Anna Sui RTW Fall 2023

"I saw this picture of 'Baby' Jane Holzer dancing at the Peppermint Lounge, and she's there in her couture outfit dancing – all the others who 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 owner's sons turned into a nightclub, and it became the hottest nightclub in the world,” Anna Sui said during a preview, ahead of her intimate Saturday Night Parade. p>

Inspired by the nightlife of the old New York hot spot (where the craze for twist dance flourished), her fall was designed as a tribute, with a dazzling range designed to offer a modern dress (with plenty of optimism, pop sensibility and 60s influence) to dance the night away.

Sui created his own scene inside the East Village Heaven Can Wait bar with a crowd that included Holzer herself, Marc Jacobs, Karen Elson, Sofia Coppola, Chase's niece Sui Wonders, and Pete Davidson. Three models dressed in adorable themed metallic mini skirts in peppermint pink and green faux leather (two in slip styles with lingerie black lace trim, stockings and pointy Mary Janes; the third in a trench coat, matching dress, sequined 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 under a disco ball on the venue's stage.

"There are a lot of lingerie touches - I've always loved Elizabeth Taylor and 'Butterfield Eight ' when she had the mink briefs and coat,” Sui added of the looks' sensibility, also visible through floral-print satin and chiffon briefs, blouses and bed jackets. show added that when Sui was a child, she once dressed as Taylor in black lace briefs and a leopard print faux fur coat, which made an appearance with colorful (and leopard) faux fur jackets on the " little dresses for dancing".

Sui continued to amp up the upbeat nostalgia (with a soundtrack to match) through a medley rich and colorful with traditional music, archives and new textures and patterns (think lurex tweeds, mohair checks and windowpane checks, houndstooth and geo jacquards with pop flowers, camouflage, studded denim and with stretchy shimmering knits) layered from head to toe. For example, a Sui tattooed fishnet top with an argyle pink velvet miniskirt and waistcoat or a lurex tweed ensemble with garland trim; a camouflage parka and kilt with a argyle corduroy shirt (topped with a Spring 1994 archival crochet hat); Lurex tweed jackets with slip dressing (a few donned the bunny hats from her fall 1998 collection – brought back for the Year of the Bunny), or her three sequined "snakeskin" dresses with tights and gloves assorted that closed (and stole) the show.

Sui's show was a feel-good, head-tapping and shoe-popping moment - its modes are even more uplifting the mood.