Anna Sui

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Anna Sui is an American fashion designer and she is one of my favourite designer and I love the packaging design of her products. She is known as one of the 'Top 5 Fashion Icons of the Decade' and her designs were inspired by history and cultures. I find Sui really amazing as she took her saving $300 to start her own business and now her business is international and her brand is world known.
Sui likes the Gothic style and within her design, you can see there are Gothic element such as the use of dark hues colour like black and purple. She takes the dark colours to another level and make them look sexy and feminine style in her design.
 
"Anna Sui may not be a household name, but to a legion of 20-something and teen girls who favor gothic culture and alternative music, she's an icon." wrote by Dave Lackie, editor of Cosmetics magazine.
 
Lackie also sees something in the "real psychological connection" Sui has made with the young goth crowd:" With all the multinationals and commercialism in the beauty industry, they see Anna as the real deal. And when they find something with integrity and authenticity, they are loyal. That's what is driving her business."   (Darraj, 2009)
 
On the two comments from Dave Lackie of Anna Sui, you can see how effective Sui designs are for people who likes the Goth styles and the reason why the fans love her designs.
 
'For example, Sui design a collection of black jewelry that has goth undertones. The collection was inspired by jewelry made of black jet that she found at a London store in 1987. (Jet is a dense coal that can be polished and is commonly used to make jewelry.) The find in London inspired Sui to research the history of using black jet. She discovered that, in 1861, after the death of Queen Victoria's husband, the monarch wore only jewelry made of jet, because it symbolized her mourning and loss. As a result, the queen ended up establishing a fashion trend, in which black clothing and somber-toned jewelry became popular among England's couture-minded set. Black jet was used to make large, chunky jewelry with big beads and attention-getting pendants.'
'Upon further research, Sui discovered something that really got her excited. The best black jet, it turned out, came from the town of Whitby, in Yorkshire, England, which provides the setting for parts of Bram Stoker's famous novel, Dracula. Sui became obsessed with visiting Whitby.' (Darraj, 2009)
 
On above, is one of the example of how Sui took her inspirations of her designs and also the way how she fascinated and interested in Gothic.

On below are the products from Anna Sui:


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The Romantic theme is also used on this perfume, Live Your Dream's design and ideas. In some of Anna Sui's perfumes, there are meaning of mysterious behind them as well.

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I like how the patterns on the cosmetic product looks very details, elegant and also luxurious.

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The model's hairstyle reminds me of the Victorian hairstyle as the use of middle parting, plaits at the back of the hair and also the use of flowers as the ornament. The use of the colour black and purple also related to the gothic style as well.

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Lace and black velvet link to the Goth style and on above is Anna Sui's design in New York Fashion Week. Autumn/Winter, 1993
Model: Kate Moss

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Butterflies were always used in Victorian era as ornaments. In Victorian and Edwardian era, butterflies symbolized the soul, freedom and immortality. Roses symbolized love, beauty and romance. In many Sui's designs, butterflies and roses are being used.

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This is a photo of Anna Sui's store and you can see the colours black and purple are mainly used and they are the theme and style.

Book reference:
Susan Muaddi Darraj (2009), Anna Sui ( Asian Americans of Achievement) , Chelsea House Publications New York