i asked sandy liang about the bow tax
an interview with the designer on her latest collab, the drawbacks of popularity, the bow tax, and motherhood.
“I honestly don't know much about what the word coquette means. It's not a word that I find inspiring.” —Sandy Liang
If you’ve been reading The Molehill for a minute, Sandy Liang requires no introduction.
Given that my first post ever in 2021 (on the rise of Polly Pocket aesthetics in fashion) referenced Sandy Liang’s costume jewelry, it feels like a full circle moment to have her on today’s newsletter as an interview guest.
Our conversation was set in motion by Sandy Liang’s collaboration with Beats, which was announced this morning. The product is a pair of silver headphones, Sandy-fied with a pink bow over the head—further cementing the bow as the heart of the designer’s visual codes.
I wondered whether this collab would get us talking about the bow again. Remember the bow tax discourse that followed the release of the Baggu collab? (The logic isn’t quite applicable here, as the Sandy Beats cost the same as the other colorways).
In the past few years, Sandy Liang has become one of the most discourse-y brands in contemporary fashion. My hypothesis is that it’s because the brand’s aesthetic pillars (bows, girlhood, nostalgia) have hit every raw nerve in The Culture.
What I really wanted to know is how Sandy herself navigates all this as a fashion designer: the success, the sold-out collabs, the devoted fanbase.
But also—fan disappointment, critique, and the cultural baggage surrounding bows.
On a Zoom last week, we talked about:
why this collaboration with Beats makes sense for her brand
why she keeps coming back to the bow
being conflated with the coquette and balletcore aesthetic
the drawbacks of brand popularity/fan culture
how motherhood influenced her Fall collection
Oh, and this is what I wore for our call.
Interviewed has been edited for length and clarity.
Hi Sandy! It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for making the time.
How did this collaboration with Beats come about? Who reached out first and why did it feel like a good fit for your brand?