fashion and textile museum - the world of anna sui ......mod ‘my first runway show also took a...
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TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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‘There’salwaysabitofmodonmy
moodboard.’
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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
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witha1920s’styleLBDreferencingChanel,whohadalsodesigned
fortheBalletsRusses.Thedecorativeembellishmentofthedress
togetherwithitssilhouetteseemtoevokea1920s’aesthetic.
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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
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colourfuldollsforhisshop,whichSuiherselfcollects.Thesedollswere
madeofMexicancotton,combiningmodernisformsandtraditionalist
finishes.Suisays:‘Ilovedtheiryarnhairandtheirhandembroideries’.
Thisensembleencapsulatesthisartisanalsensibilityinitsembroidery,
whilethecolouringandthestraw-coveredsandalsevokeholidaysin
sunnyclimes.
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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:
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‘ChanelmeetsRun-DMCbywayofChristianLacroix.’Onceagain,Sui
withhertongue-in-cheekstylingcreatesanewandexcitinglookthat
whilelookingbackintimealsoappearsfreshandmodern:
‘WheremodfailedAnnaSui’sstandardsofcool,AnnaSuithe
revisioniststeppedconfidentlyin,andgavethemodsthebenefitofthe
mostcreative,imaginativedesignermindofhergeneration.’(Amy
Spindler,NewYorkTimes,7April1995)
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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
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familiartoAnnaSuiinherdaysattheMuddClubinthe1980swhere
she,alongwiththelikesofdesignersBetseyJohnsonandStephen
Sprouse,‘helpedshapeastylethatcombinedbothdressyandthe
homemade’.(TimLawrence,‘LifeandDeathontheNewYork
Dancefloor1980–83’).ThisDIYethoscametoprevailinthe
undergroundsceneandsoonbecamemorewidelyfashionable.
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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
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andcuffs,aswornbyCatherineDeneuveintheLuisBuňuelfilm,Belle
duJour(1967).Therewasalsoatouchof1920s’monochromeChanel
chic.Thisdressreflectsalltheseinfluenceswhilemaintaininga
superficialsimplicity.Itsintrinsicdemurechicandfemininityisthen
contradictedbythebeltandcowhideboots.
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TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
UI