NYC MEETS LONDON: TWO IT-GIRL FAVOURITES UNITE
September 2, 2026
Fashion & Beauty
Online Exclusive
Words:
Beanie Stolper
Beanie Stolper
PUSS PUSS sits down with Cou Cou Intimates founder Rose Colcord to talk their Sandy Liang collaboration, girlhood, nostalgia and the art of everyday, uniform dressing
Beanie Stolper: You’re taking us back to school with this collaboration. At school everyone was on a quest to make their uniform seemingly “cooler” somehow; rolling up the skirt, wearing a slightly too-long vest dragged way below the shirt hem… and now you’ve actually made it cool the Cou Cou x Sandy Liang way. How did that idea of reworking the uniform and those small “rebellious” styling rituals feed into the collection?
Rose Colcord: Omg, the rolling of the skirt is all too familiar!! We wanted to reimagine that back-to-school spirit with this sense of nostalgia and play, which are two things I think both Sandy Liang and Cou Cou really share: a romantic nostalgia and this idea that the everyday can still be playful. Sandy and I are also both really inspired by the idea of creating an everyday uniform through our brands: beautifully designed pieces that carry you through your daily life, while still making you feel cute. When we started talking about back to school, we immediately knew we wanted to do ‘Days of the Week’ undies. There’s something so nostalgic about September and relearning the days of the week after a long summer. The ‘Well Read Tank’ pack brings in a bit of humour and isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. And then the pyjamas came from this idea that there’s beauty in showing up, even when you’re not dressed up to the nines. Some days, showing up is what matters. We wanted to make cute PJs for those days, but also for cozy self-care nights curled up with your favourite book as we head into fall.
BS: Why did Sandy Liang feel like the perfect first collaborator for Cou Cou? What do you think you both understand about the way women want to dress and dress to live now?
RC: Firstly, Sandy and I just got on on a really personal and creative level. And we both have two-year-olds, which actually ended up inspiring quite a lot of the capsule!! Our brands also share this sense of nostalgia, just expressed in different ways and this philosophy that your favourite pieces shouldn’t be saved for special occasions. Every day is worth wearing your favorites and you can do anything in a dress and comfy undies. I think Sandy and I both have a deep understanding of how women actually want to dress in their everyday lives: they want to feel comfortable and like themselves but still feel really cute. Coming together to make organic cotton intimates and pyjamas felt so natural, especially at a time when women are becoming much more conscious of the materials they’re wearing closest to their skin and sleeping in every night.
BS: Cou Cou has such a distinct universe. How do you know when something feels “Cou Cou” versus simply being cute?
RC: It’s really a feeling!! Cou Cou has so many layers, but there’s always this sense of nostalgic romance, a European romance of times past, while still feeling open, playful and deeply in touch with how women want to live and feel in their bodies and everyday lives. More than anything, it has to celebrate the beauty of everyday things: simple, beautifully designed, high-quality essentials and the female experience. Something can be cute, but for it to feel Cou Cou it has to have a little more feeling behind it.
BS: The pieces are technically underwear and sleepwear, but they are designed to have a life outside the bedroom. Do you think the distinction between what a piece of clothing dictates is becoming less important?
RC: Yes, I definitely think the line between outerwear and intimates or sleepwear has blurred. Sometimes all it takes is a cute bag and ballet flats to turn your nightie into a dress! It’s something Cou Cou has really leaned into from the beginning: the versatility of our product and the idea that pieces shouldn’t dictate how you wear them. My own style has always had that kind of ease to it, so it’s informed not only this collaboration but the way we’ve designed Cou Cou from the very beginning. I love clothes that can move through your whole day with you.
BS: There’s a very NYC meets London girl code to this collaboration. Sandy Liang feels like such a natural NYC counterpart to Cou Cou; what do you think your two worlds have in common?
RC: Well, I love New York and actually lived there for a while and, perhaps surprisingly, it’s our number one city for Cou Cou! And Sandy loves London. I think there’s a shared girlhood language between the two brands. Nostalgia is so inherently woven into both of our worlds. There’s always humour, play and a little irreverence to it. It feels very London meets New York in that way.
BS: Who are the women whose personal style you’re currently obsessed with and who would be the most perfect person that you would love to wear the collab?
RC: Urgh, so many! Jane Birkin forever. Sofia Coppola’s films are always such a source of inspiration. Zoë Kravitz. I’ve also been finding so much fun style inspiration from rewatching nostalgic favourites of mine: ‘The Parent Trap’, ‘A Cinderella Story’ and ‘Sex and the City’. But really, I’m most inspired by my friends and the women I see walking down the street who just look completely confident and themselves. So the perfect person to wear the collaboration is honestly that girl: someone walking down the street, wearing it completely her own way.
BS: Comfort is obviously always key with Cou Cou, but this collection proves you can still look cool and cute while being extremely comfortable. Do you think we’re finally getting over the idea that comfort and style have to be opposites?
RC: I hope so! I’ve never really understood why they should be opposites. For me, the best clothes are the ones you naturally reach for again and again because they make you feel both comfortable and beautiful. That’s always been really fundamental to Cou Cou. We design for women’s everyday lives and embodied experience, so feeling comfortable in ourselves and in our bodies, should require sacrificing comfort or confidence. There’s something incredibly empowering about feeling completely at ease in what you’re wearing. Comfort for Cou Cou is yes taken literally, but really represents the first step in feeling comfortable in yourself.
BS: Cou Cou has built such a strong community around something as everyday as underwear. What do you think people are actually responding to beyond the product itself? Is it the world building? The models you use? Or more the strategy behind it all?
RC: It starts, first and foremost, with the product. We’re obsessed with the beauty of simple, high-quality essentials and creating pieces from the finest 100% organic cotton.
We’re incredibly passionate about natural fibres and providing a better option for women: everyday classics that are comfortable and cute without compromising on beautiful design. Women are also becoming so much more conscious of synthetics and the materials they’re wearing directly against their skin every day, and I think there’s a real connection happening around that. But beyond the product, Cou Cou was founded on a philosophy and a set of values that I think resonate with a new generation of women. The world building, the women we photograph, the stories we tell, the humour, the nostalgia, it all comes from that same philosophy. I think our community can feel when something is genuine rather than a marketing strategy. Hopefully they see a little bit of themselves in the world we’re creating.
BS: Finally, how come the NYC girls get to experience Cou Cou IRL and we don’t? When are we getting a London town Cou Cou store? I feel like we need to bring the comfies to the bricks and mortar of London.
