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TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
UI
ANDROGYNY
‘…thegreatestdesignershavealwaysunderstoodthatthe
shadowlandbetweenthegendersiswheresomeofthe
mosthauntingstorieslie.’
ThemysteriesofandrogynyareoftenpresentinAnnaSui’sfashion.
Since1993,shehaspresentedasmallcollectionofmenswear
alongsidethewomenswear.Sheexploredtheideaofandrogynymost
notablyinthegrungecollectionof1993,whenbothmaleandfemale
modelsweresentdownthecatwalkinmatchingbaby-dolldresses:a
lookinspiredbythegender-bendingfluidityofmusicianslikeKurt
CobainofNirvana.Sui’sworkalsohighlightsthefragileandrogynous
beautyofboysinthe1960sasseeninphotographsoftheRolling
Stonesandfilmsoftheera.IfmencantakeonthefeminineinSui’s
designs,womeninthecatwalkshowsareaslikelytobeintailored
suitsprojectingaboyishcharmoragangster’spinstripedswagger.
GlenPlaidSuitEnsemble(TopRow)
Spring2008
Polyester/viscoseglenplaidJumpsuitandJacketwithsilkShirt
Polyester/nylon/cottontieplasticbroochesandbraceletsbyErickson
BeamonforAnnaSui;NylonsocksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;
Cowhide/snakeskinshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui
TheSpring2008collectionwasanartfulbricolage/collagemixing
1930s’and1940s’Hollywoodstylewith1970s’NewYorkdowntown
chic.BusbyBerkeleymusicals,famousfortheircomplexroutines
includinglargenumbersofdancersperformingsynchronised
movements,werethestartingpointforthecollection,butSuiwasalso
influencedbythenarrow-waistedbroad-shoulderedpowersuitsof
GilbertAdrian.AdriandesignedforbothBroadwayandHollywood
andwasamongthemostcelebratedcostumersofthe1930saswellas
beingoneofthemostfamousdesignersofthe1940sand1950s.His
clothesembodiedatechnicalvirtuositythatcombinedanappreciation
ofParisiancouturewithanAmericansensibility.ThestylingofSui’s
2008collectionwasinspiredbythe1970sandinparticularbysome
ofthedecade’ssuper-groupies,includingCyrindaFoxewhoappeared
inDavidBowie’s‘JeanGenie’videoandwentontomarryDavid
JohansenoftheNewYorkDollsandsubsequentlySteveTylerof
Arrowsmith.
PlaidSuitEnsemble(Middlerowleft)
Spring2010
Cotton/polyesterJacketand
TrouserswithsilkShirtand
sequinnedWaistcoatSilktie;
metallicdomesticcowhidebutterflyflatsbyBallinforAnnaSui
Sui’sSpring2010collectionwasdescribedbyVogueasa‘circus-
themedspringfling’,inspiredbythe1967filmDoctorDoolittle,
starringRexHarrison.Thistailoredplaidjacketandtrousers,wornwith
awaistcoatandtie,projectsatomboyishvibe,whilethefloralshirt
withitsfrilledcuffsaddsafemininetouch.Thisoutfitmixesavarietyof
patterns,includingmasculineplaid,daintyfloralandapopappleprint
inanexuberantSuimash-up,whichalsofeaturessequins.AsAnnaSui
says:‘I’malwaysaboutoptimismandexuberance.It’swhatIfeelabout
fashion.’
AestheticSuitEnsemble(Middlerowcentre)
Autumn2008
Wool/cottonJacket,VestandShortswithsilkShirt
NylonhosebyAtsugiforAnnaSui;rayoncorsagebyErickson
BeamonforAnnaSui;cowhidebootsbyBallinforAnnaSui
ThemainsourceofinspirationforSui’sAutumn2008collectionwas
theVeteransRoomintheParkAvenueArmoryinNewYorkCity,
designedanddecoratedin1880byAssociatedArtists,aco-operative
firmofartistsanddesignersthatincludedLouisComfortTiffany.The
roomrepresentedanamalgamationofdecorativeideas.Suilovedthis
eclecticismandthefactthattheroomreflectedallherfavourite
influences:orientalism,ArtNouveauandtheAestheticmovement.
