Checking in with Anna Sui

“Yes, I am in New York. We have been in lockdown for more than one month. It's been challenging but also an opportunity to reflect and slow down from our crazy global schedules.” 

“I went to Prague in 2001. I loved the beauty of the old city and exploring all of the Art Nouveau elements of the architecture and art. The Alphonse Mucha museum was fantastic.”

 “I think we were doing twice as much work than previously required. So, let's hope that we can re-set our world to a more livable pace. And adjust the fashion calendar to one that makes more sense and works with the actual seasons. Meanwhile, it’s been great actually picking up the phone to talk to friends and have real conversations!” 

“As soon as we found out we would be staying home, I organized my DVDs into a mini film festival. Fellini, Antonioni, Visconti, Alain Delon, Pierre Clémenti and Helmut Berger. To supplement my DVDs, I subscribed to Criterion Channel and Amazon Prime. I've also been bingeing on series like Desperate Romantics about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood artists, Sex Education and various British detective shows. Endeavour is my favorite! And now I'm happy that Killing Eve is back!” 

“I've surprised my Mom and family and all of my friends that I have been cooking! I'm the worst and I burn water! But I wanted to try making my Mom's recipes of chicken soup and oxtail soup. So far it's improving! And each pot of soup lasts me almost the whole week.” 

“I'm reading Aubrey Beardsley by Stephen Calloway. I wanted to go to London to see the exhibition he curated at the Tate but that didn't happen. So, the next best thing is to read his book. There is also a virtual tour on the Tate's website. I'm also reading Clara and Mr Tiffany by Susan Vreeland about Clara Driscoll who supervised the women who made many of the beautiful floral Tiffany lampshades that she designed. There is an amazing exhibition of this at the New York Historical Society that I saw in March before the lockdown. And I just got my friend Walter Lure's book To Hell and Back about his days with Johnny Thunders in the band The Heartbreakers. This is set mostly in the days of the punk rock scene in both London and New York. They were my favorite punk band.” 

“My Spring 2020 collection was called Victorianna. It was inspired by my favorite childhood movie Pollyanna, a Disney movie set in Victorian times about a young girl who is the ultimate optimist. I felt that the times were getting so dark, both politically and economically, that I thought we needed a big shot of optimism. This was way before this terrible virus that has devastated us all over the world. The collection is very light and frothy. I wanted everything to look like a confection and unbearable lightness of being.” 

“My favorite looks are look 34 which is a direct homage to Pollyanna - white eyelet in a Victorian-inspired smock dress. Look 28 which is a combination print bohemian kaftan dress - actually perfect for staying at home. Look 50 which is a frothy party dress with an oversized pajama shirt and a cover-up - again, pajama dressing.”

“It’s so hard to choose a favorite. That would be like choosing a favorite child. Every collection is so personal and incorporates so much of what is going on in my life and my obsessions. But the Spring ‘94 Trinity moment is definitely the crowd pleaser of all time from my collections.” 

 “The World of Anna Sui was such an emotional experience for me and also my longtime assistant Thomas Miller who had been with me since the first show in 1991. He called me from London when they set up the exhibition and said he was moved to tears upon seeing the mannequins dressed in all of the various outfits. We were always so busy working on the next collection, that we never had time to reflect on the past.” 

“The first thing I will do when we return to normal? Maybe invite my friends over for chicken soup.”