Over the past couple of years, we have seen a rise in hyper-feminine fashion with ribbons and lace all over our explore pages, but no one does it like Sandy Liang.
Sandy Liang, a 34-year-old designer from New York, started her women’s fashion brand in 2014 after graduating from Parsons School of Design in 2013, according to SHOWstudio. Her self-named brand pulls elements from her childhood growing up in Queens and spending time at her family’s restaurant in the Lower East Side. She combines these experiences with things that have personal meaning to create whimsical, playful designs that are marketable to a wide range of demographics.Â
Liang’s childhood experiences in New York are shown through all of her designs. One example is her collaboration with Baggu, a reusable bag company. She designed a print inspired by the bags Chinatown grandmothers wore when grocery shopping. She attributes her primary inspiration to Chinatown grandmothers, but also finds inspiration in her favorite childhood TV shows like Sailor Moon, along with other things that intrigue her.
She is very casual on social media, posting pictures from her day-to-day life, watching TV, taking mirror selfies, and pictures with her husband and child. It’s this personality that seeps through in her brand. It makes customers feel like they know Liang, and when they are buying her products, they’re not just buying a piece of clothing; they’re buying a story.Â
Liang’s most recent collection for SS 26 was inspired by Huguette Clark, an American heiress who had a fascination for collecting dollhouses. She initially discovered Clark while scrolling through Zillow and finding a listing for her old mansion. An interview with W Magazine revealed that she was immediately interested after finding out that she was born in the same hospital where Clark spent her last years. After doing research, Liang found that Clark collected dollhouses and even had specified rooms to keep them safe. Liang has always been interested in the idea of preserving one’s childhood, so for her collection, she pulled inspiration from Clark and her dollhouses.
Some pieces from this collection featured her signature feminine silhouettes, with mid-length skirts and dresses that slightly flare out at the bottom. But elements of Clark’s dollhouse story show through in her designs. Whether it’s in a lacy skirt that has two pieces of fabric on top to look like curtains, or a dress that is plastered with doll clothes, Liang always finds ways to incorporate new ideas into her personal brand.Â
Sandy Liang is recognized by her childhood-inspired whimsical designs, but she finds new ways to weave in ideas that resonate with her, creating pieces that mix her past and present identities.
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