TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa

FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition

Image©JoshuaJordon

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ROCKSTAR&HIPPIE

‘IguessI’marockchickatheart.’

ReferredtobyjournalistHilaryAlexanderasthe‘JanisJoplinof

fashion’,AnnaSuihasalwaysgroundedhercollectionswithapassion

forrockandroll.Fromherearlyaimofdesigningclothesforrockstars

toherenduringfriendshipwithAnitaPallenberg–longoneofSui’s

muses–thedesignercontinuallydrawstheaestheticoftherocklifestyle

intohercollections.WhencreatinghercollectionsSuialwaysquestions

whethertheywouldlookgoodonKeithRichardsandAnita.

Thetextures,coloursandpatternsoftheera,asseeninboutiqueslike

GrannyTakesaTrip,inLondon,runthroughSui’sdesignsandexist

alongsideotherinspirationsandthemes.Itisherabilitytoweavethese

elementstogethertomakesomethingcompletelycontemporarybuttrue

toherrockandrollsensibilitiesthatisoneofherhallmarks.

DavyCrockettEnsemble(Toprow)

Autumn1992

WoolherringboneJacketandwoolUnionSuitbyJames

CovielloforAnnaSuiwithsuedecowhideBraandChaps

Cowhidebelt,brass/glass/featherchokerandfeather/glass/cowhide

lariatbyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;Bag,fakefurcapby

JamesCovielloforAnnaSui;suedecowhideclogsbyJohn

FluevogforAnnaSui

Sui’sAutumn1992collectionlookedtotwo1960s’icons:Jean

ShrimptonandPenelopeTree.Bothofthesemodelshadbeenthe

loversofDavidBailey,whosephotoswereasourceofinspirationfor

thedesigner.Forthefinaleofhercatwalkshow,Suimergedthe

sensibilitiesofthese1960s’modelswiththecontrastingcharactersof

the‘Cavalier’andthe‘DavyCrockettCowboy’(reflectedinthis

ensemble).ThelinkingfeatureistheirswaggerepitomisedbybothTree

andShrimptonandthenreplicatedonthecatwalkintheswaggerof

NaomiCampbellandLindaEvangelista,theirmodern-dayequivalents.

KozmikEnsemble(Middlerowleft)

Spring2015

SilkgeorgetteDressandsilkjacquardShorts

EnamelledbrassnecklaceandbraceletbyEricksonBeamonfor

AnnaSui;elastic/plasticbelt,cowhidefannypackandbootsby

BallinforAnnaSui

Suinamedthiscollection‘KosmikRockStar’.Inspiredbythe1960s

andchannellingherfashionheroesKeithRichardsandAnita

Pallenberg,Sui’sSpring2015collectionreferencediconic‘Swinging

London’boutiquessuchasGrannyTakesaTripandMrFreedom.The

designeralsotookinspirationfromthepsychedelicpostersandworkof

graphicscollectiveHapshashandtheColouredCoat,akaMichael

EnglishandNigelWaymouth.Toaccentuatetheglitzandglamour,Sui

accessorisedherclotheswithmetalliclightningboltplatformshoes

designedbyfootwearlegend,TerrydeHavilland.Thiscollection

seemedtoreflectmanyofSui’sparticularpassions:‘AnnaSui’slatest

collectionfeltliketheoneshewasdestinedtodesign.Itstitched

together–literally–agrabbagofherobsessions.’(TimBlanks,Vogue,

14September2014)

EmbroideredJacketEnsemble(Middlerowright)

Spring2014

EmbroideredlinenJacketandsilkShirtwithrayon/silkTrousers

ScarfbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;sneakersbyEmmaHope

forAnnaSui

AnnaSuiisanavidvisitorofmuseumswheresheoftenfindsinspiration

forherdesigns.ItwashervisittotheTate’sPre-Raphaeliteretrospective

thatprovidedthecreativespringboardforherSpring2014collection,

whichwasinspiredbythe1960s’Pre-Raphaeliterevival.‘Ingame-

changingboutiqueslikeGrannyTakesaTrip,London’sgildedyouth

boughtintothelanguorandluxuryofthePre-Raphaelitelegend.’(Tim

Blanks,Vogue,11September2009).Suireflectedherinspirationin

herprints,choiceoffabricsandintricatedetailasseenhereinthe

velvetandfineembroidery.Althoughthedetailisintricateandthe

fabricssumptuous,theoutfitexudesalaid-backcoolinitsfluidlines

anditscasualaccessoriessuchasthesneakersandnarrowtrailing

scarf.

