Baby doll dresses, long chunky necklaces, velveteen vests, eye-catching prints, school girl innocence, the rock n' roll/bohemian look of the 1970s - this is the formulaic combination that we've come to know as Anna Sui. It's deja vu all over again. We've seen this all before, but always with various twists on a theme to keep the collection somewhat fresh. Or maybe, we actually have seen this before - with a couple of re-issued pieces pulled from the "archives" especially for Anthropologie this year, and a retrospective book there's not a whole lot really new here. Speaking of my favorite store, I was certain there would have been an influence loaded with colorful ethnic prints from the televised excursion to Syria with Anthropologie's Keith Johnson (on Sundance). Instead, Anna was blatantly self-referencing. Even the backdrop was classic Sui evoking the downtown New York SoHo store.
To mix things up a bit, a couple of accessories were neon, with large, Mad Hatter-esque slouchy fur hats and jackets, and strangely-placed animal hats that added some adorable refreshment but were more like a speed bump non-sequitor in a sea of sexy librarians. In an effort to do something different (like the Cynthia Rowley show), three girls rather than one were sent down the runway to open and close the show.
Yes, we've seen it all before, but we must absolutely love it. Otherwise, the Sui show wouldn't be one of the most packed shows during Fashion Week. And we wouldn't keep coming back for more, now would we?
Great post! Your honesty is refreshing! And as always, love the photos. :)
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