Lilienne Zhang ’25 pairs a pale pink tank-top adorned with bows and a bear print with low rise jeans. She accessories with a scrunchie, dainty silver jewelry, and a fluffy brown bag in the shape of a bear. Zhang stresses coordination above all else — she color-coordinates her closet, sticks to feminine and youthful motifs, and even plays around with color analysis. Part of her signature style lies in her meticulous use of makeup and cosmetics to elevate her look, experimenting with a distinctly Douyin and K-pop-inspired style.
Zhang’s style is rooted in her childhood, inspired by her older sister and hobbies growing up. A significant aspect of her outfits has been her experience with dance, which has developed from ballet to K-pop.
“My sister influenced me a lot when I was younger. She would teach me how to do my makeup and she would dress me up. A lot of my clothes are hers that I’ve stolen from her closet, so I tend to dress like her. I was also a ballerina, so a lot of clothes were very ballet-based. I really loved to wear pink, practically all the time. I would always wear skinny jeans, which would mimic the look of ballet tights, and my hair was always in a slick back ponytail. Now especially as I [grew] older, it’s become a lot more casual, especially as I’ve quit ballet and I slowly started to do more K-pop. My fashion has followed my hobbies,” said Zhang.
Zhang meticulously organizes her closet, color-coordinating her clothes and planning outfits ahead of time. Through this system, Zhang finds it effortless to create cohesive, put-together outfits in the mornings.
“I like to [prepare my clothes] the night before, especially if it’s a particularly special day. I like to take out some of my favorite tops and lay them out. Usually in the morning, my closet is very well organized, unlike the rest of my room. I spend a lot of time organizing my closet because everything has to be color-coded. I have a really easy time picking my clothes because I know exactly what color combos I want to wear,” said Zhang.
Zhang learned makeup from her sister from a young age, and to this day continues to perfect her craft. Not only an extension to her outfits, makeup serves a larger purpose as a way to destress and do something she loves.
“[Makeup is] such a big way to de-stress for me. When I was going through the college process, I was so incredibly stressed while writing my essays. While some other people might have taken some time to take a nap or go outside, I just pulled out my nail polish and started doing my nails. It’s something that I genuinely never get tired of. I take a lot of my makeup inspiration from Chinese Douyin, as well as K-pop idols. It’s really fun, especially as I’m getting ready backstage for a dance performance. Lipstick isn’t going to change the dance, but it does bring you a sense of confidence and a sense of ‘Look good, feel good,’ which is why I do my makeup every day,” said Zhang.
While Zhang has a huge variety of clothes, she prefers to stick to a few favorites. She often goes for a playful look through gravitating towards bows and motifs of animals.
“With my tops I have a very big variety of them, yet I still have my favorites. I have this tank top that I really like. It has two bunnies on them and a cute little pink bow in the middle and I like to pair that with low rise jeans. My favorite motifs [are] animals and bows. Honestly anything like that, you will catch me repeating. It’s a really simple outfit, but it really encapsulates me because it’s a very feminine, playful, and very youthful outfit. My style has never been one to be mature or sophisticated. It’s always been very bouncy and playful,” said Zhang.
Besides her color-coordinated closet, Zhang puts emphasis on color through her interest in color analysis. Through practicing with consultations, she plays around with how to heighten a person’s outfit through masterfully using color.
“I’m really big into color analysis — I actually got certified. I’ve been pursuing it a little bit professionally. When I’m back in Hong Kong, I give consultations and people pay me to do this. Color analysis essentially informs you which your best colors are for makeup and clothes. I don’t think it actually makes the biggest difference in the world, and at the end of the day, wear what you want to wear. When somebody tells you that you look good in something, you feel good in that and therefore that can feel elevated. The last thing for any outfit, any look is just confidence and a smile on your face,” said Zhang.
