“I think clothing is an unspoken vocabulary,” says Anna Sui. “What you’re wearing tells people what you’re trying to say about yourself.”

Our interview with the designer coincided with her acceptance of the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards. “I think I have the best job in the world, because I can use everything that I’m interested in and obsessed with in my collections,” says the Detroit native, noting that inspiration can be found anywhere from a documentary on the New York Dolls (the proto-punk group) to an excursion to Turkey (where she learned about the Barbary pirates!). “All those components really make up the whole look of Anna Sui.” That look, according to this poster child for strong bangs and red lipstick, always has “a sense of whimsy, a sense of humor, but it’s a mix of a good-girl/bad-girl vibe — a lot of rock ’n’ roll and ultra-femininity.” And somehow, some way, when Sui says “My motto is ‘Live your dream,’” it comes off as neither hackneyed nor hokey — just inspiring.