There are certain hallmarks you expect from a Sandy Liang collection: a school skirt, a fleece, and a billowing dress with an unexpected detail. Resort 2022 has all of those, building on the rebellious uniform aesthetic Liang has made a business out of reimagining. “I hate the pressure put on designers to reinvent the wheel every season,” she said. “When really, it’s growing from season to season. I’m going back to my uniform pieces. I’ll never get tired of a pleated skirt or an apron situation or the one pretty princess dress.”
This season, the schoolgirl is dressing up for parties—perfect timing—in looks inspired by the clothes that Devon Aoki, Sofia Coppola, Ashley Olsen, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum were wearing two decades ago. Each of the 23 looks is accessorized with chunky loafers and Target ankle socks, grounding the fanciful dresses and playing up the collegiate vibe of the pleated skirts. The uniform staples are a mid-thigh pleated skirt and a gray sweater vest dress, which is a nice iteration of a big trend. The latter is effortless when paired with a leather blazer cut to the same length. It’s one of the most classic outfits in the lookbook; the rest showcase Liang’s spunk better. For instance, the same dress is styled with a blue button-up and a fleece-and-couch-print vest. Liang describes it as an accidental finance bro, but I see it more as Gossip Girl 2.0.
As for pretty princess dresses, there are plenty. The first look is a sleeveless pink and white number spliced just so, making the white section look like a petticoat, almost as if you’ve caught Cinderella halfway through “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.” Liang continued experimenting with some of the other dresses. One is half-shirtdress, half tulle, with the latter wrapped around like a ruffled toga. Another is an empire-waist dress with a red fleece bodice and a black, tea-length skirt. Some of the most convincing looks are the mini skirts paired with jackets: a red fleece with a pink padded skirt, as well as a faux-fur cropped jacket with a black mini. She’s going somewhere, and you’re probably not on the list.