The current retail landscape is tough to say the least, with both stores and designers alike experimenting with different ways to keep customers engaged. Sandy Liang has always stuck true to her instincts as a young designer, listening to retailers selectively and making sure her vision for the ultracool, carefree downtown urbanite is clear.
“I think it’s always the duality between the girl who doesn’t really care about fashion and just wants to be comfortable and this fun side to her,” she said in her showroom about her resort collection.
Her clothes have always elicited a subversive quality of nonchalance with oversized proportions, offbeat, oftentimes deconstructed tailoring and really kitschy, girly prints. The general consensus from retailers so far this season is an appreciation of the larger varied offering and focus on separates. Her kitschy elements this season were a “Sweet 16” print of colorful childhood vehicles and a jelly floral akin to the Limited Too brand logo, embroidered on flirty novelty denim dresses and little tops. “I love this,” Liang said of the flower. “I was Googling ‘gel-filled plastic sack’ and I ended up on Alibaba and going for it.”
The overall tone was noticeably quieter, more relaxed, but retained that playful dose of subversion to keep things modern. You’d be hard-pressed to find a basic button-down; the designer offered shirting and shirtdresses with off-shoulder, asymmetric and cropped construction with cutouts, button-up sleeves and ribbons ties. Elsewhere, she introduced preppy and colorful knits for the first time, a floral-embroidered raincoat that was “totally not functional,” and slinky little slips with various sized sequins.