The eponymous label Sandy Liang is known for its femininity, yet youthful designs are often categorized under “coquette.” Bows, rosettes, and refined suits were all included on the runway this Fall/Winter 2024 season. We expect Liang to move towards a mature chic version of the brand without losing sight of her girlish yearning. In this collection- the schoolgirl becomes a princess.
“In the fall, she emerges from the ocean,” the show notes read. “She ties her hair, like yours, in a ribbon of salt. She gathers things she can never live without, things she can’t even remember, in her little bag. Her bag is a silver falling star strapped on by satin. When she turns around, all the way down her back are tiny strands of braids, like bows. Illusions were everywhere, on her wrist and on her collar, but she knew who she was. She is special. She is just one girl in a group of girls.” Girlhood and womanhood are celebrated as the two merge in fashion and real life.
This collection marks Liang’s tenth year in the fashion industry, each building a uniform for a new kind of princess. This season, she debuted the new recital bags in glossy leather, gray tracksuits with rosette adornments on the shoulders, red pants with pleated apron detail, a satin pale pink dress, and many Mary Janes in black and buttery yellow.
Constellation prints on a jacket were inspired by childhood planners, Sailor Moon, and paparazzi photos sifted through magazines. Matching jackets with three different skirt lengths were featured on the runway, an ode to growing up but still sustaining interest in what you love, like matching with your friends. “In a uniform, there is fantasy, and in nostalgia, there is presence,” said Liang. In this collection, both were celebrated.
Look through the most show-stopping eyes of this girlhood-inspired collection that will surely set the following few trends.
Skirts Over Pants
Look 03
While the Y2K aesthetic may not be the top fashion trend, the skirt-over-pants trend is still growing to the top of the trend cycle. This pleated skirt looks over slit wide-leg pants, upgrading the trend into a sleek and sophisticated one.
Bows, Bows, Bows
Look 17
The coquettification of everything isn’t over yet. Bows are still a prevalent trend that is staying in 2024. This look plays with the trend maturely and elegantly, with bows draping over one another artfully and intentionally.
Suited Up
Look 26
This uniform-inspired navy suit was made for the “coquette” lover. The feminine touch of a slightly cinched waist and a single button-down closure featuring a tiny lapel reflect moments in the girlhood of wanting to grow up faster.
Seeing Red
Look 29
An all-red look is the next big trend; Sandy Liang wants in on it. As the Lunar New Year commences in February, many designers who celebrate nod to it with the signature red in their runway designs.
Peter Pan Collars
Look 35
This look was pulled directly from a fairytale page. A Peter Pan collar is the perfect example of childhood and is styled in a way reminiscent of elementary school recitals and early Sunday service mornings.