Aptly opening during New York Fashion Week is a major retrospective of an iconic fashion designer [Anna Sui](https://annasui.com) at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). Starting from September 12, 2019 museum guests will have the opportunity to view 75 looks from the designer’s archive, from Sui’s groundbreaking inaugural show of 1991 to her Spring 2019 collection.
![Anna Sui Fashion Show Spring 2004](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472b9625aa12733cc51c906_anna%2Bsui%2B3.jpeg)
Anna Sui Fashion Show Spring 2004
A to-scale illustration of the original Anna Sui flagship store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood by [Dean “Chooch” Landry](https://www.instagram.com/deanchoochlandry/?hl=en), Sui’s long-time collaborator, invites visitors into the world of the designer known for creating garments inspired by in-depth research into vintage styles, art history, graphic design, European and Asian decorative arts, film and more. Through moodboards, sketches, videos of runway presentations and hallmark outfits sported by the likes of Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, the exhibition will illuminate Sui’s creative process and influences that contribute to her signature aesthetic sensibility.
![Anna Sui Spring 2017 Sketch](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472b9625aa12733cc51c90a_image-asset.jpeg)
Anna Sui Spring 2017 Sketch
Accompanying the show is fashion journalist Tim Blanks’s book titled The World of Anna Sui, which includes interviews with the designer and photographs of sketches, runway shows, and mood boards. Taking place monthly throughout the exhibition’s run will be Sui Saturday events, where the designer will be in conversation with Senior Editor of Elle Decor Vanessa Lawrence; hairstylist Garren; make-up artist Pat McGrath; model and musician Karen Elson; and an expert from Inter Parfums, manufacturer and distributor of Anna Sui’s perfumes.
One of New York City’s most beloved and accomplished fashion designers, Sui has joined the city’s creative cultural underground at a rich time in the 1970s, forging important, lasting relationships in the worlds of fashion, photography, art, music and design.
![Anna Sui Fashion Show Fall 1993](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472b9625aa12733cc51c902_anna%2Bsui%2B4.jpeg)
Anna Sui Fashion Show Fall 1993
“Since 1991, Anna has been a major influence in fashion, bringing the boutique look to a wider audience, and expanding it to accessories, perfumes, and cosmetics,” said Barbara Paris Gifford, Assistant Curator at MAD. “A prolific storyteller, Anna weaves together popular and little- known visual references every season creating singular looks that are unmistakably Anna. Throughout the exhibition, you see evidence of her vast knowledge of music, movies, interior design, books, time periods, graphic design, art movements, fashion, and photography.”
The exhibition will be on view through February 23 at the Museum of Arts and Design on 2 Columbus Circle, New York. Additional information on the program can be found on [madmuseum.org](https://madmuseum.org).
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Photos courtesy of Museum of Arts and Design