“I saw this picture of ‘Baby’ Jane Holzer dancing at The Peppermint Lounge, and she’s there in her couture outfit dancing — everybody else that went [in the ‘60s] were the Rolling Stones and The Beatles. It was such a scene, but it was really just this little Italian restaurant on 45th Street that the sons of the owner turned into a nightclub, and it became the hottest nightclub in the world,” Anna Sui said during a preview, ahead of her intimate Saturday evening runway show.
Inspired by the former New York hot spot’s nightlife scene (where the Twist dance craze thrived), her fall collection was designed in homage, with a dazzling lineup designed to offer modern dress (with plenty of optimistic, pop sensibility and ‘60s influence) for dancing the night away.
Sui set her own scene inside of the East Village bar Heaven Can Wait with a crowd that included Holzer herself, Marc Jacobs, Karen Elson, Sofia Coppola, niece Chase Sui Wonders and Pete Davidson. Three models clad in adorable, thematic peppermint pink and green-hued faux leather metallic minis (two in slip styles with lingerie black lace trim, stockings and pointy Mary Janes; the third in a trench, matching dress, sequin knit tights and matching John Fluevog cowboy boots — all with colorful pink and green eye makeup by Pat McGrath) opened the show, dancing the Twist beneath a disco ball on the venue’s stage.
“There’s a lot of lingerie touches — I’ve always loved Elizabeth Taylor and ‘Butterfield Eight’ when she had the slip and the mink coat,” Sui added of the looks‘ sensibility, also seen through floral-printed satin and chiffon slips, blouses and bed jackets. Show notes added that when Sui was a child, she once dressed up as Taylor in a black lace slip and leopard faux leopard coat, which made its appearance with colorful (and leopard) faux fur jackets over the “little dresses to dance in.”
Sui continued to amplify the upbeat nostalgia (with soundtrack to match) through a rich, colorful mix of traditional, archival and new textures and motifs (think lurex tweeds, mohair plaids and windowpane checks, houndstooth and geo jacquards with pop florals, camouflage, studded denim and shimmering stretch glitter knits) layered head to toe. For instance, a Sui tattooed mesh top with velour argyle pink miniskirt and vest or lurex tweed set with tinsel trim; a camouflage parka and kilt with velour argyle shirt (topped with archival crochet hat from spring ‘94); Lurex tweed jackets with slip dressing (a few donned her storybook fall ‘98 collection’s rabbit hats — brought back for the Year of the Rabbit), or her three “snakeskin” sequin frocks with matching tights and gloves that closed (and stole) the show.
Sui’s show was a head-bopping, shoe-tapping, feel-good time — her fashions further uplifting the mood.
