Anna Sui draws inspiration from films like Performance and Love and Anarchy

Anna Sui's eponymous brand has always been built on a deep respect for the past. This reverence is reflected in her designs, which expertly blend niche references from different eras to create a distinctly modern aesthetic.

Industry insiders have long recognized the connection between style and intellect. Our new series, The Well-Dressed Mind, explores this intersection by asking tastemakers and professionals in the industry for their cultural recommendations. Recently, we asked Anna Sui, a downtown New York designer of her generation, about the films that inspire her work.

Sui's love of vintage fashion, design, photography, and art is the foundation of her brand. As one of the defining designers of her era, she has always drawn on these influences to create clothes that feel both nostalgic and forward-thinking.

Anna Sui's fascination with 1970s cinema continues to influence her designs. The film Performance, directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, is a standout example of this inspiration. Set in London, it tells the story of a gangster struggling with his identity crisis while hiding at the home of a rock star, played by Mick Jagger, who lives with two girlfriends.

One of those girlfriends, Anita Pallenberg, was a style icon of her time and has likely had an impact on Sui's aesthetic. The film's themes of identity and rebellion are also echoed in Sui's designs, which often blend nostalgic elements with modern twists. Her ability to balance these opposing forces is a key part of what makes her clothes so appealing.

Sui's love of 1970s cinema doesn't stop at Performance, however. She has also cited Lina Wertmüller's Love and Anarchy as an influence, a film set in a brothel in fascist Italy during the 1930s. The film's themes of rebellion and nonconformity are likely to have resonated with Sui, who often incorporates elements of counterculture into her designs.

The 1972 film Cabaret had a significant impact on Anna Sui's aesthetic, particularly in its portrayal of the Kit Kat Club and 1930s Weimar Republic Germany. The movie features an incredible cast, including Joel Grey, Michael York, and Marisa Berenson, who all bring to life the decadent atmosphere of the era.

The film's costumes, designed by Bob Fosse and Shirley Russell, are particularly noteworthy, with Liza Minnelli's iconic looks being a major influence on Sui. Minnelli's character Sally Bowles is a dynamic figure, and her style has stayed with Anna Sui forever.