Joy Li, Fashion Designer and Partner at STUDIO Joy Li

Almost every girl envied their most beloved doll, Barbie. How could you not? Her closet was stocked with clothes for almost every occasion: from a bikini for a day at the beach to a luxurious ball gown. While many girls go through a temporary Barbie phase, Scottsdale fashion designer, Joy Li’s, passion for fashion emerged during her dress-up days. “When I was 8-years-old, [I would] draw outfits for paper doll Barbie against the windowsill,” she says.

Li was born in Austin, Tex., and was raised in one of the fashion capitals of the world, New York. She went to college at Carnegie Mellon, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in design. Li launched her first clothing line in 2007 and showcases her fashion-forward designs at her Scottsdale boutique, STUDIO Joy Li. She has been designing for 24 years.

Wearing one’s confidence is key and, often time, clothing is an outward expression of just how confident an individual is with his or herself. This is the exact mentality that Li embraces when creating her collections. “[My clothing] incorporates quality, functionality for lifestyle and great design, utilizing the fundamentals of color, proportion, material. Styles that create the most flattering look [result in] a strong, confident attitude.” Her promise to deliver fierce fashion—translating strength, beauty and confidence—is taking the Valley and country by storm one outfit at a time.
—Elizabeth Liberatore