedcottonblendBoard

Shorts

Shell/brassnecklacesandankletbyEricksonBeamonforAnna

Sui;rubber/cottonsneakersbyConverseforAnnaSui

‘Surferboy’alsosportsaseashell-inspirednecklaceandreflectsalaid-

backholidayfeelwithhisopen‘barong’shirt,brightlypatternedshorts

andcasualConversesneakers.However,theoutliningofthepaisley

motifwithgoldstudsaddsatouchofpartyglamour,whilethe‘barong’

shirt,referencingtheembroideredformalshirtconsideredthenational

dressofthePhilippines,addsanoteoftongue-in-cheekformality.Sui’s

ensemblesoftenincludestylisticcontradictionsreflectingher

multidimensionalviewpoint.

‘Oppositesattract.Beautylovedthe

beast.AnnalovedtheBeachBoys.I

shouldqualifythatCaliforniawas

definitelyafantasywhenIwasakid.’

DragRaceJacketEnsemble(Middlerowright)

Spring1998

Silk-screenedcottontwillJacketandCapriswithcotton/polyester

Swimsuittop

Cottonbucketcap;patentleathersandalsbyBallinforAnnaSui

SurferstyleprovidedthemaininspirationforAnnaSui’sSpring1998

collection,itsboundlessoptimismthecompleteantithesisofSui’s

previousGoth-stylecollection.Aspreviouslynoted,Suilikestochange

directionfromoneseasontothenext.Thesurferstylesitsperfectlyin

Anna’sworldwithitsemphasisonyouthandexuberance.She

conveyedthismoodthroughboldprintsandvibrantcolours.Other

printsthatfeaturedprominentlyinthecollectionasseenhereincluded

astylised‘airbrushed’flameandadesignbasedon‘pinstriping’,the

applicationofathinlineofpaintcalleda‘pinstripe’,inspiredbythe

artworkofsuchcustomcarartistsasVonDutchandEd‘BigDaddy’

Roth.BoththesemenwerekeyfiguresinSouthernCalifornia’sKustom

Kulture:atermusedtodescribethetraditionsofcustomcarandhot-

roddingsubculturesthathademergedinthe1950salongsidesurfer

culture.Sui,withherawarenessoftheconnectivityofcountercultures,

reflectedthiscouplinginhercollection.Thisthispairingisseeninthe

flameprintofthecapriscombinedwiththeboardshorts-inspired

waistband,adetailthatappearedthroughoutthecollection.The

collectionalsofeaturedHawaiianprintsandtropicalfloraldesignsina

varietyofcolourways.

HawaiianSwimEnsemble(Bottomrowleft)

Spring1995

RayonSwimsuit

Acetateheadpiece,wristletandleisbyEricksonBeamonforAnna

Sui;nylonmeshtote,nylonsocks;cowhideshoesbyEmmaHope

forAnnaSui

Sui’sSpring1995collectioncombinedelementsofthe1940sand

1970s.Oneofhermusesforthecollectionwasactressandsinger

DorothyLamour(1914–96),famousforherappearancesintheRoad

to…movies,inwhichshestarredalongsideBobHopeandBing

Crosby.ThesultryLamourwasoftentobeseenwearingasarong.

AnothermusewasthecompetitiveswimmerandactressEsther

Williams(1921–2013),wellknownforappearinginglamorous

‘aquamusicals’,whosecinematiccostumesinspiredSuitocreatea

groupoflamédressesbasedonswimwear.ThisHawaiianswim

ensembleseemstochannelbothactressesfeaturingHawaiianprint

andlamé.ThefloralheadpieceandleicourtesyofEricksonand

Beamoncomplementtheoutfitperfectly,addinganextranoteof

playfulness.TheEmmaHopeshoesgivesomeretroglamourand

polish.

SurferEnsemble(Bottomrowcentre)

NylonmeshTahitianTattooT-shirtwithcottonblendCabana

JacketandBoardShorts

Rubber/cowhidesandalsbyHushPuppiesforAnnaSui

AnnaSuihasafondnostalgiaforthesurfmoviesofherearlyyearsin

whichgolden-skinnedyouthwithsparklingwhiteteethcavortedonthe

beach.Thisensembleradiatesbeachsidecool.ThetattooprintmeshT-

shirtprovidessometongue-in-cheekstylingwornwiththeHawaiian-

inspiredprintjacketandcasualplaidboardshorts.Thesandalsby

HushPuppies,withwhomSuihascollaboratedonanumberof

occasions,finishoffthiscasualandmodernlook.

SurferGirlEnsemble(Bottomrowright)

Spring2016

Cottonblend

Jacket,TopandShorts

Plastic/glassnecklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;

SunglassesbyMondoticcaforAnnaSui;nylonsocksbyAtsugi

forAnnaSui;vintagebarkclothcoveredcowhideshoesbyBallin

forAnnaSui

Thissurfergirlensemblecomplements‘surferboy’perfectly,reflecting

thesamestripped-backyouthfulcool.Hertartanjacketistrimmedwith

braidaddingextradetailandtheplastic/glassnecklaceprovidesa

moderninterpretationofthe‘lei’.Theplatformshoesmadewithvintage

barkclothlendanairofnostalgiaandkitsch,andunderlinetheexotic

tropicalthemeofthecollection.

TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa

FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition

Image©JoshuaJordon

THEW

ORLD

OFA

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