Fantasia by Anna Sui

On the occasion of the retrospective exhibition ‘The World of Anna Sui‘ at the Fashion and Textile Museum, Anna Sui was in London to unveil her new perfume and cosmetics line, Fantasia.

Inviting us into a magical world of unicorns, glitter and merry go rounds, this new perfume is the latest addition to her magical, whimsical cosmetics line. Anna worked closely with perfumer Jérome Epinette (senior perfumer at Robertet) who has chosen base notes of Himalayan Cedarwood combined with raspberry praline, pink pomelo, and pink pepper, to create a woody and fruity combination. He said of the perfume: “The idea was to create a new signature in the fantastical realm of romantic mystery that layers in effervescence and optimism, with a pink pomelo potion and spicy pink pepper on the top.”

It’s the best creation for a romantic mystery, just the perfect way to complete the fantastic land of Anna Sui. The woman that wears it is sweet, feminine, mysterious and a bit crazy – “I know I’m a bit crazy, and that’s all part of my charm. If you don’t like it, then get off my unicorn”. Yes! Well said girl.

For the concept of the new perfume, the main idea came from childhood dreams and aspirations, and that’s how Anna wanted to remind women that they should still dream and strive to follow their imagination. The end result shows exactly that – mixed with colour and magic to invite you in a world of infinite possibilities.

The model chosen for the campaign fits the bill perfectly – young and innocent, but you can tell she’s dynamic and will always do her own thing. The ad campaign is shot by Steven Meisel (a long-term collaborator and Anna’s friend since her Parsons days) featuring Willow Hand.

Campaign photo: Courtesy of Anna Sui

While answering some questions from the audience, Anna went back to her early days; growing up in Detroit and dreaming of becoming a fashion designer in New York, talking about the beginning of her career and how amazing it was seeing Madonna wearing one of her dresses, that inspired her on her first catwalk show. See some of her answers below:

On dreaming:

“Live your dream, it’s gonna take you further than anything else”

Britishness in her collections?

“A lot of the inspiration came from London. When I first came here it was during the Punk days. I went to a lot of shows as I knew the bands, and a Vivienne Westwood catwalk show. I found out were girls like Anita Pallenberg bought their clothes (Granny Takes a Trip and Ossie Clark) and that’s what I aspired to”

Influenced by travel?

“I think I’m like a gypsy. They travel and incorporate styles. Everywhere I go the first thing I do is go to a flea market, a museum and the local shops”

Favourite perfume?

I wear every new perfume we make and love them all, but I usually go back to Secret Wish”

On style and identity

“You have to establish your identity and stick with it. Come up with your own icons and create your identity. It’s not just the name [of the brand], it’s the whole team behind it”

Tea with someone from the past who has influenced you?

“Anita Pallenberg. For her style and then when I got to know her personally. She has the most amazing style and so much knowledge from culture to music to fashion…”

Lipstick:

“No. 400 [lipstick V, Anna Red] was the first product we developed, my signature red lipstick that I wear every day”