Sandy Liang’s collection notes talked about self creation, but backstage after the show she shared that her inspiration was sparked by something more personal. “My obsession with Chinatown grandmas and revisiting that idea in a new way,” she said. Liang grew up part time in New York City’s Chinatown and draws influence from her childhood there, even showing inside the Far East surreal atmosphere of Chelsea restaurant Buddakan. “I kind of grew up in a restaurant,” she quipped backstage.

Nostalgia, fantasy and a bit of surrealism — that is her lane and she delivered it with spring’s collection. There were cat cartoons on dresses and handbags, tiered ruffle dresses and nightgowns with cheeky care labels on the outside.

She also spoke about dollhouses and learning about life through Tomagotchi, cementing her modern nostalgia as fashion. But Liang isn’t stuck in the past, as she is seeing the grandmas she adored in a new light. “I’m really inspired by the flowy floral dresses and how they layer their clothes,” she said, offering her own ideas of layers with a bright blue gingham skirt and bra under a coat with a rounded collar. There is a sweetness in her work, with short-sleeve jackets with rounded shoulders, which came in three pastel hues and were paired with conversational handbags and her take on a white “tabi” shoe.

One trapeze-shaped sleeveless dress had a mix of underwear sewn across it, the type of humor and whimsy in her work that resonates with her customer. And as her show notes read, “This is what made me who I am.”