Every time that I wanted to give up, if I saw an interesting textile, print what ever, suddenly I would see a collection.
You have to focus on your dreams, even if they go beyond common sense.
To me, fashion is like a mirror. It's a reflection of the times. And if it doesn't reflect the times, it's not fashion. Because people aren't gonna be wearing it.
I love history. I love art. I like to mix it all together, but in the end it somehow has to all make sense.
A piece of fabric can get me going.
I’m always about optimism and exuberance. It’s what I feel about fashion.
I think that fashion has become such a big business and with globalization we are on new territory at this point. We are not just designing for a country we are designing for a world now.
I love the fact that fashion always changes, and I hate the fact that it always changes.
At the point when I wanted to become a designer, I didn't think about, 'Oh, but I'm a woman,' just like didn't think about like, well, 'I'm Chinese' or that 'I'm in Michigan.' You know, none of those things were obstacles to me. I just had this idea that this is what I had to do.
What people look to me for is a whole look. People come to me for icing on the cake, not a basic stretch pant.
I think you have to be in the right place at the right time. And understand that and know when it is your time and how you react to it and how you respond to it.
Fashion should be fun and accessible.
To me if you're going have a show, it should be a show. It should be entertaining and take you on a journey.
You just pray that something is going to hit you like lightning. Like a movie, a book, or a photograph, a painting, something that you can riff on it and learn more about it and explore it, and just go on a journey with it. So lots of times when I choose a theme, I'll also incorporate other things that I'm doing at that period.
The sexiest thing about a bikini is that it leaves something to the imagination, which is the best part.
I just love the way the '60s rock stars put themselves together, because they were like dandies and peacocks. They really lived out their fantasies - and dressed their fantasies.
There are always different influences each season. It could be a person, it could be a piece of furniture; it depends on what I'm obsessing about.
Well, my whole thing is that I'm kind of like a show-off!
I don't have the luxury of making clothes just to make an effect. It can't be something totally frivolous, because my distributors have to have a successful season, too.
When I started my own business, my main reason for designing clothes was that I wanted to dress rock stars and the people who went to rock concerts. It didn't go beyond that aspiration at that point.
I think I'm a global citizen. My parents came from China, were educated in France and emigrated to the United States. And I think that opened up my mind to be able to live and work anywhere.
The red library is Sui's tribute to fashion maven Diana Vreeland, who served as editor for Harper's Bazaar (1939-1962) and Vogue (1963-1961). My most precious collection is my bound Vogue magazines, .. and they're kind of like my Bible. I look at them all the time when I'm trying to inspire myself for a collection.
Every collection that I work on, I always think, Is this cool enough to wear to a concert?
You still get the sheer quality coming through but you're covered.
From the season I did the butterfly faux tattoos on the models on the runway, every collection we do has to have a butterfly t-shirt or trim or print. People come to me for butterflies!
