If the ’90s girls had Miu Miu, today’s generation has Sandy Liang. The designer, who’s held the internet in a chokehold with the coquette-core trend for the past two years, is declaring that era over. Instead, next summer, expect every girl in New York and beyond to dress like spies—but with a distinct Liang touch, of course.
“I’m obsessed with a uniform. I’m especially obsessed with spy gear this season,” said the designer. “The spies in ‘Totally Spies!’ always had gadgets and clothes that were cute but it was actually like a laser or something serious like that. I thought that was fun to explore for the season.”
On the internet, Liang’s influence is strongest among the 27 and under crowd. When her Baggu collaboration dropped, the bags sold out within minutes due to their affordability. Those who missed out began recreating her pieces, aiming to achieve the coveted “Liang girl” look on a budget. However, the brand’s most loyal customers aren’t the high schoolers aspiring to embody the Liang girl aesthetic but rather the 9-to-5ers who can afford the pieces.
The label’s collections in recent seasons have leaned towards a more youthful, school-inspired aesthetic, featuring pleated skirts. This season, however, the Liang girl is growing up, taking her first steps into the real world. She might have landed her first corporate job, dressing business casual on top with a short-sleeved puff blazer and capri set. But she’s still channeling her youth with a metallic pink kitten-heeled mule. She might not yet grasp the importance of carrying cash (just in case of emergencies), so she’s leaving her house without a bag, opting for a mini skirt with a hidden zippered pocket for her driver’s license—her credit card is already on her phone.
Liang has kept things simple, using jersey fabrication for most of the collection. Going-out mini dresses come in fun colors like Barbie pink and candy apple green, but they’re kept basic in silhouette. Paired with the right accessory, like one of the new sequined chokers that debuted on the runway, the look transitions seamlessly from day to night (look 13 and look 31 in the collection best exemplify this). No Liang collection is complete without satin, and this season, some of the tunics worn as dresses during the show could double as coats when worn with the jeans also showcased on the runway.
In an intriguing statement, Liang ended her spring/summer 2025 show notes with the line, “Each piece is password protected; only you can unlock it.” Even though Liang herself is dreaming of a spy girl summer, perhaps this line is a subtle hint that you can feel free to create your own fantasies within her designs.
