A stroll through SoHo..

Last weekend I was wandering round SoHo, doing some shopping when I stumbled upon a small Marilyn Monroe exhibit. It had been put on by Erno Lazlo as a gift to New York and if that wasn’t enough, it was also free!

The exhibit featured clothes that Monroe had worn as well as some of her personal items. In many cases, it showed the item and then a photo of Marilyn wearing it. It was only small, but I really enjoyed it, and finding it out of the blue made it even better..

Beauty and Dance..

I have just been to see the New York City Ballet perform George Balanchine’s Nutcracker.

It was really beautiful, however I was amazed at how much detail went into a lot of the costumes.

The costumes and set used were the original pieces from the fifties, when Balanchine choreographed the show. The costumes were all designed by Karinska. She collaborated with Balanchine for the majority of his ballets and from this she became an innovator and created new, more practical ways of making tutus. Through a different method of layering fabric, she created tutu’s which didn’t ripple or bunch up. This has now become the standard way in which tutu’s are made.

Karinska’s costumes are truly beautiful. However, as an audience member, I feel like there would be so much more detail and embellishment if I were to see one of her garments up close. She once said that the detail wasn’t just there for the audience, it was to make the dancers look beautiful too..

Anna Sui

So, I know it’s been too long since I last posted. I’ve been really busy and have recently moved to New York. I’m currently doing an internship at Anna Sui. It’s a bit of a big step for me, moving to another country and seeing how the fashion industry really works, but I’ve learnt a lot of really interesting things.

The Anna Sui Offices

Before I began working at Anna Sui, I had never really known much about Anna’s fashion. I had heard of her of course, but all I knew was that she used a lot of print and made somewhat cutesy dresses. However the more I look at her clothes, the more I admire her designs.

Anna Sui’s first collection was released in 1991. She has won a range of awards and has shops all over the world. Her shows often feature top models and she has various collaborations with companies such as Anthropologie, Target and Coach.

Look from Spring 2013

Anna Sui’s designs are often inspired by a mix of romanticism and punk, as well as a lot of vintage, history and art. It seems like a random combination, yet the way Anna does it seems to work. While I don’t think you can see strong influences in every design, when you watch a collection on the catwalk, you can definitely see both of these influences running throughout meshed together with floral prints. I was actually lucky enough to get to watch the Spring 2013 fashion show live and work with the collection before and after the show. I was amazed at how the garments looked dynamic on the catwalk, yet were very wearable for day-to-day life. I think it is this combination which has kept Anna Sui’s such strong fan base..

Famous Owl Hat from Fall 2012

Forties Inspired Prints

‘I love history. I love art. I like to mix it all together, but in the end it somehow has to all make sense.’ – Anna Sui

Anna Sui