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Even from an early age, designer Anna Sui knew she wanted to work in fashion. When she was a child, she was a flower girl at her aunt and uncle's wedding in New York City. "When I got back to Michigan, where I'm from, I said to my parents, 'When I grow up, I'm going to be a fashion designer and move to New York,'" Sui said.
On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Sui shares how she got her start, the inspiration behind her latest collection, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.
How were you first introduced to fashion?
This is the crazy thing. I was a flower girl at my aunt and uncle's wedding. It was in New York City. I was probably four or five. When I got back to Michigan, where I'm from, I said to my parents, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a fashion designer and move to New York." I spent my whole childhood and early teen years trying to figure out what that even meant and how to do it.
You attended Parsons School of Design, but you didn't graduate. You dropped out. Do you think leaving school early helped you learn faster?
I got hired at the end of my second year. I heard seniors talking about a job opportunity, and I thought, "Oh, I love that brand." I ran up there with my student portfolio, and I got the job. I think it was really invaluable, because the designer, Erika Elias, was known in the business as the toughest boss in town. She was very, very demanding, but I learned so much about sourcing fabrics. She gave me my own design room. I had a draper, I had two sewers, and so I learned how to be a designer all on the spot.
Is there any advice you'd give to your younger self starting out in fashion?
I kind of liked not knowing what I was doing, because it gave me a fearlessness. Because I didn't know what the pitfalls were. I think that's something that people should keep in mind. Don't let the things that you worry about or are afraid of hold you back. Just go for it. You create your own obstacles.
I think that that's that's when you don't accomplish it. You have to just go for it and figure out a way, and if you get no for an answer, you figure out another way, and you just get your foot in the door until you get the yes answer.
I want to talk about your [spring 2026] collection. Let's talk about the inspiration behind that.
I had seen Lady Chatterley's Lover with Emma Corrin, and I just loved the costuming in that.
Also, her character, how she started out as this very traditional Victorian wife. From falling in love with this man that worked on their premises, she became undone, and her clothes started becoming undone. I wanted all the models to look like they just had a role in the hay.
The hair was messy, the clothes were kind of disheveled and wrinkly, and so it just made it very sensuous. That was the fun part of trying to put the whole collection together is capturing that look and feeling.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.