The Tamesis
Editor’s note: This year, as Anna Sui embarks on her 45th anniversary in business, she publishes a book about her collection from the 1990s. To celebrate this, and as part of Vogue Runway’s ongoing effort to document the history of fashion shows, we’re adding two new digital shows from that era to the site through the end of 2025. The Fall 1995 collection was shown on April 6, 1995 in a tent in Bryant Park, New York.
Imagine… swinging London, only to be transported back to mid-90s New York. The motorcycle purred before a snow-white Vespa appeared at the end of the track. Of course, it was driven by a long-haired guy in black leather and tight pants. Sitting behind was Linda Evangelista, who wore a simple single-breasted tweed suit paired with a black turtleneck, sunglasses and patent leather boots. Mod comes with existential soup.
As always, Anna Sui pays close attention to the relationship between fashion and music. the designer writes Fashion At the time, “she looked directly to the sources of her ideas: David Bailey’s photos of 1960s icon Jean Shrimpton, early promotional photos of The Who, and new Beatles album releases. But to prevent her style from becoming a pure retro knock-off, Sui also looked to other references. “I looked at trendy bands from the early ’80s (like Jam) and current ones (like Elastica), then mixed bands from those three decades to give it a more retro feel. today.‘”
“Conflict” is not included here, but the series is full of unexpected material confrontations. There is a basic contrast of black and white in the clothing and two-tone shoes. The oily sheen of patent leather contrasts with the matte scratchiness of tweed; wild leopard print is paired with tamed plaid; and second-skin latex is mixed with just the right herringbone. The show concluded with dressy looks in iridescent sharkskin taffeta contrasted with the dazzling shine of clear sequins on an earthy camouflage print.
Anna Sui’s activities extend beyond fashion shows. “Iggy Pop and Marianne Faithfull are there!” the designer enthuses. (Fun fact: The pink-haired kid walking around the catwalk was none other than Eric Daman. At the time, he was a favorite subject of photographer Steven Meisel, who later shot sex and city and gossip Girl.)
