Sandy Liang on Childhood Dreams, Bubble Tea and Her SS25 Show

Sandy Liang consistently conjures a sense of childlike wonder and nostalgia through her designs. Many of her signature elements — star-shaped purses, mini bow appliqués, rhinestone-encrusted hair clips — take us back to simpler days. For the brand's Spring/Summer 25 collection, the designer leaned on these recognizable accents and reignited some more of our childhood memories, but she also showed us a new side of Sandy.

Liang wanted this collection to allow her audience to shapeshift, as the Sandy girl is often on the go — she's booked and busy, with places to be! She needs a personal uniform to carry her through the day, and within this collection, that uniform came in the form of tailored satin and nylon work dresses, gingham matching sets, and a new court shoe.

The range’s jewel-toned color palette was complemented by vibrant lipstick in various pink shades. Every accent of the show, from delicate accessorizing to a pale-pink runway carpet, was a gentle nod to girlhood.

The womenswear designer was inspired by the idea of a modern-day spy girl; a girl who often reaches for pieces with hidden surprises, like a hyper-mini skirt with a secret pocket hidden inside of it. As each “Totally Spies”-esque look marched down the runway, the audience was immediately transported to our youth. After the show, guests were met with a HeyTea x Sandy Liang tea truck outside, a pop-up project that satisfied Sandy's own inner child.

Hypebae: Tell us about the inspiration behind this collection and how it may depart from or build upon past collections.

Sandy Liang: Every season, I've always been inspired by the uniform world — the idea of a personal uniform. And this season it's a little bit spy-oriented and secret in nature so I had a lot of fun playing up to that theme.

Everyone always talks about the quintessential Sandy Liang girl. To us, it's someone who is probably a city girl with a deep connection to her inner child and an affinity for displaying her femininity. How would you characterize the Sandy Liang girl?

For this collection, I think she's a secret agent. She's on the go. She's the main character in her own movie.

Tell us about a piece from this collection with the most interesting backstory.

Well, the first four looks were all the same dress but cut in different fabrics. I love the idea of a jumpsuit, but then iterating it as a dress. I also played into the concept of pre-styling, which is something I always love to do. So, once you put some of these looks on, you're fully styled. You're done.

Let's dive into your collab with HeyTea that launched during NYFW. How does this collaboration honor your roots and how does it align with the new collection themes?

I grew up on tea drinks like that and I love bubble tea. One of my alter ego fantasies has always been to have my own little tea shop and bakery. So working on this collaboration was actually so fun. We made our own flavor, packaging, and everything. It was really cool to work with a brand like this that brings me back to my childhood.

You're often posting photos of food or drinks you enjoy. How does food and drink inspire you creatively?

I love eating. When something looks delicious, I love sharing it on my Instagram stories. Because that's what I care about when I'm looking at social media — recipes and finding new foods. I kind of use my social media as my food diary and then I can take design inspiration from that as well.

What can we expect from you in the coming seasons? How would you like the brand to grow and evolve?

I think it's always about staying true to what I love. I create based on the things I love so I want to continue doing so with all of my future collaborations and collections going forward.

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