The World of Wonderment at Anna Sui
After discovering Howard Gardiner Cushing’s paintings while flipping through a 1970s issue of Vogue and observing Justine Cushing’s walls adorned with the most fantastical paintings, what began as a search for a photograph suddenly became something else entirely for Sui: a new visual world.
The collection explores that same feeling of enchantment and discovery through romantic florals, opulent embellishment, nostalgic lingerie, lace, crochet, luminous satin, and fantastical prints. Some pieces, like the Lilac & Black Fairytale scarf print and Beardsley & Nouveau Florals, appear on a kimono-sleeve jacket and matching robe, in what feels like a louder, bolder, yet still traditional Anna Sui approach, while other pieces, like the Heirloom Embroidered halter top paired with Cabochon Bejeweled jeans, lean into the brand’s more familiar themes of playfulness.
Floral prints serve as one of the collection’s many stars, with designs including Garden Border, Anemone Crinkle Chiffon, and Cornflower Satin Burnout appearing throughout, creating an ever-changing garden of color, pattern, and texture. While the collection is outwardly bold on its own, Sui collaborated with artists and designers to help bring her vision to life. Erickson Beamon Jewelry draws from the Arts and Crafts movement, while John Fluevog Shoes transforms vintage fabrics into fairytale boudoir slippers. Mondottica Eyewear adds fairy-like elements through crystals, iridescence, and Art Nouveau lines, while Olah Hair accessories are customized in Sui’s prints with tulip, calla lily, and lily of the valley scrunchies.
While the ornamental designs are expected from Sui’s signature style, the collection’s careful use of layering, luminosity, and the transformation of inspiration into finished pieces creates a dreamlike visual language, marking a new era for Anna Sui rooted in accumulation and curiosity: the process of one discovery naturally leading to another, where chance becomes discovery, a painting on a wall can spark a creative exchange like no other, and ultimately, wonderment.
