Sandy Liang has a resilient approach when it comes to her still-young brand. It’s admirable to see her collections evolving with her personal style, allowing for a narrative that feels all the more authentic, and undeterred by outside voices. “It’s what I always do,” she said of resort’s inspiration during a showroom visit. “It’s Chinatown grandmas.”
More than that, she expanded on categories so that there were options for a range of occasions. Glitzy metallic dresses in easy baby-doll shapes, for instance, were included because she needed fancier options for holiday parties last year.
The collection namely centered on childhood nostalgia, which Liang was able to reflect in her look book shoot, going back to her childhood home and re-creating a time that felt happy and unencumbered. The clothes mirrored that spirit and incorporated Liang’s childhood memories in subtle ways. A pointelle knit held patterns such as a flower, star, moon and heart — all things she would scribble down as a kid. Floral prints poked fun at what Chinese grandmas could be selling on Chinatown’s Grand Street, and a great cow print fleece jacket was named Woody after “Toy Story’s” main character. A rainbow logo she hand-drew referenced the Sailor Moon cartoon, and she printed that on an easy unisex T.
Patchwork fleece jackets and a cool puffer/shearling hybrid were big pushes to maintain unisex appeal. Yet the piece that felt most connected to the designer was a billowy trompe l’oeil dress that mixed the sweet floral print with a turtleneck fleece — pure Sandy Liang subversion.