Museum of Arts and Design presents Anna Sui retrospective

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jul 11, 2019

New York City's Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) has announced it will present a major retrospective of American fashion designer Anna Sui, entitled 'The World of Anna Sui'. 

The retrospective, which includes garments, sketches, mood boards, videos of runway presentations and cultural ephemera, will open during New York Fashion Week on September 12 and will run through February 23, 2020, according to a press release.

The exhibition includes 75 looks from the Anna Sui's archive—with looks from her inaugural fashion show in 1991 to her spring 2019 collection—and illuminates Sui's creative process and influences that contribute to her aesthetic sensibility.

The exhibition is arranged thematically according to Sui's thirteen design archetypes, including Rock Star, Schoolgirl, Punk, Nomad, and Surfer, among others. Each section unveils the designer’s broad range of influences; from French interior designer and antiques dealer Madeleine Castaing and the London boutique Biba, to pre-Raphaelite maidens and Yves Saint Laurent. 

Some stand-out pieces featured in the exhibition include the "Backless Chaps" worn by Naomi Campbell in the fall 1992 runway show, the "Silver Peruvian Ensemble" from spring 1994, and the "Babydoll Dresses" worn by Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington. All looks will be shown in context with the original backdrops from Oliphant Studio used in Sui's fashion shows.

"Born and bred in Detroit, Anna Sui is a fascinating American design success story," said Chris Scoates, MAD's Nanette L. Laitman director. "Season after season, Sui translates popular culture and artisanal making into collections that pulse with excitement, reflect and expand on the creative spirit of the times, and move the needle for what fashion can and should be for a diverse, global market. We are extremely excited to welcome our visitors for an unforgettable immersive experience of Anna's design universe."

Based in New York, Sui boasts a storied career as a renowned designer since her first collection launch in 1981, earning the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2009. Currently, Anna Sui has over 50 boutiques in eight countries, and the designer’s collection and products are sold in 300 stores in over 30 countries.