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Enter the World of Anna Sui
A new exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London explores the experimental and playful world of the avant-garde designer
"Who are your style icons?" - the bread and butter question asked of all fashion designers. Few, though, would reel off a list as eclectic as the likes of the Duchess of Windsor, Disney's beloved Minnie Mouse and Andy Warhol protege Jane Forth. Then again, there is only one Anna Sui.
From 26 May, London’s Fashion and Textiles Museum will invite visitors into The World of Anna Sui, an exhibition tracing how the visionary designer, known for her rock'n'roll aesthetic and obsession with US pop culture, has shaped the fashion industry for more than 25 years through her daring and experimental clothing.
The display will showcase more than 100 outfits spanning Sui's varied career, from the Mod-inspired looks at her debut show in 1991 to the Americana SS17 collection modelled by Gigi and Bella Hadid.Alongside curator Dennis Nothdruft, Sui has played a leading role in choosing the looks that feature in the exhibition. The end result, she told Vogue, is "optimistic, inspirational, fun, eclectic, celebratory".
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Sui, whose worldwide brand is now estimated to be worth in excess of $400m (£308m), reportedly knew of her calling from the age of four, when she began making her own clothes. She launched her own fashion label in 1981, after finishing her studies at Parsons School of Design in New York, but her career breakthrough came ten years later, when the "supers" - the likes of Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell - featured in her first catwalk show.
Finally, the industry woke up and recognised the unique appeal of Sui's collections. After all, it was "the era of grunge and Courtney Love", she told NBC News.
The Detroit native became an entrenched part of New York's vibrant creative underground of the 1990s, with the decade's music scene proving the catalyst behind some of her most iconic designs, including her renowned baby-doll dresses. Her style has come to be defined by her inventive use of print and fabric, weaving unusual shapes, textures and patterns throughout her collections.
The next decade saw Sui's label expand rapidly, especially in the Far East, where she has an almost cult-like following. Today, she creates cosmetics, fragrances, shoes and accessories, as well as clothes that continue to delight an always full front row at New York Fashion Week. Her market has also broadened - Japanese labels Dolly Girl and Anna Sui Mini are aimed at young children, some of whom may even have an "Anna Sui Boho Barbie" in their toybox.The World of Anna Sui acts as a timeline not only of the designer's continually evolving style, but US pop culture as a whole. Much like a storybook of design, each section leads the viewer to examine the continual changes in her creative process, with mood boards, photographs, sketches, runway shots and cultural ephemera appearing alongside her creations.
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The exhibition unfolds to follow the evolving persona of the Sui woman, with music creating an immersive experience for the audience to truly resonate with the designer's key influences.
"Anna Sui helped define the look of Generation X. As young creatives rediscover and reference the 1990s, it is time to explore the original designs in a critical context," says Nothdruft. "Through The World of Anna Sui, we hope to highlight a fresh cultural perspective on the so-called ‘slacker’ generation. The exhibition will showcase a fashion designer who, contrary to the stereotype, is not only highly creative and entrepreneurial but also playful and positive."
The World of Anna Sui runs from 26 May to 1 October at the Fashion and Textiles Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XF. Tickets £9.90 ftmlondon.org
