With over 125 full looks, The World of Anna Sui explores the glamorous and eclectic world of one of New York’s most beloved and accomplished designers. Since her first catwalk show in 1991, Sui has become known for creating fabulously original clothing inspired by spectacular amounts of research into vintage fashion and popular culture.
The exhibition ranges from early looks – such as the exuberant Carnaby Street, schoolgirl outfits worn by supermodels Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell in the first runway show in 1991, to the cowboys and cheerleaders modelled by Gigi and Bella Hadid during the recent Spring/Summer 2017 Americana-themed collection.
Sui joined New York’s cultural underground at an intensely creative time, forming important relationships in the worlds of fashion, photography, art, music and design. The exhibition looks at Sui’s artistic journey through her creative process, collections, interiors, and collaborations.
Thematically arranged, the exhibition explores Anna Sui’s lifelong engagement with a dizzying array of ‘archetypes’ including the rock star, the schoolgirl, the punk, nomads, and surfers – motifs that are featured in all her work. From fairy tales and fables to Victoriana, Sui researches her current cultural obsessions in minute detail to create a different story with each collection.
On tour
Previous tour schedule:
- Mint Museum, Charlotte, USA (20 November 2021 – 1 May 2022)
- NSU Art Museum, Fort Lauderdale, USA (28 February – 3 October 2021)
- Modern Art Museum, Shanghai, China (6 June – 30 August 2020)
- Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, USA (12 September 2019 – 23 February 2020)
- TV Asahi, Tokyo, Japan (14 July – 19 August 2018)