New designer alert: YQY by Vivian


A new local designer has popped up on my radar, YQY by Vivian. From her bio: "The label YQY stands for Yuan Qian Yi, designer Vivian Aronson's Chinese name. YQY is a true reflection of Vivian, who grew up in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan Province and moved to the Twin Cities in 2005." The designer has recently got attention for her personal style at events, and received a style profile by METRO Magazine.

Let's take a look, shall we?


Love this striped romper - what a perfect summer outfit for something like the Bastille Day block party.

The neckline is lovely. A nice but fairly safe look.

An attention-grabbing look. The shine of the fabric gives the plaid an extra edge, as does the rough-edges of the shoulder detail.

Appears to be nicely tailored, but I'm starting to sense a disconnect with Vivian's aesthetic. It goes from youthful and fresh to a bit staid and mature rather quickly, and the colors/patterns are in competition. It's worth noting these looks are not part of a singular collection, but rather a collection of the designer's early work.

Pretty and saleable though not particularly memorable. Would like to see her push it a little more.


Darling, very '60s babydoll/Valley of the Dolls.

Pretty neckline.

Great movement and very dramatic.

Overall, I see a lot of potential here and great workmanship. With a little focus and perhaps a little more unique detail, the line could really be a contender.

All Photos: Stokes Foto
Model: Lily for Ignite
Makeup: Maggie Obermaier