Tiffany’sprimaryemphasiswasonlight,colourandtexture,anditwas
theseelementsthatSuievokedthroughoutthecollection,choosing
fabricsknownfortheirlustre,suchassilk,lamé,satin,velvet,taffeta,
organzaandcrepedeChine.Thedesigneralsofilledhercollection
withreferencestothenaturalworld,focusingherattentiononbirds,
insectsandflowersassociatedwithArtNouveauandAestheticism.She
usedthesemotifsinprintsandembroideriesaswellasinher
accessories,highlightingpeacocks,butterfliesandpoppies.Thefinal
pieceofthedesignjigsawwastheresultofSui’sabilitytomake
aestheticassociationsbetweenseeminglyincongruentphenomena.On
atriptothePacificNorthwest,shecameacrosstheartsoftheHaida
tribesofBritishColumbiaandwasstruckbythelinesandshapesthat
remindedherofArtNouveau.WhileresearchingTiffany,shethen
discoveredthathehadcollectedNativeAmericanartand,asaresult,
referencedthisepiphanyinthedesignofhercollection:‘That’stheway
Annarolls,layeringepiphaniesfromherownlifeinhercollections…’
(TimBlanks,Vogue,11September)
‘Ilovednourishingmyteenfantasiesof
MickandMarianneorKeithandAnita
withphotosofthemwearingwhatI
imaginedwereeachother’sclothes.
Andnow,yearslater,wheneverI
includemenonmycatwalk,thoseare
stilltheimagesthatareplayinginmy
mind.’
Modsuitensemble(Middlerowright)
Spring2010
LinenJacketandTrouserswithcottonShirt
Plastic/cottonsequinnedtie;cowhideshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui
Sui’sSpring2010collectionfeaturedanumberoffloralprints,
includingaseriesofLibertyprintsre-colouredespeciallyforSui.This
vibrant,tailoredsuitwithitscroppedjacketwaswornonthecatwalk
bymodelRanyaMordanovasportingaVidalSassoon‘MaryQuant’
haircut.Thisstylingreflectedtheprevailing1960s’vibeofthe
collection,describedbyVogue’sLairdBorellias:‘acoolsixties-take-on-
Victorian-menswear-feel.’(Vogue,16September2009)
MaleGrungeBaby-dollDress(Bottomrowleft)
Spring1994
RayonDressandcottonUnionSuit(wornunderneathdress)
CowhidebootsbyJohnFluevogforAnnaSui
FemaleGrungeBaby-dollDress(Bottomrowcentre-left)
Spring1994
RayonDress
Nickel/glassnecklaceandbraceletbyEricksonBeamonforAnna
Sui;cowhideshoesbyJohnFluevogforAnnaSui
TheSpring1994collectionrevisited‘grunge’,whichhadhitthe
catwalksomewhatcontroversiallyinSpring1993,embracedbySuias
wellasbyMarcJacobsandFrancisChristianRoth.Thisincarnationof
thethemewasinspiredbySui’striptoaNirvanaconcert.Influenced
bythegrungebandsoftheday,Suifoundparticularinspirationinthe
performativewardrobeofKurtCobainwho,togetherwithothergrunge
musicians,wasknownforwearingvintagedressesonstage.Sui
translatedthisactofgendersubversionintoaseriesofbaby-doll
dressesforbothmenandwomen.
MalePunkEnsemble(Bottomrowcentre-right)
Spring1994
MohairSweaterwithrayonsatinTrousersandKilt
CowhidebootsbyJohnFluevogforAnnaSui
TheSpring1994collectionalsoreferencedtheRiotGrrrls,ahighly
politicisedmusicalmovementthatemergedatthesametimeasgrunge
andborrowedheavilyfrompunk.Sui’scollectionreflectedthisby
includingmohairsweaters,trouserswornwithkiltsandT-shirtsprinted
withiconicimagesdefacedbygraffiti.Alltheseitemsareassociated
withMalcolmMcLaren’sandVivienneWestwood’siconiclabel,
Seditionaries,whichprovidedthesartorialidentityforthepunk
movementinthemid-tolate1970s.
FemalePunkEnsemble(Bottomrowright)
Spring1994
MohairSweaterwithsatinSkirtandsatinBra
Polyester/nylonsocks;shoesbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui
Theuseofgoldsatinforthegirl’sskirtandtheman’strousersandskirt
addsaglamrocknotetoSui’soptimisticinterpretationofpunkinthis
collection,whichalsoincludedmetallicleatherandlurex:‘Punkstyle
wassonihilistic.Iwantedtomakeitmorepositive.’Byaccessorising
outfitswithpunk-inspiredaccessoriessuchasdog-collarnecklaces,Sui
reflectedthetribalismthatwasadefiningelementofpunkfashion.This
multifacetedcollectionstronglyreflectedtheethosof‘bricolage’,
borrowingsymbolsandimageryfromawiderangeofsources,a
definingfeatureofsubculturalstyle.
TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
UI