Yvonne Liao is a New York based shoe designer. She designs and creates fun, vibrant and comfortable footwear for women to wear from day to night.
You were a secondary school teacher in Singapore before moving to the US to pursue your studies in the creative industry. How did your experience as a teacher support you in your transition into a fashion entrepreneur?
I think being a teacher definitely built a strong foundation for living my life abroad in many ways. Being a school teacher in Singapore was a very demanding job because it required me to wear many hats. I wasn’t just teaching my students in the classroom—I was also the teacher-in-charge of Red Cross, involved in planning the annual school magazine, organizing overseas school trips, and serving as a counsellor and mentor to my students.
All of these responsibilities taught me how to manage multiple priorities, improve my interpersonal skills through working with people from different backgrounds, solve problems independently, and adapt quickly when things didn’t go according to plan. Looking back, I realize that those skills prepared me not only for moving abroad, but also for navigating life and building a life and career in a completely new environment when I moved to the United States in my late 20s.
We tend to see shoes as an everyday item that gets us from point A to point B, but your love for shoes goes beyond that. Can you share more about it with us?
Growing up in a more conservative Asian society like Singapore, I was always artistically inclined and loved wearing fun, colorful shoes as a way to express my individuality. People might stare when I wore something more revealing, but they couldn’t say the same when I wore an outrageous pair of shoes. Shoes became my way of standing out while expressing my individuality.
My connection to shoemaking actually began when I was a teenager. A friend’s father owned a shoe factory in China, and I had the opportunity to visit. I was fascinated by everything—the sounds, the smells, and the energy of the factory. But the best part was discovering the sample closet, where I could pick any pair of shoes I wanted. Of course, I always gravitated toward picking the most colorful ones.
As I grew older, my love for shoes gradually evolved into a desire to design them. When I was living in New York, I found myself uninspired by many of the shoes I saw on the streets. At the same time, after more than 20 years of running and countless miles walking around New York, my feet were starting to hurt, and I could no longer comfortably wear high heels.
I became frustrated by the lack of shoes that were both comfortable and fun—shoes that had personality without sacrificing how they felt on your feet. Eventually, I thought, Why not learn how to make them myself?
In 2018, I took my first shoemaking class. One pair led to the next, and before I knew it, I was creating my own capsule collection. What started as a desire to make shoes for myself slowly became the beginning of my brand.Looking back, I realize that my shoes have always reflected my life’s journey. For example, I remember the gold heels I wore for my first university graduation, the silver heels I wore for my graduation in Savannah, and the shoes I wore on my wedding day. Each pair is connected to a particular moment, place, or milestone in my life.
As I began sharing my shoe stories with other women, I realized that I wasn’t the only one who felt emotionally connected to my shoes. Women began sharing their own stories with me—memories of a special pair they wore for an important milestone, a pair that reminded them of someone they loved, or shoes that brought them back to a particular moment in their lives.
That’s when I realized that shoes can carry so much more than our feet. They can carry memories, emotions, and stories. And sometimes, a pair of shoes can hold a piece of someone we love or a chapter of our lives that we never want to forget.
Shoes are symbolic of the journey we take through life. They remind us where we came from, reflect where we are today, and carry us toward the adventures that lie ahead.
You were recently interviewed on the Tamron Hall Show and also for Singapore’s main broadsheet newspaper, The Straits Times. What were some highlights of those moments for you?
Being on The Tamron Hall Show taught me an enduring lesson about the power of perseverance.
I first came to know one of the show’s producers through an online PR and marketing course I took. One of the most exciting parts of the course was having the opportunity to pitch PR ideas to actual professionals in the industry. During the course, I pitched my brand, and the producer thought I could be a good fit for the show’s “Up and Coming Designer” series, which gives emerging fashion designers an opportunity to showcase their work.
I applied and went through the interview process, but ultimately, I wasn’t selected. I was incredibly disappointed at the time. But instead of walking away, I decided to stay in touch with the producer. Whenever I had something new happening with my brand—a new design, a new collection, or an exciting milestone—I would send her an update.
Then, one day, I received an email from that same producer. There was an opportunity for me to appear on the show and share my story as an emerging shoe designer.
When I arrived backstage, I finally met the producer in person for the first time. The first thing she said to me was, “Your perseverance paid off. You just kept emailing, and finally, when the opportunity presented itself, you were the first person I thought of.”
That moment has stayed with me.
It was surreal to think about how far I had come—from leaving Singapore, changing careers, learning how to make shoes, building a brand from scratch, and eventually appearing on national television. I realized that sometimes the opportunities we want don’t happen when we expect them to, and rejection doesn’t necessarily mean the door is closed. Sometimes, it simply means the timing isn’t right yet.
I applied that same perseverance when I reached out to The Straits Times. For five months, I continued reaching out and following up before one of the reporters finally responded with a “yes.”
It reminded me that sometimes, the difference between an opportunity and no opportunity is simply being willing to keep showing up. I’ve learned not to take silence or rejection as a definitive “no.” Sometimes, it simply means “not yet.”
Both experiences taught me that building a brand—and building a life—requires patience, persistence, and the willingness to keep putting yourself out there, even when you don’t know whether the answer will ever be yes.
Moving overseas and starting a business in a new country can be challenging. What or who would you say were the biggest anchors on your business journey?
I think one of my biggest anchors in life is simply taking the first step toward something I’m interested in. I believe the only way to truly know whether you will love something is to try it—to take action and experience it for yourself.
I always loved shoes, and when I realized I wanted to become a shoe designer, I didn’t know exactly where that journey would take me. So I started with the most practical first step: I learned how to make shoes. That first class led to another pair, then another, and eventually to my own collection and brand.
I believe that taking the first step opens doors. Sometimes, you don’t know what the next step will be until you take the first one. Each experience, connection, and opportunity can lead you somewhere you never expected, gradually guiding you toward your goals and, ultimately, your purpose in life.
But while taking action has been important to my journey, I also know that I would not be where I am today without the support of the people around me.
My parents never discouraged me from pursuing my goals. They invested so much time, love, and resources in my education growing up, and they loved me enough to let me travel halfway around the world to pursue my dreams. That kind of support is something I never take for granted.
It also touches my heart whenever I return to Singapore and see my friends. They have known me for so many years, and seeing how genuinely proud they are of what I have accomplished means so much to me.
And, of course, I am incredibly grateful for my husband’s support. He has been my greatest source of support and my pillar of strength throughout my journey in New York. Starting over in a new country, changing careers, and building a business has not always been easy, and having someone beside me who believes in me has made all the difference.
When I look back at my journey, I realize that it has been a combination of taking that first step, staying persistent when things didn't happen right away, and having people who believed in me along the way.
What words of wisdom would you impart to women who are thinking of starting a business overseas?
Start small and take the first step toward something you’re interested in.
You don’t have to know exactly where the journey will take you. If you want to learn how to make a movie, for example, start by connecting with like-minded people, researching courses or classes, and learning the skills you need. You might start with one class, one conversation, or one small project.
Before you know it, those little steps forward begin to build momentum. One step leads to another, new opportunities open up, and you may find yourself much closer to your goal than you ever imagined.
That’s how my own journey into shoemaking began—with one class and one pair of shoes. I didn’t know then that it would eventually lead to becoming a shoe designer and building my own brand. Sometimes, you don’t need to see the whole path. You just need to take the first step.