Anna Sui
The Anna Sui celebrity doll depicts her wearing a tribute outfit to her fashion style designs. Sui is a Chinese American Chinese legendary fashion designer who got her start by designing clothing for her Barbie doll as a child. She became famous for her 1990’s grunge aesthetic and her inspiring career evolved from there.
Mattel released the Anna Sui Inspiring Women tribute Barbie doll on April 30, 2025 for the retail price of $35. The doll’s release is tied to tied to AAPI Heritage Month and was designed by Carlyle Nuera.
From the box (Sorry about the all caps, it was a Mattel design choice to do the new boxes this way):
Barbie®
DOLL“I THINK A DREAM CAN TAKE YOU FARTHER THAN ANYTHING.”
INSPIRING WOMEN™
ANNA
SUIFashion Designer, Icon, & Guru
BARBIE® RECOGNIZES ALL FEMALE ROLE MODELS. THE INSPIRING WOMEN™ SERIES PAYS A TRIBUTE TO INCREDIBLE HEROINES OF THEIR TIME; COURAGEOUS WOMEN WHO TOOK RISKS, CHANGED RULES, AND PAVED THE WAY FOR GENERATIONS OF GIRLS TO DREAM BIGGER THAN EVER BEFORE.
ONE OF ANNA SUI’S FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES IS SHOPPING FOR TEXTILES WITH HER MOTHER. SHE SAVED FABRIC SCRAPS TO CREATE CLOTHES FOR HER BARBIE® DOLL, AND THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A FASHION DESTINY THAT SHE WAS CALLED TO PURSUE. DRAWN TO THE ENERGY OF NEW YORK, THE SELF-MADE DESIGNER MOVED TO THE CITY TO ATTEND PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN, WITH $300 IN HER POCKET AND A “DREAM BEYOND REACH,” ANNA LEFT SCHOOL TO START HER OWN FASHION LINE OUT OF HER APARTMENT. SHE MADE HER BREAKTHROUGH WITH HER 1991 PREMIERE RUNWAY SHOW THAT ENCHANTED THE WORLD WITH HER RICH AND IMAGINATIVE INNER UNIVERSE MATERIALIZED THROUGH FASHION. ANNA SUI’S DESIGNS DRAW FROM EVERYTHING SHE FINDS INTERESTING OR BEAUTIFUL – FROM PUNK ROCK MUSIC, FAIRY TALES, ANTIQUE FURNITURE, HISTORICAL ERAS, POP CULTURE, TO FANTASY. SHE CREATES A HARMONIOUS MISHMASH OF IDEAS IN HER DREAMY COLLECTIONS THAT ARE RICH WITH STORY AND CULTURE. REBELLIOUS, ROMANTIC, BOHEMIAN, ROCK ‘N ROLL, VINTAGE, BOLD, AND ECLECTIC, HER MULTI-AWARD-WINNING DESIGNS DEFINED 90’S GRUNGE CHIC, AND HAVE AMASSED A GLOBAL CULT FOLLOWING. MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ANNA, HER FASHION TRANSPORTS PEOPLE TO WORLDS WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
GIRLS NEED MORE ROLE MODELS LIKE ANNA SUI, BECAUSE IMAGINING THEY CAN BE ANYTHING IS JUST THE BEGINNING, ACTUALLY SEEING THAT THEY CAN MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
Product #: JBJ26
The Anna Sui celeb doll appropriately comes wearing a conglomeration outfit from both her 2007 bohemian style, groundbreaking collection and outfits she has designed and worn herself. The Barbie scale and simplicity was designed with her input.
The black star print dress is one piece with large puffy sleeves that come together at the wrists. The neck is a high collar and the bellowing fabric grabs at the hips with a band of polka dots. The skirt flows out to a skirted hem that goes below the knees. The dress material has a white finish on the inside which should help with body staining in storage (be careful at the hands and neck). A Velcro opening in the back makes the dress easily removable.
On her feet are a black plastic doll version of the chunk heel boots designed and worn by Anna Sui. Similarly with the black plastic dangle earrings and the two large plastic ring inserts.
The face is painted with brown eyes with her signature curly black eyeliner and bright red open mouth lips. The long black rooted hair goes below the waist with bangs and short sideburns type pieces. They are heavily stiffened with product to hang straight down.
The accessories are a Certificate of Authenticity, black plastic doll stand, small replica bottle of Sui’s signature perfume, Anna Sui Classic Eau de Toilette, and a pair of brown, plastic, replica 2005 Anna Sui Collection designer sunglasses. The lenses are tinted so you can see the eyes through them.
Body type is Mattel’s curvy articulation with 11 points: head, shoulders, elbows, wrist, hips, and knees. The ankles are fixed and the feet are flat. The flat feet are very unfortunate because the boots are high-heeled. They are rather ill-fitting and the dolls knees must be bent to get it to stand on its own. Good thing the billowing dress hides them.
To get the current prices of the Isabel Anna Sui doll use these links. Discounts are available at retail online stores while supplies last. The museum gets a small commission for qualified purchase using the following links.
An interesting interview with Anna Sui in an article from Elle Magazine, Meet Anna Sui’s Barbie: A Tribute to a Fashion Legend: Some collaborations are written in the stars, tells the story of her journey through fashion design and why she got involved with Mattel to make her Barbie.
www.elle.com/fashion/personal-style/a64611055/anna-sui-inspiring-women-barbie-interview/
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