Set to debut her “The World of Anna Sui” exhibition in London next May, the designer said backstage before her spring show that it will be a kind of retrospective highlighting some of the most important and recurrent themes of her past collections. Accordingly, her dig through the archives for both the exhibition and a related book, to be published by Abrams Books, inspired Sui’s spring lineup. “I called this collection American Pie because it’s like a pie filled with all the different elements of the American pop culture,” she said. “I mixed them together since that’s what people now do when they get dressed.”
The show was indeed a celebration of Americana (her main palette was red, white and blue) rendered in a playful, lively way. The first look, worn by Gigi Hadid, set the tone: a romantic floral jacquard dress topped by a Western jacket in leather with intarsia roses and fringe. Cherries and hearts appeared in the patterns of free-spirited, flowing dresses — both mini and maxi in length — while short skirts and varsity jackets channeled cheerleader uniforms. While most of the lineup was focused on young and fun day options, the show closed on a more elegant note with long mesh dresses featuring delicate floral embroideries infused with a romantic Southern feel.