Pop down to Dimes Square (a slice of New York City's gentrified Chinatown) and find every harbinger of cool flitting around in Sandy Liang—or something that looks awfully inspired by the designer’s work. It’s official: Sandy Liang is unquestionably in. But what is it about the brand that’s captured the zeitgeist? Or at least, the fashionable Gen-Z crowd?
Perhaps it's the brand’s refreshing take on femininity. As runways are polarised by the Madonna-Whore Complex, the Sandy Liang girl finds a balance: cute, but still office appropriate; fun, but intellectual; youthful, but not in a creepy Lolita way. That ‘90s minimalist skirt-and-sweater look à la Calvin Klein and Prada, zhuzed up and reinterpreted through a modern, girly lens.
Looking to adolescent reveries and fixations on forbidden childhood toys for inspiration this season, everything had a charmingly off-kilter feel. Collars—striped, Peter Pan, with ties attached—were stacked under well-fit cozy knit v-necks. There were no HR violations here: skirts hovered just above the knee, patterned in polka dots, childhood gadgets, trompe l’oeil gingham skirts, and featuring plastic star-shaped compartments filled with dolls’ clothes.
Prints were wonkily mixed and matched, an unexpected but delightful look that suggested dressing up. Fleece zip-ups, normally reserved for shlubby days off, were suddenly made chic when worn over button down shirts, and reworked as Mod mini skirts and dresses. The real star of the show, though, were the ribbon rosettes pinned to collars. The message was clear: everyone's a winner when they wear Sandy Liang.