AUDREY TREON: The other day I put on a polka dot headscarf, a white blouse, a DIY-ribbon choker, ’80s era dome earrings, four watches, eight rings, an espresso-toned satchel, beat-up Wrangler jeans, leather pumps — and I went to Trader Joe’s.
Other customers were dressed in tank tops and leggings, but I wasn’t dressing up for them. It makes me happy.
I love fashion. I spend my downtime browsing TheRealReal, and the second edition of a book called “Fashion Theory” is my bible. It’s a world where every day I wake up and have the pleasure of opening my closet door to choose my own adventure.
Earlier this summer, I stepped into “The World of Anna Sui,” the latest fashion-oriented exhibit from the Phoenix Art Museum. It felt like meeting a kindred spirit.
Sui is known for her funky character, affinity for rock ‘n’ roll, and the ability to channel joy from a piece of fabric — or a mannequin. Like the blue mannequin I spied wearing a psychedelic, disco-esque jumpsuit, a patterned Penny Lane coat, a crocheted Viking helmet with blonde braids peeking out, and a red-lipped smirk.
As far as I’m concerned, fashion should be fun, whimsical and campy. Clearly, Anna Sui feels the same.
The show features over 80 ensembles from Sui’s vast archive — including jeweled medallions, gingham paperboy caps, zebra-print mini dresses, velvet Victorian-era-inspired garments, and a reiteration of “The Shining” twins’ babydoll dresses, all adorning pastel mannequins.
Often seen sporting blunt bangs, a black cat eye and her signature rouge lip, Sui has crafted her iconic persona as much as she crafts her designs. She uses lets her surroundings — the music she listens to, her friends and family, the vintage she collects, the movies she sees — as a source of inspiration.
A first-generation American, Sui grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, and later moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. She spent her adolescence infatuated with the punk scene of the ’60s and ’70s.
Sui’s development as a designer was invigorated by DIY shows in garages and backyards playing seamstress for her dolls, and later attending Parsons School of Design. From there she built her iconic brand, making Anna Sui a namesake designer.
The day after visiting the exhibit, I put on a Canadian tuxedo, moth bolo tie, leather jacket with 2-inch shoulder pads, cheetah print scarf and green boots. To be honest, that’s probably what I would have worn to the bookstore anyhow, but I felt a stronger sense of self-possession, self-confidence and unapologetic expression wearing it. I can’t help but think Anna Sui had something to do with that.
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