Fashion News

Anna Sui Loves Led Zeppelin, Wouldn't Mind Meeting Cannibals & More

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(Photo by © PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM)

We're still in the throes of our first full-week back since vacation—thank God it's finally Friday!—and already we're aching to pack our bags and jet off somewhere (warm, preferably) far, far away. Oh, and it's all Anna Sui's fault.

The Detroit-born fashion designer, famous for her psychedelic prints and rock-and-roll flair, just launched a collection of fashion-friendly luggage with travel and lifestyle brand, Tumi. The styles, all of which are decked out in her signature flower-happy prints, span every travel category—from carry-ons and heavy-duty hardcase carriers to jewelry pouches and iPad cases.

To celebrate her second partnership with Tumi, the two hosted a swanky event at NYC's Crosby Street Hotel, complete with a special sneak peek at the designs (see Sui's carry-on bag, $495, above), a short film chock-full of travel tips and tricks, plus a colorful discussion between Sui and Paper magazine's Editorial Director, Mickey Boardman, in which we learned these three little-known tid-bits about the designer:

She's really, really picky about her boots. So much so, that one time she forgot to pack matching boots for an outfit, (which was pink and purple, mind you) she ended up having to scour nearly every single town in the south of France for a new pair.

She a huge Led Zeppelin fan. Her current in-flight read, which she's been working on for months, is 554-paged biography on the band titled, When Giants Walked the Earth.

She's open to kicking it with cannibals. "When I was traveling in Australia, I saw this magazine that had pictures of New Guinea," she said. "They have those hill tribes that are still cannibals and paint their faces green. It's sounds so exotic. But it sounds so scary, too! I'll have to wait for my nephews to go with me as body guards."

For more insight into the designer's enviable life as a jet-setter, plus a few super-helpful packing tips, check out Tumi's latest "Case Studies" video with Sui, below:

Tell us, what's your travel style like? Are you a meticulous planner like Sui? Or a throw-everything-into-your-bag-ten-minutes-before-leaving kind of gal? Do you carry fancy-pants luggage? Or a rugged, old hand-me-down? (Guilty.) Sound off in the comments, below!