Who Is Leo Lin? The Sydney Label Behind the Prints

Leo Lin is an Australian womenswear label, launched in Sydney in 2017 by the designer whose name it carries. Nine years on it has become one of the brands Luxury Handbags customers ask for by name for weddings and race days, and the reason is simple: nobody else makes a printed midi dress that is quite this decisive. This guide covers who is behind the label, how the clothes are made and what to look for when you buy your first piece.

The designer behind the label

Leo Lin is both founder and creative director. The label was launched in Sydney in 2017, and the Sydney studio still sets the design direction each season. What sets the brand apart from most Australian contemporary labels is what happens after the sketch. Leo Lin owns its atelier in Dalian, China, and design, sampling and production all run in-house there. That is unusual at this price point, and it is the reason the hand-worked details are so consistent: the same team sews the 3D floral appliqué on a Roselle bustier that finishes the beaded sprigs on a Snow Meadow lace kaftan.

The house draws on its founder’s Chinese heritage and on the Australian creative scene it grew up in. You can see both in the clothes. The prints are botanical and painterly, drawn in-house and exclusive to the brand. The shapes are structured and feminine: mandarin collars, fitted waists, butterfly sleeves, crinoline hems.

What Leo Lin is known for

Three things, mostly.

• Exclusive prints. Each season brings a new print story. Fall 2026 alone has seven, from a Lily Print on dusty indigo to an Agapanthus Print on sherbet yellow. They are never licensed and never repeated by another label.
• Hand embellishment. Appliqué, embroidery and beading are applied by hand in the Dalian atelier. On the tweed pieces the florals are laser cut and then sewn on, so the surface has real depth.
• Occasion silhouettes. The Bianca short-sleeve midi with its matching belt, the Roselle bustier mini, the Katrina butterfly-sleeve midi and the Rayna bustier maxi return every season in new colourways. If you liked the shape once, you can buy it again.

How the clothes are made

A Leo Lin dress starts as a print painted in the Sydney studio. The Dalian atelier then samples the garment, cuts the fabric and does the finishing work by hand. Fabrics vary by piece: silk linen for the butterfly-sleeve midis, cotton for the belted shirt dresses, a wool-blend tweed for the appliqué jackets and minis, silk and velvet for the embellished gowns, and a soft vegan suede for the Azure and Chestnut pieces. Most dresses are fully lined, and many of the lace styles come with a slip dress included.

Sizing and fit

Leo Lin sizes in Australian sizing, which reads the same as UK sizing, so an AU 8 is a UK 8. US sizing runs two sizes down, which makes that same dress a US 4. The fit is true to size, with tailored shoulders and a fitted waist. Luxury Handbags lists every piece on the UK ladder from 4 to 18. If you sit between sizes and want ease for a long evening, take the larger one.

Is Leo Lin a luxury brand?

It sits at the top of the contemporary bracket rather than in designer luxury. At Luxury Handbags a printed midi dress is around $1,270, a bustier mini around $1,570 and the gowns run from about $2,160 to $3,920. What you are paying for is exclusive print, hand finishing and an in-house atelier, not a logo. Against Zimmermann it is a step more affordable and a step more structured. Against Aje it is more formal and more embellished.

Where to start

If you buy one piece, make it a printed midi. The Bianca Short Sleeve Midi Dress in Lily Print in Indigo is the house shape in the season’s darkest print, belted, pocketed and fully lined. For a wedding with a dress code, the Agathy Velvet Embellished Gown in Forest needs no jewellery. For something you will wear on repeat, the Caroline Appliqué Short Sleeve Midi Dress in Dusty Pink works for a christening and a garden lunch alike.

Shop the full Leo Lin collection at Luxury Shoes , then read how to style Leo Lin, the Fall 2026 print edit and our guide to brands like Leo Lin.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Leo Lin based?

Leo Lin is based in Sydney, Australia, where it was launched in 2017. Its garments are made in the brand’s own atelier in Dalian, China.

Who founded Leo Lin?

The label was founded by Leo Lin, who remains its creative director and oversees design, sampling and production.

Does Leo Lin ship internationally?

Through Luxury Shoes , yes. Luxury Handbags ships Leo Lin worldwide with express options.

What size should I order in Leo Lin?

Your usual UK size. AU and UK sizing match, and US is two sizes down.