BacklessChapsEnsemble(Bottomrowleft)

Autumn1992

WooljerseyCapeandsilk/polyesterShirtwithstuddedsuede

cowhideChaps

Glass/brasschokerbyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;studded

suedecowhidebelt,G-string,suedecowhidebootsbyJohnFluevog

ThisoutfitisfamousforthebacklesschapsthatNaomiCampbellwore

withsuchswaggerforthefinaleofAnnaSui’sAutumn1992catwalk

showcounterbalancingLindaEvangelistasportinga‘Cavalier’look

completewithacurlingfeatheradorningherhat.Thestuddedfringed

chapswerelaterwornbymusicianMarilynMansonatanaward

ceremony.IthasoftenbeensaidthatbeingatoneofSui’sshowsislike

beingatarockconcertandherpassionformusic,andmore

importantlythestyleitinspires,alwaysinformsherdesigns:’Foralong

time,mygoalwastodesignforrockstarsandpeoplewhowentto

rockconcerts.’

‘IquicklyrealisedthepeopleIknewas

hippiesdidn’twanttodoanything,

thatgoingtoliveonacommune

wasn’tgoingtotakethemanywhere.

Nicestylethough.’

MaleHippie(Bottomrowcentre-left)

Spring2014

EmbroideredlinenwithMongolianfakefurtrimCoatwithSilkchiffon

ShirtandrayonsilkvelvetTrousers

RayonpannevelvetsneakersbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui

Thisoutfitisinspiredbythe1960s’rediscoveryofthePre-Raphaelites

asreflectedinboutiquessuchasGrannyTakesaTripandchannelled

intheromanticclothing,psychedelicpostersandtheinteriorsfavoured

bytherockpersonalitiesoftheday.SuilovedthefactthatJimmyPage

ofLedZeppelinfame,forexample,hadaccumulatedamajor

collectionofEdwardBurne-Jones(1833–98)tapestriesandWilliam

Morris(1834–96)furniture.Thisoutfitcombinesfabricsandtextures

thatexudearichnessandbohemianismcharacterisinga‘richhippy’

lookthatSuirevisitsfrequently.Asshesaysherself,‘I’masuckerfor

pannévelvet.’Butwhiletheoutfitemploysluxuriousdetailing,the

sneakersaddanoteofinformalityeventhoughtheytooaremadeof

pannevelvet.

Pop-sydelicEnsemble(Bottomrowcentre-right)

Autumn2016

MohairJacketandSilkShirtwithrayon/silkdevorévelvetTrousers

Beadedandembroideredbelt,brass/glassnecklacebyErickson

BeamonforAnnaSui;nylonhosebyAtsugiforAnnaSui;

suede/patentcowhideshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui

‘Suisentforthgorgeousjewel-tonedvelvets–seeminglybythebolt–

baby-dolldresses,tie-dyesanddeliciouslytrippyjacquards.’(Kristin

Anderson,Vogue,17February2016)

AnnaSuicoinedtheterm‘Pop-sydelic’tonameherAutumn2016

collection,whichmixeselementsofCarnabyStreetatitszenithwiththe

workofartistssuchasPeterBlakeandtheelectricambianceoftheart

dealerRobertFraser’sinfluentialgallery.Suithenaddedsome

EdwardiannotesofthesortlovedbyboutiquebrandssuchasGranny

TakesaTripandMrFish.Thisoutfitisanintensemixofprintand

texturelayeredSui-stylewithrichlydetailedaccessories.

Pop-sydelicRockStar(Bottomrowright)

Autumn2016

FakefurpolyesterCoatandRayonShirtwithRayon/silkvelvet

Trousers

Scarf;rayonpannevelvetsneakersbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui

PartofSui’sattractiontoGrannyTakesaTripwasthefactthatthe

RollingStonesusedtoshopthereandKeithRichardswasastylehero

ofhers:‘IusedtosaythatIjudgedmyclothesbyhowgoodthey’d

lookonKeithRichardsandAnitaPallenberg.’Thisoutfitepitomisesa

‘groovy’rockandrolllookcombiningprintandtexturetocreatea

jewel-likeintensity.ThepannevelvetsneakersdesignedbyEmma

HopeforAnnaSuiseemtoencapsulatethecontradictory

combinationoflaid-backrockerchicand‘hautehippy’.

