FASHION VERSUS: Sundae School Vs Sandy Liang

As the world of fashion continues to evolve, it’s important to acknowledge the brands that are bringing something truly revolutionary to the table. Sandy Liang and Sundae School both create with a distinct vision, allowing their culture to heavily influence their design processes.

Though smoking in general has been a common practice in Korea for centuries, smoking cannabis along with all other forms of its consumption are still heavily stigmatized within the country to this day. This was a concept that Dae Lim, founder of Sundae School, took upon himself to challenge through the realm of fashion. Originally born in Seoul, South Korea, Dae Lim moved to the United States at a young age to attend boarding school where he was exposed to the distinct contrast between American and East Asian culture. Later in life he developed the idea of a brand that intertwined his Korean heritage with the normalization of recreational smoking that he’d witnessed overseas. And thus, in April of 2017, Sundae School was born.

Advertising themselves as “smokewear” rather than streetwear, Sundae School’s primary focus when designing apparel is comfort. Each piece is crafted with high quality material along with their signature stash pocket to ensure a convenient and relaxed smoke session. They’re best known for their colorfully decorated fleece jackets which are triple lined to ensure maximum warmth. They continue to take inspiration from elements of traditional Korean fashion and reimplement them into modern collections. Their latest summer campaign featured the theme “Out West”, paying homage to those who’ve migrated to the West in search of a better life while also remaining true to their Eastern roots.

Sundae School’s main objective is to destigmatize the use of recreational drugs and how those who use them are perceived. They’ve used terms such as “honor rollers” and “High Achieving Degenerates” in association with their brand to relay the message that smoking recreationally does not prohibit people from maintaining high functioning lives and becoming successful. The brand also strives to serve as a beacon for Asian Americans who have felt under represented in the fashion industry.

Over time, Sundae School has achieved several different accomplishments including being featured in New York Fashion Week and dropping a collaboration with True Religion. Though they continue to work on improving and building their brand in the United States, their main goal of embracing the use of Cannabis in Korea remains consistent. The fight for normalizing smoking and uplifting those in the Asian American community takes precedence.

Sandy Liang was created in New York. After graduating from Parsons School of Design, Sandy Liang, same name as the brand, founded her brand in 2014. The iconic brand emerged into the world of fashion by blending elements of femininity into her timeless pieces. The designer’s vision was driven by her longing to have nostalgia of her childhood in her pieces. Within the most recent years, the brand has gained popularity due to the rise of the coquette aesthetic that aligns with Sandy Liang’s key features.

Sandy Liang’s style can be described as very playful and feminine. Just by looking at her website, you can easily convey her target audience. Her pieces consist of bows, ruffles, skirts, dresses, mary janes, and many more. Her target audience consists of Gen-Z and Millennials, so her pieces being timeless and incorporating nostalgia is important. The designer takes inspiration from a lot of different areas in her life. She has said in past interviews that her first inspiration came from seeing all the Chinatown grandmothers while growing up. Their impeccable fashion made a long-lasting impression on the designer. The brand’s signature motifs are inspired by her childhood as well. In the past, she has mentioned taking inspiration from Sailor Moon. Not only in her clothing but also in her collaboration with WIldflower where she created a phone case inspired by the famous anime. Many of her collaborations draw in a sense of nostalgia. This is very on brand for her audience since most of them are collecting trinkets such as Sonny Angels, Monchhichis, and Mofusands these days. Sandy Liang has recently done collaborations with Moncchichi, Baggu, Vans, and Salomon. Within each of these collaborations, you can see a childhood nostalgia incorporated.

Sandy Liang’s impact on the fashion industry has been revolutionary. Many of her target audience can resonate with her through girlhood, coquette core, and balletcore. The values of the brand align with those in these groups. The brand has become so iconic that “Sandy Liang core” is something you can search up on social media. For example, if you search on TikTok you will find several videos on girls with babydoll dresses, long flowy skirts, pink accessories, bows in their hair, and mary janes. Currently, Gen-Z is going through a wave of nostalgia where they are seen collecting trinkets and opening blind boxes. Sandy Liang was an influence towards this shift of nostalgia and her impact is more than just the clothes she designs, it's the memories that come with it.

With her debut NYFW show in 2019, Sandy Liang has managed to make her brand distinctive from the million other brands. When someone mentions Sandy Liang, you automatically have an image in your head of the brand, that is how impactful she is. I personally believe that her brand has the potential to continue influencing the newer generations. Sandy Liang has a strong social media presence and is always aware of what is trending and plans around that. An example of this is her collaboration with Moncchichi. The Japanese stuffed animal had become popular within Gen-Z and many people, like myself, started purchasing anything related to it. Sandy Liang thought it was a great strategy to have an one of a kind Moncchichi inspired by her brand. Many adored the collaboration and it gave both Moncchichi and Sandy Liang the space to be celebrated as individuals. The brand’s nostalgic designs position it well to continue influencing the next generation of fashion. It will pave the way for the brand to be expanded further.

Comparing the two, Sundae School and Sandy Liang, anyone can recognize that both brands have achieved widespread recognition. Sundae School embraces playful streetwear while Sandy Liang blends nostalgia with hyper feminine clothing. Their target audience both consists of youthful spirits who admire individuality.

Sundae School and Sandy Liang both take inspiration from their Asian backgrounds. Sundae School’s founder is Korean and Sandy Liang is Chinese-American. When it comes to their clothing, it differs by a lot. Sundae School’s pieces are more laid-back including graphic tees, sweatshirts, and sweatpants. Sandy Liang’s pieces include more intricate designs and hyper-femininity in their blouses, dresses, and skirts.

Although the two brands are very different, they have both managed to capture the attention of Gen-Z and Millennials. They are both examples of how fashion trends are becoming more cross-cultural since they incorporate inspiration from their cultures.

Both brands are likely to expand more into the global market since they focus on youthful individuals who enjoy keeping up with the latest trends.