Evelyn Logan
Edited by Ella Querin
Sandy Liang has always been big on satins, bows, and the little details. This past NYFW Sandy Liang debuted their SS24 collection and it was nothing short of Virgin Suicides meets club-worthy ballet attire.
Who is Sandy Liang?
Sandy Liang is a New York based fashion designer who is heavily inspired by her youth spent in Chinatown. Liang draws from her childhood experiences to create clothes that highlight the magic of girlhood and Asian American culture. Named after herself, the brand has been around since 2014, yet it really took off a few years ago as it began to solidify its identity along with the rise of fashion content on TikTok. The brand’s identity can be marked by the attention to detail and desire to bring aspects of fashion that were formally niche to young girls into the larger fashion conversation. Nostalgia drives Sandy Liang as they capture the magic of girlhood and the simplest things.
Sandy Liang isn’t only good at making beautiful, unique pieces, the brand also has a wide range of collaborations with other popular brands like Baggu, Salomon, and Vans. All of these collaborations capture the essence of the brand, nostalgic girlhood imbued with practicality, and expand their customer base. This past summer, the Sandy Liang x Baggu collab sold out hours before it was actually supposed to go on sale and later they opened up pre-orders to satisfy the wide demand.
The SS24 show follows right on the heels of Sandy Liang’s adored FW23 collection from last NYFW. This collection featured a lot of the same materials and silhouettes: lace, mesh, babydoll dress, and big bows. Where the SS24 collection deviates from the previous collection is its wider range of outfits. The SS24 collection has all sorts of different pieces from micro mini skirts to iconic twin sets. This collection shares a lot of elements featured in past collections, but it shows the brand’s progression towards a truly unique and more mature identity.
Sandy Liang’s SS24 show was a safe, whimsical take on the same themes they’ve been perfecting for the past few collections. Before the show, Sandy Liang shared a mood board for the collection which revealed that this collection was heavily inspired by the cult classic movie, The Virgin Suicides. It makes sense that Sandy Liang was heavily inspired by the Sofia Coppola film as the movie has had a recent resurgence in popularity. Heaven by Marc Jacobs had a collection inspired by the film only a few years ago and it’s been trending on TikTok ever since.
This quote, “she’s wearing her mom’s old lace dress and grippy sport sandals on her way to collect rocks and bugs with shell phones in her ears” was repeated several times across the board and shows the collection’s dedication to ‘beach’ as a motif and also the ‘borrowed’ feel that the show gives off. Throughout the collection, Sandy Liang incorporates beachy baby tees and shell phone ear clips to give a subtle beach vibe.
This collection is a combination of many different themes that run rampant in girl culture: the idea of borrowing something from a mother figure, bows, florals, frills, babydoll dresses, etc.
Some of the most notable looks include a mini skirt (sometimes pleated, sometimes not) with a larger than life satin bow attached to the side. Other favorite looks include the sheer mesh braided bow dress and the sole bridal look.
Another highlight of the show was the pointe shoe flats. Though they remain unreleased for purchase, many of the models wore gorgeous pointe shoes down the runway. Some were colored with vivid greens and blues while others were rather muted and blended in with the models’ complexion.
Sandy Liang is so widely adored because of its willingness to convey the worth of girlhood and show the fashion world that it’s not only marketable but very lucrative. In a culture where girls are often mocked and belittled for liking things like bows, flowers, lace, etc.. Sandy Liang takes on these themes and motifs and considers them seriously. In their own way, Sandy Liang is bringing the niche experience of girlhood to the forefront of fashion consumers’ minds in hopes that soon the world will see the value in that experience.
Leave a Reply