Reinventing Anna

Some might call it delusion; others, vision. But in a world of late-stage capitalism – where reality is increasingly shaped by narrative, algorithms, and appearances – who determines the difference? Anna Delvey, or Anna Sorokin, depending on which chapter you’re reading, steps into this ambiguity with unapologetic precision and a disarmingly clear perspective. Among other works, this includes the New York Times bestseller My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress by editor and photographer Rachel DeLoache Williams, which was later adapted into the Netflix hit Inventing Anna. The story follows how Sorokin, masquerading as a wealthy German heiress, deceived New York’s high society out of hundreds of thousands of dollars – ultimately leading to her 2019 conviction on multiple counts of theft and grand larceny.

In our conversation, Delvey discusses the aesthetics of survival, fashion as a form of armour, the politics of performance, and the radical ambiguity of art. She doesn’t speak from a place of justification, but rather from a fundamentally liberating perspective – where freedom is a mindset, and resilience, an attitude of quiet defiance. At the core of it all lies one provocative idea: “Delusion is what happens before creating a vision” She doesn’t deny the facts but suggests that belief – however implausible – might be the only tool to summon something unrealised. To manifest is to imagine. And to imagine is to begin.

In an age of curated identities and public trials, the modern anti-hero may serve as a feminist mirror to society. Not necessarily for who we are as individuals, but for what we project – and what we’re willing to believe in order to survive.

JOSHUA AMISSAH Anna, today isn’t about the past – it’s about the present and what lies ahead. How are you feeling?

ANNA DELVEY I’m doing well! I’ve just moved back to the city from upstate – I’m now in the Financial District. Before that, I was on house arrest in the East Village and couldn’t leave at all for about a year. I also spent time on a friend’s 50-acre farm and a few other places. There, at least, I could move around – unlike in the city, where your property just means your flat.

JA And how have these transitions changed your perception of freedom?

AD I think freedom is really just in your mind – it’s what you make of it. You could be in the best apartment in the middle of the city and still feel miserable.

JA So you see freedom more as a state of mind than a physical condition?

AD Exactly. It was never really about physical freedom for me. I’m not someone who needs to be outdoors or sit in the sun. It’s more about the people you surround yourself with and the work you’re doing.

JA What does resilience mean to you – not just as endurance, but as a way of being?

AD It’s about maintaining a sense of self without conforming to the image others try to impose on you, while still staying true to who you are. There’s a balance between being delusional and completely ignoring outside opinion.

JA You just mentioned delusion – a word that’s had a resurgence lately because of TikTok and Gen Z. What does it mean to you?

AD When you look at famous individuals – CEOs, for instance – you have to ask: where is the line between delusion and self-belief? What does it mean to keep pushing forward when everyone doubts you? Delusion is simply vision before it succeeds. People will always try to bring you down. I’m not the only one who has been misrepresented in the media – there are far more well-known figures than I am who receive even greater levels of criticism. I try to keep that in mind.

JA So, it’s a kind of survival strategy – the belief that being labelled delusional might just be the cost of vision?

AD Exactly! In an ideal world, delusion is the prequel to reality – it’s how you go from nothing to something.

JA Personally, I’m sceptical of authenticity – I’m not sure it really exists in any absolute sense. What do you think?

AD I get that, but I think authenticity is a performance of relatability. It’s not about being likeable – it’s about being impossible to fake. Rather than trying to be someone else, the best thing you can do is become the best version of yourself.

JA Absolutely. Still, I feel like women are perceived very differently in media and public discourse compared to men. How do you think gender shapes public judgement and power dynamics?

AD I think the world just hates women – and the queer community, right?

JA You strike me as someone who keeps moving forward. Is that drive a source of peace, or is it a weight you carry?

AD I can’t change it. I know I’d never be happy living in a small town working in a bakery. I used to look down on people like that – but everyone has their own definition of happiness.

JA What’s yours?

AD I’m still figuring it out. But I think discomfort is good. Complacency is the death of progress. Adversity matters. Looking back – if I’d been handed everything I wanted, I probably wouldn’t have done anything. If I had children, I wouldn’t want their lives to be too easy. There’s beauty in solving your own puzzles.

JA And what do you want to be remembered for?

AD I want to rewrite my story – not to be remembered as a con artist, but as someone who turned a bad situation around and created something meaningful from it. I haven’t done that yet, because everything I’ve done so far still has this shadow of my past.

JA Do you think people can reinvent themselves, or are we always haunted by the past?

AD That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Should I lean into the narrative or try to completely leave it behind? That’s the dilemma.

JA How did art help you during your time in prison – especially in relation to identity?

AD It was a great outlet –  a way to express myself without using words. Words can be misunderstood or twisted. But art? The media’s more reluctant to manipulate that. It feels like something above language.

JA But if ten people look at the same painting, won’t they each see something different?

AD True – and that’s what’s great about it. Ambiguity gives people different ways to relate. With words, interpretation can be more limited. Art opens up other dimensions.

JA Speaking of ambiguity – I always sensed a touch of irony and satire in your public appearances. Was that intentional?

AD I’m naturally sarcastic and ironic – it’s how I deal with negativity. If you make fun of yourself first, what can anyone really do to you? It becomes a sort of armour.

JA On the subject of armour – do you think fashion can be protective?

AD Absolutely. It’s a form of instant communication. Whether we like it or not, people judge us based on what we wear. Fashion says something before you even speak.

JA Was that behind your decision to work with a celebrity stylist during your court appearances?

AD When you’re on trial, you’re permitted one new outfit per day – so why not make the most of it? Everything in prison is filthy, and I didn’t want to wear the same thing for eighteen hours straight. Working with a stylist is also cheaper – they borrow items from showrooms and return them afterwards. I didn’t expect it to attract so much attention, but I suppose part of that is because I’m a woman. No one comments on what men wear in court.

JA With the media spectacle surrounding you, how did you preserve your dignity?

AD I’m not sure I did – that’s for others to judge. I just try to stay around good people. I’ve never had a stranger approach me with anything negative in person. All the hate has been online or in the press.

JA Not a single person ever said anything negative to your face? That’s impressive.

AD Never. I’m just focused on what I’m going to do next. In the grand scheme, we’re all going to die. People will forget us. The next generation will have their own scandals. Maybe we’ll be a passing reference, but people always move on.

JA For what do you want to be referenced for?

AD Hopefully for something good. That’s what I’m working towards now.

CREDITS

Photography: Sofìa Alvarez
Styling: Serena Pompei
Hair & Makeup: Tinna Empera using CHANEL BEAUTY and BALMAIN HAIR
Creative Direction: Amelie Kahl