Alysa Liu abides by her own fashion rules

As a child, Alysa Liu’s identity was bound to her sport. While other kids experimented with fashion to figure out who they were, Liu’s wardrobe was strictly functional from the time she hit the ice at the age of 5. Every day, she wore black leggings and long sleeve shirts. “I didn’t go to school, so there was no need to buy normal clothes,” she says.

But when she turned 16, she decided she wanted more from life than figure skating. She shocked the world when she retired right after she had won the bronze medal at the World Championships. She started taking psychology classes at UCLA, made new friends, and fell in love with fashion. She loved thrifting and discovered she had an eclectic taste, blending streetwear with grunge.  “On my quest to really get to know myself, I tried everything,” she says. “My sense of style came along with that.”

Liu’s look is unconventional. She’s known for her distinct facial piercing and hairstyle. When she smiles, a hint of silver jewelry flashes from under her upper lip. After doing in-depth research on oral piercings, Liu came across this particular style, known as a “smiley,” and immediately wanted it. She then figured how to pierce it herself. “I wanted it to be visible, but still concealed and not super obvious,” she says.

Her hair, which features horizontal stripes, has become iconic. It began when she dyed a blond “halo” at the top of her head and observed that it turned into a stripe as her roots grew out. It reminded her of trees. “When I was in elementary school, I used to be obsessed with tree trunks,” she says. “I used to count their rings because I knew that’s the indicator for age. I thought it would be cool to replicate that with my hair—so I started doing it every year.” 

When Liu returned to skating in 2024, her bold new look made it clear she was doing it on her own terms.  “This time, I really just wear what I feel good in,” she says. 

Earlier this year, at the age of 20, she won the gold medal at the women’s individual event at the Winter Olympics in Milan. She’s now in the biggest spotlight of her life and serves as an inspiration to many girls, who are drawn not just to her skill, but also her unapologetic personality and distinctive style. Her advice to them?

“Be brave,” she says. “You’re only going to know yourself through experimenting. That means sometimes doing things that other people think you shouldn’t. But you need to zone everybody else out.”