Girlhood is Forever: Sandy Liang Fall '24
Written By Sullivan Jordan
Summer 2023 was undeniably the year of girlhood and embracing your inner child. Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Taylor Swift’s and Beyoncé’s record-breaking tours encouraged many to adopt a more optimistic and wholesome outlook on life and proved once again that female joy demands to be taken seriously. For New York City-born and raised fashion designer Sandy Liang, this sentiment could not be closer to her self-titled fashion label’s philosophy. With the brand’s most recent Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear collection shown at New York Fashion Week in early February, Liang brilliantly walks the line between professional and playful with spunk and confidence as she mixes preppy silhouettes with a pastel color palette and floral detailing perfect for the working woman reminiscing about days of colorful childhood’s past.
A clothing brand inspired by 90s and early 2000s nostalgia, the pink and sparkly aura of girlhood, and Liang’s family restaurant in Chinatown, Liang consistently designs functional yet chic and playful garments that spark the child in all of us. While the childhoods of the 90s and early 2000s may be over, Liang assures us that girlhood is here to stay in our everyday wardrobes.
Inspired by school uniforms and Japanese animated children’s films, Liang embraces a more preppy style throughout the Fall 2024 collection. Short skirts, pleated detailing, Peter Pan collars, small buttons, and dainty bows are abundant in a variety of fabrics and colors, bringing a sense of nostalgia to an elevated and chic corporate office-ready look. The blend of preppy silhouettes with thicker and more mature fabrics like Tweed and Wool make each look worthy of a professional environment, but the small details like bows and ribbons remind us that fashion is meant to spark joy and be playful, not be a chore every morning when we get ready for the day.
In keeping with Liang’s somewhat minimal aesthetic, she combines a pastel color palette of creamy yellow, light grey, ballet slipper pink, mint green, and baby blue with more classic colors like black, crisp white, warm brown, and navy, to keep the collection grounded but still girly and fresh. For example, a fluffy pink mini skirt is dressed down with a black half-zip sweater, and a pair of grey pants and pleated skirt combo is dressed up a bit with a sporty, butter yellow zip-up reminiscent of a school-girl ready for a game of basketball during her lunch break. While the collection remains comforting with classic colors and soft pastels, Liang does not shy away from using bold colors like bright red and bubble-gum pink to create attention-grabbing statement pieces. For example, a bright red wide-leg pant and tailored red blazer combination creates a bold and professional look that demands attention, while an asymmetrical pink dress adorned with drooping bows is sure to catch the attention at the office and during a night out on the town.
Liang manages to bring more fun to the collection with the careful selection of floral prints and creative use of floral detailing seen throughout various pieces. For example, a mint green and light pink floral fabric reminiscent of a little girl’s bedroom wallpaper is used in a mini skirt and short blazer combination, and a gathered, balloon-like, full-length skirt paired with a simple, crisp white button-down top. This fabric reminds us of the carefree summer days spent frolicking around the garden, our skin getting tan and our hair getting lighter under the hot sun. However, combined with modern and somewhat modest silhouettes, the pattern feels grown-up and empowering. Seen throughout the collection on dresses, sweaters, and jackets, small flower embellishments with trailing ribbon give the chic attire a more girly and soft touch. Often the same color as the clothing item, the flowers are subtle but serve as a constant reminder to embrace our more creative and curious side, much like the other elements of this collection do.