Patternbank were fortunate enough to visit The World of Anna Sui exhibition, at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, a few weeks back. If you haven’t managed to visit yet, we would urge you to go and loose yourself in this fabulous collection of work. Since her first catwalk show in 1991, Anna Sui has become known for creating fabulous original clothing, inspired by spectacular amounts of research into vintage fashion and popular culture. The exhibition is arranged in Anna Sui’s ‘archetypes’ including the rock star, the schoolgirl, the punk, nomads, and surfers, these motifs feature in all her work. From fairy tales and fables to Victoriana, Sui researches her current cultural obsessions in minute detail to create a different story with each collection.
Sui is especially known for the richness of her printed textiles, combining a complex layering and mixing of patterns, texture and colours. This is a must see for any textile designer starting out, or in fact, those working now in the industry. It reminds us of the richness all around us and that inspiration can be found from many cultures and fashion movements, to evolve in to something new and exciting! Don’t wait too long as the exhibition only runs until October 1st.
