Sandy Liang is known in New York for her sweet spot for cinematic nostalgia. For spring-summer 2024, the designer looked at her cult-favorite film for inspiration: Sophia Coppola’s directorial debut The Virgin Suicides. The film actually doubles as the name of her collection, an assemblage of hyper-feminine garments that the Lisbon sisters themselves may have worn if not for their tragic fates. Showcased at the garden of the Cooper Hewitt Museum with music from Parker Radcliffe, the ultra-feminine collection featured taffeta dresses, pleated skirts and bows, both in hair and on clothing. It was naturally in tune with Liang’s blend of balletcore and pageantcore with some 1970s twists that appeared n the form of peter pan collars, cropped capri pants and pant suit jackets worn as tops. Models also wore necklaces and earrings constructed out of freshwater pearls and seashells dipped in metal. Playful and whimsical, tinged with melancholia: that’s how you can describe Sandy Liang’s womenswear. Meanwhile, I can’t wait for my copy of Coppola’s latest “Archive” book to arrive.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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