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CNN's Elsa Klensch talks with designer Anna Sui
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From CNN Style Correspondent Elsa Klensch

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Fairy tale illustrations are the inspiration for designer Anna Sui's whimsical fall/winter collection.

Sui came across the children's book drawings at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The results are outfits with rich color tones and long, lean shapes.

"It started out with this peacock blue color that I've just fallen in love with and after that, then kind of the gingerbread brown color went with it," she says. "When I was looking at those illustrations it just seemed that there was a certain color palate that a lot of the illustrations were done with."

Sui creates a variety of skirt lengths, most falling at the knee or down around the ankles. As an alternative, she also does plenty of pants.

She says the look this season is long and lean. Like the skirts, tops are longer.

"I think that again the eye is going downwards, so everything kind of ends at the hip -- almost tunic length rather like there's not so much of that cropped thing going on anymore."

For evening, Sui says she went with the fairy princess look.

"I love the King Arthur stories and I love Guinevere, so I'm kind of thinking about her when I do these dresses."

Sui tops her collection with fanciful hats from James Coviello.

"We had a lot of fun with them because again, they're very storybook."