SPRING / SUMMER 2021 LOOKBOOK

ANNA SUI 

SPRING / SUMMER 2021 

HEARTLAND

ANNA SUI SPRING / SUMMER 2021 

HEARTLAND

We’ve all spent a lot of time inside these past few months––I had not been at home so much since I was a kid! I began thinking about what home means to me––comfort, security, the smells of delectable meals and desserts being made with care, the space to think about what is happening in the world and the people I love. I was drawn to the depression era watercolors of Charles Burchfield, his scenes of nature and to the French Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot. I thought of clothes with a homespun feel––comfortable dresses with eyelet lace and trims, old t-shirts reimagined with tie-dye, and other beautiful homemade things such as quilts like the one I saw in the 1966 Czechoslovakian movie, "Daisies”; aprons with ric rac, and embroidered tea towels from the 1930s. Fabrics can be reused in such stunning ways––what might my version of sustainability be to create a better world––a better home for all of us? This was a moment to reset.


I realized that creating something new out of something old was really what Anna Sui was all about. I read about Riverside Tool and Dye that makes gorgeous tie-dyes using dead stock clothing; Fellow Earthings for Mondottica, the eyewear company, is creating frames out of recycled plastic scraps from past Anna Sui sunglasses, and Birdie Purl is making crocheted handbags out of recycled t-shirt knit fabric. I decided to collaborate with these small companies, along with Gifted Acorn, that fashioned brightly colored recycled aluminum can crocheted hats using my family’s empty Spindrift cans to incorporate more sustainable materials in my collection.  


The Heartland collection is full of what we need now––comfortable, locally made, versatile pieces without a lot of fuss; flowy apron-inspired pinafore dresses, quilted jackets, shorts, negligée maxi dresses, bucket hats, and embellished sweatshirts that can be worn around the house or on Zoom and Teva sandals, a long-time partner, who sent me shoes that I could reimagine for the season. Florals in soothing mauve, cream, jade, black and cedar, combined with painted laces with graduated color, embroideries, crochet trim, and eyelet brings a homemade touch. I love the murals of Seattle artist and activist Stevie Shao––she painted some of the now famous storefronts on Ballard Street that inspired me––and she agreed to make some original graphics for us!


This collection is all about that homey DIY feel, with a little bit of polish thrown in. It brought me back to my childhood, when I would make paper dolls for hours on end. I could not resist including these, to inspire play and creativity with the looks of the season. 


Our longtime partner, Sarah Oliphant, created a backdrop for our video that sums the season up perfectly. Thinking about the most idealized version of home, she painted a dollhouse in the colors of the season. To complete the mood, I discovered the artist Karen Long Freidt on Instagram, who makes the most incredible pies you have ever seen! She is baking one just for us, with a crust that brings me back to Burchfield, with stylized daffodils and daisies, budding hope for a better future. 

CREDITS


CREATIVE DIRECTION
Anna Sui

MODELS
Soo Joo Park
Jordan Daniels
Sasha Knysh
Sara Grace Wallerstedt

DIRECTOR
Jeannie Sui Wonders

PHOTOGRAPHER
Jackie Kursel
Assisted by: Mitch Stafford

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Andrea Gavazzi
AC: Davide Sorasio

PRODUCER
Isabelle Sui
& KCD Productions


HAIR BY

Garren

MAKEUP BY
Pat McGrath

PRESS CONTACT
KCD
Charlotte Buchanan:
buchanan@kcdworldwide.com
Andria Arizmendi:
arizmendi@kcdworldwide.com

SALES CONTACT
Amy Dougherty:
a.dougherty@annasui.com

BACKDROP
Hand-painted by Oliphant Studio