When she’s not traveling – the Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall, England is the designer’s favorite summer getaway, and she never leaves home without a good book and pieces from her new Tumi luggage collaboration  – Anna Sui likes to kick back at home in New York on the weekends, trawling her favorite flea markets and hanging out with friends.

I usually wake up around 8AM in my Greenwich Village apartment. On the weekends, I like to treat myself to a pretzel croissant from City Bakery or an egg and cheese croissant breakfast sandwich from Grey Dog on University Place. I like to go to the Union Square Farmer’s Market and buy flowers for the week. On a casual summer day, I like to wear cotton Marimekko shift dresses. I collect them – they’re so easy and comfortable.

Dinner with friends is always fun. Current favorite restaurants include: Peels, ABC Kitchen, The Dutch, The Fat Radish, Crown, and I Sodi. I totally love dressing up for dinner; I like to make an effort.

On Sunday, I usually go to the Flea Market in the morning. It’s like going to church for me and my friends. In particular, I always stop in to see Shirley Mariaschin’s booth, “Jewelry Just For You” at the Antiques Showplace on 25th Street. Shirley is who I go to for vintage jewelry. I collect ethnic Berber necklaces, Victorian jet, Arts-and-Crafts peacock-eye earrings, and Egyptian-revival pieces from the 1920s. Sunday is also a good day to shop and see what’s new in the stores.

In the evening I see a movie or have dinner again with friends. Sometimes it’s fun to have a few friends over and order take-out (I serve everything on pretty serving bowls and dishes). We love the delicious Vietnamese sandwiches from a tiny shop around the corner from my apartment (Num Pang on 12th Street). For desert, everyone adores the light-as-air Mille Crêpe Cake from Lady M.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

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