Sandy Liang SS26 Is Prime Nostalgia
- Drew Townsel
- Sep 20
- 1 min read
Sandy Liang’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection transformed the runway into a living dollhouse of memories and Chinatown street style. Known for turning nostalgia into something forward-looking, Liang pulled from her own childhood — from time spent in New York’s Chinatown to a fascination with miniature dollhouses — to create a lineup that felt intimate, surreal, and deeply personal.
Ballet flats were reimagined as boxy handbags, Tabis sprouted dancing bunnies and spring onions, and skirts carried built-in PVC pouches stuffed with tiny mementos like wearable time capsules. Oversized care tags, scribbled with diary-like mantras (“Be present and remember,” “Speak to yourself kindly”), doubled as a playful reminder that clothes are more than just clothes.
Her references — Huguette Clark’s dollhouses, Studio Ghibli’s Arrietty, and even The Sims — appeared in curtain-tied slip skirts, pastel jackets with rounded shoulders, and layered gingham pieces that echoed dollhouse drapery and tiny room design. Humor and quirk ran throughout, from giant buttons perched on the toes of shoes to sticker-coated clear slippers and off-kilter logos nodding to Canal Street counterfeits. Liang’s “Chinatown grandma” muse also got a refresh: flowy floral dresses layered under swimsuit bras, protective coverups reimagined as chic separates, and mixed prints that felt both old-school and new-wave.
With just 37 looks, Liang built an entire world where personal history, fantasy, and self-creation collided. SS26 wasn’t just about wearing clothes — it was about wearing your memories, your humor, and your story.
