Anna Sui is on Depop
It’s hard to imagine NYC fashion without Anna Sui. In the 1990s, the designer from Detroit made her name as the woman who dressed all of cool, downtown Manhattan. Anna first hit the headlines in 1993 with her baby-doll dresses: the moment Linda Evangelista was spotted in one at that year’s couture shows, everyone wanted one. Soon Anna Sui was the most in-demand designer in town, with all the supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington lining up for a chance to walk on Anna’s runway.
Today her legacy lives on – those iconic 1990s pieces have a new resonance right now and the baby-doll dresses? Anna still makes them, and they never stopped looking incredible. Throughout her career she has produced the majority of her clothes at home in New York City. Now she’s on Depop with a mix of archive pieces, reissued classics and samples. Anna Sui tells us about her wild career - read on for more.
Describe the Anna Sui vibe in 3 words.
Feminine, nostalgic, fun!
If you had to pick one Anna Sui look that expresses the soul of the brand, what would it be?
This look from my Spring 2007 collection as it appears on the cover of my book, The World of Anna Sui.
Name the most iconic moment from your career.
My first show was so emotional. All my friends helped me get it together. Steven Meisel and Paul Cavaco helped me organize it. Naomi [Campbell] and Linda [Evangelista] helped me get all the models. Garren did the hair and Francois Nars did the makeup. And my family and friends were all there to support me.
What role does New York City play in your work as a designer?
I came to NY to be a flower girl at my aunt and uncle's wedding and when I went home to Michigan I told my parents I was going to be a fashion designer and move to New York when I grew up. My whole career has been in New York!
How did you know when you’d made it as a designer?
I always feel that you are only as good as your next collection. Sometimes commercial success doesn't always mean critical success. And not only do you have to sell your fashions to stores but they have to be bought by customers.
What is it about 90s style that you think makes it so relevant today?
The fashion pendulum had swung from power dressing in the 80s to a more DIY look. I remember that summer before I did my first show when all my model friends were suddenly not in head-to-toe designer but wearing jeans and clogs. With this they would wear a vintage lingerie top. There was one model making chokers and everyone got one. This was the beginning of Grunge. Suddenly everyone was dressing more for their generation and not Mommy's clothes.
What do you like about shopping vintage fashion?
Since I was in high school I loved vintage shopping. You could get so much for $5.00 back then. I would go to downtown Detroit and get bags of vintage dresses, coats and platform shoes from the 1940s. When I came to New York I started going to the Mudd Club where everyone dressed like movie stars in their thrift clothes. New York had the best flea market in the world!!! I love the craftsmanship of vintage. Especially hand work. I love when you can see that the human hand has made something.
What do you find inspiring about the future of fashion?
There has been so much innovation with how clothes are made. The digital age has given us new ways of printing, computerized lace and embroideries, and so much advancement in functionality in fabrics.