FringeEnsemble(OnAnnaSuimannequin)

Spring2016

SilkTopandTrousers

Brass/plasticnecklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;nylon

socksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;rayonsatincoveredcowhidesandals

byHushPuppiesforAnnaSui

Sui’sSpring2016collectionencompassedadiverserangeof

influences,someofthemverypersonal.Aswellasthecultural

referencestotheartistPaulGauguin(1848–1903)andthepopular

film,MutinyontheBounty(1962),Suialsoinfusedhercollectionwith

personalmemoriesofherauntwhosefamilywasbasedinPolynesia

andwhooncesenthermotheradressembroideredwithsmall

seashells.Thismemoryinspiredseveraldressesinthecollection.

ZandraRhodes,whohadalsobeentoTahitiandrecordedthevisitin

hersketchbook,designedapalmleafandseashellprintforSui,while

BarbaraHulanikiofBibafameprovidedillustrationsforT-shirts.The

colourpalette,too,wasadirectresultofSui’srecentPolynesiantrip

reflectingthecoloursoftheexoticlandscapeinnamessuchas‘teal

lagoon,hibiscusred,andpineappleyellow’.Addedtothisheady

tropicalcocktailwasanodtothenostalgiaandkitschofthe1940s’

and1950s’‘sarong’moviesandthe‘tikibar’.Thisresultedinaplayful

aswellascolourfulcollection:‘today’sHonoluluhoneysembodiedall

thebestpartsofkitsch:itscolour,itshumour,itsplay.’(Kristin

Anderson,Vogue,16September2015).

Theintensebluesofthisoutfit,whichcombinesamixofprints,reflect

thetropicalseaandevoketheblueofHenriMatisse’s(1869–1954)

cut-outs.Thehalterneckandelectricbluefringingreflecttheideaofa

sarong-styledressandthepairingwithloosetrouserscreatesan

elegantensemble.Theconfluenceofdifferentinspirationsforthis

collectionunderlinesSui’sinnateabilitytocombinereferencesfrom

bothhighandlowculture.Theplayfulnoteofthecollection,however,

reflectsthefactthatSui,despitehererudition,nevertakesherselftoo

seriously.

Pre-RaphaeliteDress(OnAnnaSuimannequin)

Spring2014

SilkchiffonDress

Glass/plasticnecklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;nylon

socksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;brassstuddedcowhidesandalsby

BallinforAnnaSui

Thisdiaphanousprintedchiffondresswithmetallicfringinglookslike

theperfectoutfittoweartoafestival,accessorisedwithsparklingsocks

andstuddedcowhidesandals.Sui,alwaysdrawntotheworldof

music,grewuphearingaboutWoodstockandalwayslovedtheidea

ofgoingtoafestival:‘Ilovedthewholefantasyoffestivals:goingto

seemusic,sleepingunderthestars,arrivingattheIsleofWightina

helicoptertoseeJimiHendrix.Thereality?Notsomuch.’Thecolour

paletteoftheSpring2014collectionwasinspiredbytheiridescent

coloursofthePre-RaphaelitepaintingsthatSuisawatanexhibitionat

theTateGallery,andhershowfeaturedherowncastofPre-Raphaelite

heroinesfloatingdownthecatwalk.Thisoutfitexudesanetherealaura

whilethemetallicfringingaddssomerockandrollswaggerand

movement.

KimonoEnsemble(OnAnnaSuimannequin)

Spring2016

SilkKimonoandDress

Brass/plasticnecklaceandbraceletbyEricksonBeamonfor

AnnaSui;NylonsocksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;Cotton-covered

cowhidesandalsbyHushPuppiesforAnnaSui

ThepalmleafprintofthisdresswasdesignedbyZandraRhodeswho,

likeSui,hasvisitedTahiti.Theprintofthekimonoisapatchwork

pattern,aSuifavourite.Thefringededgeofthekimonosuitsthe

tropicalthemeofthiscollectionasitseemstoevoketheswayingfronds

ofatropicalpalmtree.Sui,whocreatesspectacularfashionshows,

includediridescentpalmtreesonherSpring2016catwalk.

TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa

FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition

Image©JoshuaJordon

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