Liano's career in fashion started by chance in the early 1980s when Melbourne retailer Joe Silitto noticed a dress that she had made for her sister, and asked about selling the design.
[1][2] In 1983, Liano and her mother opened a shop, "Sempre L'Unico", in Toorak Village.
The family business, which included Liano's two sisters,[2][3] did well and they opened two more shops, in Chapel Street and the city.
[7] She also won Cosmopolitan magazine's Fun Fearless Female award in the Designer category.
[8][9] In 2011, the business went into administration, but in 2012 recovered after striking a licensing agreement with the Sydney-based Apparel Group.