If you think back to your childhood years, what do you see? Perhaps cherished objects, pinks, and funky patterns scattered around your thoughtfully cluttered room. Whatever you envision, V are sure it found itself in Sandy Liang’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection. 

This collection materializes as a “still life of growing up” and respects the nostalgia of girlhood. Accompanied by the deja vu of stepping into a teenager’s bedroom, mirrors reflect scattered trinkets, pink planners with tiny locks, and confetti dusting the floor. This collection showcases a love letter to the place no one can return to—childhood. 

Through her garments, Liang conceives a little girl’s perception and inventiveness of an adult wardrobe—unlikely pairings, like stripes and polka dots layered over one another. The past was not lost here; rather, it merged with the present to forge a sartorial fantasy where nostalgia walks the catwalk in familiar shades and patterns. 

The inspiration for the collection stems from Liang’s own childhood. According to the show notes, “Memories of visiting ToysRUs in the nineties or moments from favorite films like The Snowman and The Parent Trap are imbued within the collection.” The playful layering and mismatching evoke memories, either owned or imagined, of raiding a closet filled with treasures harboring memories. 

The show opened with models strutting the white glitter path in outfits of structure and spontaneity – balletic floral skirts paired with rugged boots, ballet flats with soft tufts of fur, and sweaters striped like the pages of an old diary. Models also sported jackets with oversized lapels and pencil case-shaped purses hinting at the school era and the maturity of pearl accessories to balance out the garments. 

One of the collection’s standout pieces was a printed skirt featuring scans of Liang’s childhood planner—physically representing the notion that adolescent thoughts, experiences, and dreams can be transformed into something much more. Playful takes on the classic silhouettes – Mary Jane shoes, a signature design for Liang, were reimagined with fuzzy textures, while structured handbags resembled lockboxes. The inspiration plucked from the cultural touchpoints of the late 90s and early 2000s surfaces in each garment – a time capsule of youthful longing and expression. 

Evanie Frausto and Fara Homidi’s hair and makeup further exemplified the show’s nostalgia and freshness. The hair styled in slightly undone waves with clips and barrettes only transported us further into adolescence. The softness and luminosity of the models’ faces paired brilliantly with rosy cheeks and hints of shimmer capture the glow of youth. 

The show’s excitement-pulsating atmosphere was still intimate and familiar, as many were transported back to a time they longed for. Sandy Liang’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection was more than just a runway show; it was an ode to the allure of growing up, a reminder that the wonder of dressing up never truly fades.