Anna Sui Fall 2021 Celebrates Life in Color

With characteristic sixties influence and a ‘phantasmadelic’ theme, Anna Sui F/W 2021 imagines a vibrant future.

Anna Sui Fall 2021 turns to a sensation of the past to define the future: the leap from black-and-white to color media. According to Sui, this is not a one-time event but something cyclical in our lives. And, as Sui’s Fall 2021 New York Fashion Week show demonstrates, we’re on the verge of breaking into color once more.

Photo by Richie Davis/Courtesy of Anna Sui

The staging of the show is inherently psychedelic thanks to a whimsical cabinet of wonders, painted by Sarah Oliphant. The cabinet serves as the entrance for the show’s five models. The film of the show, helmed by Jeannie Sui Wonders, opens with the sound of a record playing in reverse. Lighting flashes for an underwater effect as models do synchronized head-turns and pose beside transparent versions of themselves.  

Photo by Richie Davis/Courtesy of Anna Sui

Beyond the cabinet, a swirling cosmos decorates a purple screen which serves as the show’s backdrop. Oliphant wasn’t the only artist to lend their talents to the collection. Hand-distressed jeans come courtesy of Anna Castellano. Artist Monika Forsberg dressed up crushed velvet with a trippy print of snakes and peacocks. Other collaborators assisted in everything from sunglasses to travel bags.

Photo by Richie Davis/Courtesy of Anna Sui

Retro silhouettes are sparked to new life by eye-catching cow and paisley patterns. Lace trim and fringe offset several of the garments’ hems and sleeves. A series of fuzzy bucket hats and variously colored leather booties make up the bulk of the collection’s accessories. The color palette moves from earthy greens, browns, and blacks to punchy pinks and mints before cycling back into black-and-white for the final few looks.

Photo by Richie Davis/Courtesy of Anna Sui
Photo by Richie Davis/Courtesy of Anna Sui

From flowing midi-skirts and dresses to weighty overcoats and structured pants, the collection maintains a nice balance of masculine and feminine silhouettes. Even more clingy dresses avoid feeling constricting with the help of looser hems and sleeves. Minimalist makeup by Pat McGrath Labs allows bolder pieces, like a glorious black-sequined suit, to have the spotlight all to themselves. 

Photo by Richie Davis/Courtesy of Anna Sui

The depiction of the future found in Sui’s F/W 21 collection is one as nostalgic as it is visionary. But the collection is not entirely distant from the present, either. Matching face masks add a chic final touch to several ensembles. In Sui’s own words, the combination of colors, patterns, and vintage silhouettes creates a vibe that can only be described as “Phantasmadelic.”

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