"The Butterfly Effect" by Luly Yang

They say that the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can stir a hurricane halfway across the world. So too, our actions, how we treat others, and the products we create cause a rippling effect in our world and the lives around us. The Monarch Butterfly Gown represents this creative evolution designed by Pacific Northwest designer Luly Yang.



She ventured into the fashion industry in 1999 as a graphic designer with her iconic Monarch dress engineered from digitally printed sheets of paper for a fundraising competition. In creating this paper dress, she realized her newly inspired dream of creating the dress in fabric, launching her career as a fashion designer with a purpose. The Monarch butterfly has since become a sigil for Yang and is also symbolic of the impact she wants to have on the world around her.



Operating as a designer who creates custom commissioned couture, from her runway collections to her clients, gives her the opportunity to celebrate individuality, something that mass production cannot do. And because most of her designs are ultimately commissioned and custom-designed, Yang can produce continually with little to no waste. This small act — not unlike the flutter of a butterfly wing — ultimately has a big impact on the planet.



She also understands the power of confidence and how clothing can unleash that feeling within the person wearing it, and how it can create a ripple effect in their own life.

Yang has returned to the butterfly over and over again throughout her career and it has become a coveted signature. The Butterfly Effect collection is inspired with renewed eyes that realize the precision of the butterfly’s magnificence into ball gowns, cocktail dresses, suiting and tuxedos, as well as everyday knitwear, handbags and clutches, jewelry and sunglasses.

Whether you have admired the Monarch Butterfly Gown from Luly's iconic downtown Seattle blue storefront windows or have pinned the recognizable image of the creation on your pinterest board, this collection is about scaling the beauty and soul of the premier design in any way that is meaningful to you, the wearer.