Although Anna Sui was aware of her calling to be a designer from the age of four, it was only in her teens that she was 100% sure. The Detroit-born Sui had read an article in Life Magazine about the achievements of Mia Fonssagrives-Solow, who graduated from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City and then moved to Paris where she opened a boutique with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Sui then left her comfortable home in Detroit, which she shared with her French-educated parents, and moved to New York so she could attend Parsons herself. Moving to and living in New York in the 1980s shaped her inimitable sense of style, which has remained to this day. Her collections take you on a creative journey that is unparalleled in the world of fashion. Mixing vintage styles with her current cultural obsessions, she effortlessly makes hip and exuberant original clothes. Whether Sui’s inspiration is Victorian cowboys, Andy Warhol, superstars or Finnish textile prints, her depth of cultural knowledge is always apparent. A constant search for new ideas and challenges keeps her ahead of her time, and Sui has established herself as a true trendsetter to whom stylists and editors look for direction. The boundless energy and creative ingenuity of her runway presentations always make her shows a high point of New York Fashion Week. This eclectic and bold creative spirit is the subject of a comprehensive retrospective exhibition at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum. Indeed, The World of Anna Sui is the first-ever retrospective of an American fashion designer to be held in the UK. It runs until Oct 1. The exhibition ranges from early looks — such as the exuberant Carnaby Street, schoolgirl outfits worn by supermodels Lin- Capitalising on their focus on a living designer, the museum got Sui (top) to lead selected tours when the exhibition first opened. For those who missed that chance, a book based on interviews she did with fashion journalist Tim Blanks (below) will have to do. da Evangelista and Naomi Campbell in the first runway show in 1991, to the cowboys and cheerleaders modelled by Gigi and Bella Hadid during the recent spring/summer 2017 Americana-themed collection.