DRAFTING W/ ANNA SUI

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This newsletter is a paid partnership with eBay.

Fashion designers come and go, but Anna Sui has stood the test of time. More than three decades after her first runway show, Sui’s fashion world — and it really is an entire world — manages to still stand out among an ever-growing pool of designers.

Sui’s staying power is evident in how she crosses generations: just look at Olivia Rodrigo wearing Sui’s Babydoll Dress on the cover of her forthcoming album or Olympian Alysa Liu in one of Sui’s signature silhouettes in Teen Vogue. Sui’s designs are deeply grounded in her roots while always looking towards the future.

eBay and DRAFTING have partnered for a three-part New York City stoop sale series. The first sale, curated by Sui, will feature pieces hand-selected from her personal closet alongside an exclusive edit of vintage Anna Sui merchandise and runway looks.

You can see all these items IRL along with other pieces from Sui’s archive this Saturday, May 9th from 1-5 PM at 16 W. 10th St in New York City. Can’t make it? You can still shop the sale on eBay. A portion of proceeds will benefit Citymeals on Wheels, one of Sui’s favorite charities.

Below, Sui talks us through some of her favorite items she’s selling on eBay, sharing the stories, memories and personal history behind pieces she’s ready to pass on to someone new who will love them just as much as she did.

Coco Rocha wore this dress in my Dandy Ball 2006 runway show. I think the fabrications were really beautiful, especially this print that we did with gold lurex. And in the collection, we had a lot of mixes of military jackets, military boots and military belts.

This hand-knit, crocheted outfit was from my arts and crafts collection, fall 2000. I was inspired by the Bloomsbury Group, and visited their house, Charleston house, in the south of England. I was so inspired by the colors of the paintings, and the painted furniture and painted walls.

I was inspired to do these baby doll dresses by The Smashing Pumpkins. I loved their music videos, and I decided to do my own version of baby doll dresses for the guys and the girls.

I collect these beautiful Chinese art deco rugs. They were created by a man named Walter Nichols. He made them in China and they were very popular in the ’20s and ’30s.

Kenneth Jay Lane is one of my favorite jewelry designers. My favorite period of his are these ’60s pieces that he did for his Chinoiserie collection — and this butterfly pin, I think, is really a highlight.