About
Anh55 is more than just fashion—it’s a way of life that connects beauty and excellence with a social and environmental purpose.
We design timeless, fabulous, well-crafted clothing for women 40+ while empowering refugee and immigrant women through meaningful economic opportunities.
Proudly made in Massachusetts, USA, every stitch we sew weaves a story of beauty, resilience, and impact.
What is Anh55?
By Women For Women, Anh55 offers beautifully designed pieces that seamlessly transition from travel to bike rides, workdays, board meetings, and cocktail parties. Our clothing celebrates women of all shapes and sizes, blending sustainability, innovation, and craftsmanship. The result? Effortless, dynamic, and empowering fashion that feels as good as it looks.
Our Story
For two decades, Anh recognized that women refugees are among the greatest yet most overlooked human capital - just like American women over 40. In 2020 while at MIT Sloan School of Management, Anh received the Patricia King Gray IDEA Award to work on her vision to provide exquisite, high-quality clothing while fostering economic opportunities for refugee women in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2023, while at Harvard, as one of Anh’s beloved professors mentioned no social impact venture ever became successful, a fervent prayer immediately rose in Anh’s heart: Dear God, please let me prove him wrong. That same day, she started Anh55, with the blessing of Philip, Anh’s husband’s many years of experience teaching pattern-making, bespoke, and fine sewing techniques at the Rhode Island School of Design.
For almost half a century Philip and Anh had been together, Philip always made clothes for Anh, their children, and himself. Anh found the combination of her design, Philip’s pattern-making process, and his excellent craftmanship produced exquisite timeless clothes that made her look better than herself, even at the end of the day after she had worn them after many activities.
Anh’s vision and mission for her company are two-fold and happen simultaneously: Building a thriving business by women for women - because when women thrive, everyone thrives – and making positive impacts in the world.
As of 2025, six groups of women in refugee communities in Southeast Asia, India and Massachusetts make Anh55’s label tags. By 2030, we aim to expand this initiative to 30 refugee groups worldwide, ensuring they earn a living wage and have opportunities for business ownership through Anh55’s Label-Making Team.
Our Purpose
To meet the demand of women 40 and above for fabulous clothes that look good on them while making a positive social and environmental impact locally and globally.
Our Founder
Anh Vu Sawyer’s journey began in 1975 on the rooftop of the American Embassy, escaping Saigon as a second-year medical student and entering the world as a refugee. A natural social-impact entrepreneur with a lifelong dedication to uplifting communities, her work has spanned impactful startups such as People Express Airlines—providing affordable airfares to students and low/mid-income families—to leading several nonprofit organizations. She has empowered marginalized populations throughout her career to rebuild their lives, thrive, and contribute to society while preserving their rich cultural craft heritage.
In 2018, at the age of 63 and while working full-time, Anh was accepted into the MIT Sloan School of Management, earning her MBA in 2020. In 2023, at 68, Anh became a Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow. That same year, Anh founded Anh55—a brand dedicated to honoring women, both those who wear our clothing and those who create it.
Through all of this, including climbing over the American Embassy’s gate during the last hour before the fall of Saigon, Anh always wore uniquely beautiful clothes that she designed and wanted to wear.