Portrait of Alexis Liu
i. Biography
Coming Up
Alexis Liu’s work reads as a sequence of shifts across materials, image, and retail, with each move carrying the same attention to form and use. At Ralph Lauren, Alexis Liu worked as a textile designer, a role rooted in surface, touch, and the discipline of pattern. At Comme des Garcons, Alexis Liu moved into PR, where the register changes from cloth to communication but still depends on precision. Alexis Liu later became a coffee shop owner in SF, bringing that sensibility into a setting defined by daily service and repeat contact. The arc now lands in two current roles: Alexis Liu is the owner of Highway 1 Trading and, since 2017, co-owner of Dad's Luncheonette.
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Where They Are Now
Routine, for Alexis Liu, is kept deliberately light. The daily sequence is pared down to coffee, a little yoga, and drums, which Alexis Liu describes as meditation. It is a practical kind of maintenance: one ritual to start the day, one to reset, and one that functions as a private clearing practice rather than performance. Discovery appears to matter more than repetition. For Alexis Liu, new ground is enough to shift perspective: a walk, a hike, a random shop, or a neighborhood not yet known can all supply a change in angle.
Exploration, in this frame, does not need scale or spectacle. Alexis Liu treats attention itself as the tool, and a short detour is often enough to make familiar work feel newly charged.
In Their Words “Exploration keeps me inspired - I love getaways, but even if I don’t get out of town, sometimes just a walk or hike, going into random shop, or neighborhood I haven’t been before can give a fresh perspective.”
Honors
Awards and credentials are not part of the career information given for Alexis Liu.
FAQ
Asked of Alexis
What is Alexis Liu's current role?
As of 2026, Alexis Liu is Co-owner.
Where did Alexis Liu work before?
Alexis Liu's earlier career included Ralph Lauren, Comme des Garcons, and coffee shop.
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In the same rooms
The Sunday email
Read about chefs like Alexis Liu in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.