by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
Before punk rock and grunge became nostalgia, designer Anna Sui was appropriating elements of the style zeitgeist of the moment and turning it into whimsical high fashion.
Her creativity evolved over the years, but she still offers fun, cool fashions for those fashionistas less interested in the Met Art gala and more the front row at a Green Day show.
Last February, pre-COVID-19, New York City’s Museum of Art and Design hosted an exhibit of the designer’s collections over the years as well as her story in “The World of Anna Sui.”
Now, just in time for this year’s fashion show season (which is primarily virtual this year because of COVID), the exhibit has traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.’s NSU Art Museum where it will be on display from Feb. 17-Sept. 19.
“The World of Anna Sui” is organized by the Fashion and Textile Museum, London and is curated by Dennis Nothdruft.
“The exhibition showcases a fashion designer who is not only highly creative and entrepreneurial, but also playful and positive,” said Nothdruft in a press release from NSU. “I’m delighted that as the exhibition continues to tour internationally, the joyous and influential work of Anna Sui will be celebrated among ever-greater audiences.”
The press release from the museum explains, “Since her first catwalk show in 1991, Anna Sui has become known for creating fabulously original clothing inspired by intensive research into vintage fashion and popular culture.”
“Born in the suburbs of Detroit, Sui joined New York’s cultural underground at an intensely creative time in the 1970s, 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,” said the press release.
For information, visit NSUartmuseum.org. Many of the exhibits have been offered virtually on the museum’s website.
PHOTOS by MIKE CHAIKEN taken at New York City’s Museum of Art and Design.