Andria Lieu grew up on the north side of Chicago and studied Fashion Design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, finishing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1990. During her studies, her experiments with the architectural and tactical qualities of knits juxtaposed with clean tailored lines earned her various awards, among them the Marshall Field Emanuel Ungaro Scholarship. After gathering experience at a menswear manufacturer, Miss Lieu launched her own company, Laqueus Inc., which produces the Andria Lieu Collection.