Sandy Liang is feeling more fantastical than ever — and she has a ready explanation. Now a mother to a young toddler, her viewing habits have shifted, and a recent watch of Kiki’s Delivery Service has filtered through into her design process alongside Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette and the film stills of Kirsten Dunst draped across a bed with her ladies in waiting. The fantasy is real. But so, this season, is the practicality.

Despite the dreamy references, fall 2026 landed as one of Liang’s most wearable and buyable collections in recent memory. Pussy bow satin pyjama-inspired sets felt entirely at home on any front rower going about their actual day. Jersey nightgowns worked perfectly as errand outfits for the Dimes Square girl. “Something really important that kind of grounds the collection this season is the reality of getting dressed in New York,” Liang said. “You know we’re realistic New York girls.” Ballet flats arrived in multiple iterations — some furry, some not — with bunny-eared flats appearing as an entirely new shoe style.

That groundedness carried through even into the dressier looks. Sexy going-out tops — a sequin halter neck, a split-front long-sleeve shirt — felt just costume-y enough to stand out at a party without requiring a themed occasion. And for the girls who refuse to let a standard wool coat be the last thing anyone sees them in, Liang provided cute furry bolero jackets and bowed-out ponchos to carry the fantasy all the way to the door.

For more serious customers, new versions of the classic skirt suits arrived with an emphasis on button work — blazers with fencing-inspired buttons for an extra-polished touch, and a tweed skirt suit woven with blue ribbon at the hemline that gave the formal silhouette a youthful lift.

Liang carries the weight of being a genuine Gen Z tastemaker — the pressure to innovate constantly and set rather than follow trends. This collection suggested she’s found a way to carry that weight without being crushed by it: a sweet spot between playful and intentional, with something for the TikTok obsessives and the more deliberate shoppers alike.