Icon Of The Week: Anna Sui
Anna Sui is, daresay, one of the most influential designing pinnacles of today's fashion industry. And while you all might be well aware of her iconic Biba Victorian print ruffled frocks, I thought I ought to tell you a little more about the genius behind the brand that is Anna Sui, and the heights the brand has journeyed despite a humble USD300 start up.
Born in August, 1964 to an engineer father and a painter mother; Anna Sui had wanted to be a fashion designer since as young as she could remember. As a little girl, she'd go fabric shopping with her mum, taking the scraps to design clothes for her dolls. Once she understood the way patterns worked, she starting making her own clothes.
Growing up, Sui read an article about two girls that graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York who later moved to Paris, where a boutique was opened for them. Steadfast, she planned on using Parsons as her magic ticket to success as well. She later realised that one of these girls was well connected by being the daughter of Irving Penn, but decided to go to Parsons anyway.
After leaving Parsons, Sui worked for Erica Elias - designing swimwear, sportswear, sweaters, everything. Her first foray into her own clothing line began in 1981, when she made five pieces of clothing to sell at a trade show. She garnered attention (and orders) from Macy's and Bloomingdale's at the height of their fame, securing her industry embrace.
Anna Sui started making clothes out of the corner of her living room till her workspace overtook her home. Moving her office to 39th Street, she continued pursuing her fashion design career despite being offered magazine editing positions.
With the encouragement of supermodel friends Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington, Sui launched her first runway show in 1991. The positive reception of which, motivated her to open a retail outlet in New York City's Soho District. The boutique had lavender walls, antique black furniture and dolly-head mannequins, all of which have become synonymous with the Anna Sui brand.
While some may see these iconic symbols as a marketing ploy, the truth is, it completely reflects Anna Sui as a brand - playfully feminine, with a rock edge; a nod to vintage, while being completely fashion forward.
Her designs are universally relatable; uniting varying cultures into a single thread, while at the same time, acknowledging the cutting edge of modern fashion.
But before you start thinking Parsons could be your golden ticket too (even though its alumni does include Alexander Wang, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler and Tom Ford), the journey to success was a long and hard one for Sui.
She started up Anna Sui with only USD300 in hand, and had to juggle several jobs just to keep the business afloat. There were times she didn't even have enough cash for a subway token after paying her employees!
So remember kids, if ever you feel discouraged, never give up. Sui started from designing clothes for her dolls at the age of four. These days, she's got a Soho flagship, boutiques in over 50 countires, international cult status, and an empire spanning three industries - beauty, fragrance, and fashion.
Anna Sui beauty backstage
Anna Sui's beauty line includes everything a Dolly girl could possibly need for a natural and flawless finish - eye, lip and nail colours, plus a new Moisture Rich Foundation that's just released!
Empire aside, she's even got her very own Barbie doll, and of course, a huge fan base!
Nicole Richie, Mischa Barton and Fergie
Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Szohr
Anna Sui fashion shows have become iconic and extremely anticipated - always packed at Bryant Park during Fashion Week. Called a designer that "never panders" by The New York Times, and proclaimed one of this decade's top five fashion icons by Time Magazine; Anna Sui also won the CFDA Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, putting her on the same ranks as Yves St Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Diane von Furstenberg.
And there you have it - the fairy tale of Anna Sui! Now, I've always been a fan of anything Anna Sui, but when I heard of her background story, I have newfound respect for her as a person. Especially considering the fact that she built a threefold lifestyle empire (beauty, fragrance, fashion) from a USD300 investment.
Now that you know the entire story, what do you think of Anna Sui?
Find out more about Anna Sui at sites.tonguechic.com/annasui
[Photo Credits: nitrolicious, punkypenny, visuallypink, stylerumor, theage, sarahmendelsohn, fashionindie, vivawoman, mycherrymagazine, zimbio, papermag, cottoninc, asianconnections, thefashpack, thebudgetbabe, fabsugar, shoppinglifestyle, imnotobseessed, iheartthat, nydailynews, thefashionspot]
