Anna Sui is one of New York's most beloved and accomplished fashion designers, known for creating contemporary original clothing inspired by spectacular amounts of research into vintage styles and cultural arcana. Sui joined New York's intensely creative cultural underground in the 1970's, forging important relationships in the works of fashion, photography, art, music, and design. Anna Sui, a first-generation Chinese American, came of age in a suburb of Detroit, the career of Anna Sui is a classic American success story.
"You have to focus on your dreams, even if they go beyond common sense. How could this young girl from the suburbs of Detroit become a success in New York? It was always that dream," she says.
Sui was part of a generation of fashion designers who remade American style in the 1990's. Together with Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, Todd Oldham, and Vivienne Tame, she rejected 1980's power dressing, with its corporate suits and big shoulder pads, in favor of a more relaxed silhouette that reflected the values of youth culture.
Since her premiere runway show in 1991, Sui has produced over ninety collections, and remains at the helm of her independent brand. Her label has grown to include accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances, and she has offices in New York and Tokyo. A passionate advocate for New York's Garment District, she has located her business and produced her fashion lines here in New York City since the brand's founding.
1981
ANNA SUI ESTABLISHES
HER FASHION LABEL
While working for another sportswear brand, Glenora, Sui made a small collection of her own. The clothes caught the attention of the buyers from Macy's and Bloomingdales's, who placed orders. Her work was featured in Macy's Christmas winders and in a full-page New York Times advertisement. After seeing the ad, her boss at Glenora fired her, citing a conflict of interest. Sui used her final paycheck to produce her first full collection.
1991
ANNA'S FIRST
FASHION SHOW
Sui and Steven Meisel attend a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show in Paris along with Madonna, who surprised Sui by wearing one of her dresses. This gave Sui confidence, and with the encouragement of Meisel, and models Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington, she decided to stage her own fashion show.
Also in 1991, Sui moved form the design studio in her apartment to her own business premises in the New York Garment District, on Seventh Avenue.
1992
THE FIRST ANNA SUI BOUTIQUE OPENS
ON GREENE STREET IN SOHO, NEW YORK
1992
CFDA PERRY ELLIS AWARD
FOR NEW FASHION TALENT
Sui wins the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.
1993
GRUNGE SHOW
Sui's Spring 1993 collection was strongly influenced by the Seattle grunge music scene and featured her first menswear fashion.
1999
ANNA SUI LAUNCHES
FRAGRANCE & COSMETICS
2009
CFDA GEOFFREY BEENE
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Sui is honored with the CFDA Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award in New York.
2010
ANNA SUI BOOK
Chronicle Books publishes Anna Sui, by Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute curator, Andrew Bolton. This was the first book to discuss in depth the designer's work and experience within the fashion industry.
2017
THE WORLD OF ANNA SUI EXHIBITION
The World of Anna Sui Exhibition debuts at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, curated by Dennis Nothdruft with an accompanying book by Tim Blanks. The exhibition has since travelled to seven cities and counting.
2019
THE MET CAMP EXHIBIT
The Metropolitan Museum of Art features the iconic three babydoll dresses from Sui's Spring 1994 collection as part of their Camp: Notes on Fashion exhibition.
2025
THE NINETIES X ANNA SUI
A celebration of Anna Sui’s groundbreaking influence on 1990s fashion. Featuring archival runway images, sketches, and cultural references, the book captures the eclectic spirit of grunge, punk, rock, and vintage revival that shaped her iconic collections. With contributions from Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington Burns, Steff Yotka, Global Editorial Director of i-D magazine, and Ileen Gallagher, curator and founder of ISG Productions.
