With inspiration drawn from 'Secretary', 'The Silence of the Lambs', and the watercolors of Georgia O’Keeffe, the 2025 CFDA/Genesis House AAPI Award finalist Allina Liu staged her first runway show at New York Fashion Week and marked a milestone for her eponymous womenswear and accessories label.
With inspiration drawn from 'Secretary', 'The Silence of the Lambs', and the watercolors of Georgia O’Keeffe, the 2025 CFDA/Genesis House AAPI Award finalist Allina Liu staged her first runway show at New York Fashion Week and marked a milestone for her eponymous womenswear and accessories label.
Describe what you make: I design clothing for those who cherish the pieces in their closets, don’t follow trends, and appreciate nods to horror and BDSM.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: The SS25 Nyx Dress, in collaboration with me and TomTex. It remains one of my life’s greatest honors to have been able to collaborate with the Brooklyn-based biomaterial lab. Uyen and Ross are spearheading the new wave of materials that will help push circularity and do not harm animals (a mission near and dear to my heart). The lab uses seafood shell waste and mushroom enzymes to create a material that looks and feels just like real leather.
I don’t use leather or fur in my work due to personal ethics, so when I was approached to create a piece in partnership with TomTex, I felt like it was meant to be. The result is a dress that I’m deeply proud of and was recently featured in an exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne!
Quick plug for something I also really want to highlight: our Orchid Bag from the new SS26 collection. Created in collaboration with my friend Carter Peterson, it marks my first accessory and I’m so excited about it. It’s a stunning little purse (meant to resemble a mini briefcase) that is encrusted in white resin orchids. Carter is also an incredible talent in his own right and launched his lighting company recently called Enody (@enody.lighting). He’s utilizing his medium in an innovative new way, check out his work if you can!
Credit: Gio Cardenas…
Credit: Gio Cardenas…
Describe the problem your work solves: I don’t believe the world needs more clothing, so I wouldn’t say my work is solving a concrete problem. I do this because I love it and because it has been my dream since I was a kid. We take steps to reduce our environmental and carbon footprint by using recycled cottons and producing only in very small batches, but I know that doesn’t mean I’m fixing the larger issues at hand.
What feels more meaningful to me is the impact on an existential level. My work is about building worlds that live in our fantasies and creating moments of freedom and imagination in what can often feel like a heavy, discouraging time.
Describe the project you are working on now: We just wrapped up our first runway show for SS26 which, I’m so happy to report, went very smoothly. We had some incredible sponsors this season to help see our vision to fruition so just wanted to give a quick thank you to Clean Origin, our amazing jewelry sponsor for all the support.
My current focus is on designing three looks as part of my selection for the CFDA | Genesis House Design Innovation Grant. I was selected alongside 2 other incredible NYC-based fashion designers to participate in a sponsored trip to Seoul, South Korea to learn about the rich culture and heritage. In February 2026, we’ll face off in a design competition that will be on display at Genesis House NYC for a month.
Oh right and I also need to design all of Fall/Winter ’26 in the next 2 months too, whew! Wish me luck!
Credit: Gio Cardenas…
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: We’ll be launching our FW’25 collection titled Tomorrow Will Be Better soon. Some really special pieces in there. Also, touched on it in the previous question but I hope you’ll consider following along our CFDA / Genesis House journey on our IG @allina.liu!
What you absolutely have to have in your studio: I’m always listening to something when I’m in the studio. Usually it’s true crime episodes on YouTube or podcasts, but sometimes I enjoy working while listening to video game walkthroughs (particularly scary ones).
Another must have in a design studio: Good lighting so I can see color clearly!
What you do when you’re not working: I read! Fiction and books that center around personal growth are my current favorites.
Sources of creative envy: Ari Aster. I just want to live in his brain (though I feel like I’d be brutally killed off in 2 seconds if that were the case).
The distraction you want to eliminate: Social media. Honestly, I struggle to see many benefits and find myself wanting more distance from it every day. Seeing misinformation spread so easily, along with the negative impact it can have on mental health, has only reinforced my feeling that if it weren’t necessary for my work and business, I’d happily stick with a flip phone. I miss you, my pink Motorola Razr.
Credit: Moment Department…
Concrete or marble? Marble but no bookmatching. Never seen it not look tacky but I love to be proven wrong!
High-Rise Or Townhouse? A townhouse is my dream. But alas, no one can afford one of those in NYC unless you’re born into significant wealth or make it big. It’s free to dream though.
Remember Or Forget? Remember. I have learned significantly more from my failures than my successes- I would never want to forget my hardest days.
Aliens Or Ghosts? Ghosts!!!! Spooky. But would also prove that there is an afterlife so that could provide some solace?
