American fashion designer Anna Sui (pronounced: AN-na SOO-ee) is best known for her ready-to-wear collections with a boho-chic aesthetic. Originally from Detroit, Sui has mastered the art of combining bright colors with black while incorporating rich fabrics that reflect her culture and creativity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Over the last couple of decades, Suit has released her own line of fragrances, partnered with Target for a \u2018Gossip Girl\u2019-inspired collection, and mentored fashion design students from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute and Parsons The New School of Design.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Anna Sui was born to French-educated Chinese emigrants in 1952. She is a descendent of the Fang family of Tongcheng, Anhui, a Quin and Ming dynasty noble family. Sui is also an 18th<\/sup> generation descendent of influential Chinese poet, Fang Bao, who founded the Tongcheng School of literary prose.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Sui knew she wanted to be a fashion designer by the age of four. She learned from her mother how to put a wardrobe together<\/a> and shop for fabrics. With the leftover scrapes from her mother\u2019s sewing, she would make clothes for her Barbie dolls, and later on, clothing for herself. After reading an article as a teen in Life Magazine<\/em> about the achievements of New York real estate developer Mia Fonssagrives-Solow who graduated from Parsons The New School of Design, she decided to pursue her goals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Sui decided to move to New York and attend Parsons. After finishing her second year, she was hired by Erica Elias\u2019 juniors clothing label<\/a> Charlie\u2019s Girls. She also worked as a stylist at classmate Steven Meisel\u2019s shoots which have been featured in the Italian magazine Lei<\/em>. After Charlie\u2019s Girls closed, Sui worked for several sportswear designers including Simultanee and Bobbie Brooks. With the skills she learned, she began making clothing out of her own apartment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Sui\u2019s first major breakthrough into her career occurred in 1991 at Paris Fashion Week. While driving with friend Steven Meisel to a Jean Paul Gaultier show, the pair stopped to pick up music icon Madonna who was a friend of Meisel\u2019s. Madonna wore one of Sui\u2019s designs to the event, gaining her tremendous popularity. Sui held her first runway show just one year later in New York City<\/a>, and opened her first retail shop in 1992.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Anna Sui<\/a> has been named one of the \u201cTop 5 Fashion Icons of the Decade.\u201d In addition to her fashion lines, she has released cosmetics, footwear, eyewear, fragrances, jewelry, and accessories. She also has a popular gifts and home goods line. You can find her products in more than 50 countries in her free-standing stores and online through her personal storeA breakthrough at Paris Fashion Week<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n