exhibitions

Phoenix Art Museum has a dedicated fashion gallery where multiple exhibits take place annually. Inside the Kelly Ellman Fashion Galleries, patrons will experience exhibitions that focus on clothing both as an art form and cultural phenomenon. Objects featured in the Kelly Ellman Fashion Galleries are from the permanent collection as well as on loan from international fashion houses, collectors and museums.

The World of Anna Sui

April 12, 2025 — September 28, 2025

Located in steele Gallery

Blending rock and roll with romanticism, Anna Sui taps into the timeless nostalgia of fashion’s earlier days and pairs it with her rocker aesthetic. Since premiering her first runway show in 1991, Sui has launched over 80 collections of ready-to-wear garments, accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances through her independent brand, effectively popularizing the boutique fashion look. Through head to toe looks, she has created a graphic, imaginative universe inhabited by alter-egos that draw inspiration from the worlds of cowgirls, grunge girls, hippie chicks, hula girls, Mods, pirate rock stars, Pre-Raphaelite maidens, and surfer nomads.  

Sui’s unique approach to threading narratives through her work is legendary. A self-taught historian of culture, art, and fashion, she samples music, books, exhibitions, movies, time periods, photography, and art movements in her designs. Over the years, Sui has explored wide-ranging materials and inspirations, including papier-mâché mannequin heads; linens by Vera; Claire McCardell sportswear; army surplus jackets; Japanese hankies; qipao dresses; wood-soled platforms from Goody Two-Shoes; and the styles of Jane Holzer, Zandra Rhodes, and Anita Pallenberg. She has also received numerous awards, including the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent (1992) and the CFDA Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award (2009).   

The World of Anna Sui features approximately 100 ensembles from the renowned designer’s archive, presenting a roll call of 12 archetypes that are staples of the Sui aesthetic. Featuring everything from garments to accessories, hair styles to makeup, scent to sound, the exhibition explores in minute detail the materials, cultural obsessions, and global styles that have inspired Sui for decades. As a special addition to the exhibition, PhxArt will present looks from Sui’s recent collection, highlighting her work with experimental paper-like fabrics. Garments from the PhxArt fashion collection will be paired alongside Sui’s body of work, demonstrating the designer’s inspiration from the delicacies and details of former fashion trends.  

exhibition sponsors

The World of Anna Sui is organized by the Fashion and Textile Museum, London, and curated by Dennis Nothdruft, Head of Exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London. Its presentation at Phoenix Art Museum is coordinated by Helen Jean, The Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion, with Catherine Wise, the Hirabayashi Intern in Fashion.

Its Phoenix premiere is made possible by presenting sponsor Thomas Carlton Rogers II, with support provided by Arizona Costume Institute, and Bennett and Jacquie Dorrance.

Additional support provided by Tran Tran, Founder, Axis Employment Services.

In-kind support provided by KJZZ and Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix.

All Fashion exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by The Kelly Ellman Fashion Endowment Fund.

All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin. 

(Left to right) Bill Blass, Coat and Belt, 1960s. Cotton and patent leather. Gift of Joyce Harrison; Bonnie Cashin, Tangerine suede hot pants, 1973. Suede. Gift of Mr. Philip Stills; Greatcoat, 1960s. Suede. Gift of Barbara D. Shear; Diane von Fürstenberg, Leopard print jumpsuit, c.1977. Printed cotton knit. Gift of Mrs. Kelly Ellman

The Collection: Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion

October 9,2024 - ongoing

kelly ellman fashion galleries

The Collection: Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion is the first in a three-part series of rotating installations that uncovers the Museum’s impressive fashion collection and Phoenix’s status as an exhibitor of globally iconic fashions.

ABOUT THE INSTALLATION

Phoenix Art Museum is one of few art institutions in the United States that continually collects, preserves, and exhibits works of fashion. The Museum began collecting fashion in 1966, when Arizona Costume Institute was founded to support the acquisition and preservation of garments and accessories of historical and aesthetic significance. Today, the PhxArt fashion collection houses more than 9,000 objects of women’s, men’s, and children’s dress spanning the 18th century through the present and is home to three special archives, including the Geoffrey Beene Archive, the Emphatics Archive, and the Ann Bonfoey Taylor Archive.

Greatest Fits is an ongoing, multi-year series that showcases the depth of the Museum’s fashion holdings. With more than 80 garments and accessories, Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion begins the series by tracing the evolution of the Museum’s collection from its founding in 1966 to the present day. The installation features archival works and early fashion acquisitions that highlight the impact of Arizona Costume Institute on the collection’s formation, while a graphic display of more than 20 all-black silhouettes visually represents defining moments in fashion history from the 18th century to contemporary times.

The exhibition also highlights vignettes of significant fashion “happenings” and themes, such as the Battle at Versailles, a high-fashion showdown between American and French designers in 1973; outstanding examples of avant-garde fashions; garments that draw inspiration from Romanticism and Greco-Roman culture; and technology-driven designs. Notable designers and houses represented include Fortuny, Schiaparelli, Dior, Balenciaga, McQueen, among others.

EXHIBITION SPONSORS

The Collection: Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Helen Jean, the Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design at Phoenix Art Museum, with Catherine Wise, the Hirabayashi Intern in Fashion Design. It is made possible by Arizona Costume Institute and the Kelly Ellman Fashion Endowment Fund.

All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.