![\"Yvonne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CBY5TWHO75GZBELFMCQW6IFHHU.jpg\")
Liao’s shoe line includes a collection of vibrant mules, sandals, flats, boots and stilettos. (Courtesy of Nafisa Skeie Photog<\/p>\nSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Yvonne Liao loves a good shoe. Boot, stiletto, ballet flat or chunky wedge, she believes each pair is more than just a collection of fabric and leather. Instead, they are a celebration of heritage and self-expression; a profound symbol of where you have come from and where you are about to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cShoes are the embodiment of a woman\u2019s journey,\u201d noted Liao, designer, shoemaker and founder of an eponymous Staten Island\u2013based footwear brand, Yvonne Liao NYC. \u201cEach pair is a fashion statement, an amazing story, and a celebration of women stepping confidently into their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Liao, who grew up in Singapore, her fun, colorful and comfortable designs are a representation of her individuality.<\/p>\n
\u201cI come from a very conservative society,\u201d she noted. \u201cAnd as a young woman I often felt constrained by invisible societal norms, such as modest dress codes that did not allow me to fully express myself. Shoes have always been my means of self-expression.\u201d<\/p>\n
A trip to Hong Kong when she was just a teenager opened her eyes to the world of shoemaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI visited my friend\u2019s father\u2019s shoe factory in China,\u201d she said. \u201cThe sounds of machines, the smell of leather, and access to the factory\u2019s sample closet sparked my lifelong love for shoes \u2014 particularly bold, colorful styles that reflected my rebellious nature and allowed me to express myself when clothing could not.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2013, at the age of 30, Liao left her job as a schoolteacher in Singapore and moved to the United States to study fashion. After earning her master\u2019s degree from the College of Art & Design in Savannah, Georgia, she traveled to New York to complete an internship.<\/p>\n
Liao’s shoe line includes a collection of vibrant mules, sandals, flats, boots and stilettos. (Courtesy of Nafisa Skeie Photog<\/p>\n
\u201cI fell in love with this city,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter my internship, I landed a job with a small fashion company, learned about production and a bit of marketing and selling. It was a good training ground for me, but I gradually moved on to work in some bigger companies.\u201d <\/p>\n
Still, something was missing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt very uninspired by the footwear that people were wearing on the streets \u2014 muted styles constricting shades of black, grey, brown and white that lack personality and color,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Liao also struggled to find fashionable, versatile and comfortable shoes that would not aggravate her plantar fasciitis \u2014 a painful result of her avid running hobby. <\/p>\n
\u201cI imagined creating shoes for women who, like me, wanted fun, unique and comfortable shoes that express their individuality,\u201d he recalled. <\/p>\n
So, in 2018 Liao began learning the art of shoemaking and started designing a collection of vibrant mules, sandals, and stilettos. <\/p>\n
\u201cSharing my shoe journey along the way, I realized countless women faced the same challenge,\u201d she noted. \u201cThe footwear I created fills a void \u2014 each pair thoughtfully designed to transition effortlessly from day to night, blending playful design details, hand-embellished rhinestones, and cushioned red insoles that redefine comfort and confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liao said she leans on her friends for inspiration, surveying them for ideas on comfort, style and aesthetic. She defined her capsule collection \u2014 which can be ordered online at www.yvonneliaonyc.com<\/a> \u2014 as fun and vibrant.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is customized and hand embellished,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes every shoe unique.\u201d<\/p>\n In the future, she said she envisions opening a private shopping space that doubles as a destination for events.<\/p>\n \u201cShoes are a universal piece of fashion that truly bring women together,\u201d she concluded. \u201cI would love to open a space that celebrates and unites women, a showroom of sorts where we can gather, celebrate each other and talk about our journey and the shoes that brought us where we are today.\u201d<\/p>\n Liao is hosting a \u201cRed Friday\u201d sale from Nov 21 until Dec. 7, during which all shoes on her site will be 20% off. <\/p>\n New Businesses in Focus is a column that tells the stories of new Staten Island business owners. If you run a new business on Staten Island and would like to be featured, e-mail jgorman@siadvance.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yvonne Liao NYC at a glance:<\/p>\n Website: www.yvonneliaonyc.com<\/a><\/p>\n Instagram: @yvonneliaonyc<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Yvonne Liao loves a good shoe. Boot, stiletto, ballet flat or chunky wedge, she…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":45902,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-45901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}