looks we like
UNLOGICAL POEM DESIGNER TIMMY TIAN WANTS YOU TO CLOWN AROUND IN HER PLAYFUL PIECES.
What motivated you to start Unlogical Poem? I published a magazine called Little Thing, and around 2012, we opened a shop that sold many interesting indie fashion brands from all over the world. They inspired me a lot, but it was still a bit difficult to find fancier indie brands with reasonable prices. As my major at university was fashion design, I decided to try starting my own.
Where did the name come from? I love classic things mixed with a little quirk and fun, and the word ‘unlogical’ came to me first. After, I read an Emily Dickinson poetry book. I hoped my brand could achieve a feeling that is poetic but interesting, fancy but ‘unlogical’. I think it’s charming when someone can carry two opposite parts together.
What type of person do you design for? I look beyond age and design for someone who always keeps an innocence inside, while also having a sense of humour when looking at the world.
Tell us about the Circus collection. I am a big, big circus fan. I just love the fantastic images and roles – especially clowns – because our life is like a big circus, a dramatic lila (‘holy drama’ in Sanskrit). We don’t need to watch a real circus nowadays, but we are still inspired by the images. In this range, we’ve included clown-like ruffle collars, polka-dot patterns inspired by decorative circus objects, and circus illustrations.
Who did you collaborate with for this collection? I’ve been wanting to collaborate with my friend Nathalie Lété for a long time. She’s a French artist and we’ve worked together in the magazine several times. Nathalie is so full of passion – I adore her beautiful fairytale world so much! When I saw her circus illustrations, I thought it was a good opportunity to create a collection together. It was magical to work with her.
How have you played with colour, fabric and texture? Embroideries are used frequently in this collection – I wanted to give a little surprise when people wear it and feel it. There’s velvet and silk, and customembroidered fabrics for coats and skirts. The sweaters have very colourful patterns, and the hoodies have sequins on the front – I like to mix different textures together. I also customised little elephant and bear buttons, which were drawn by Nathalie and hand-painted one by one by our crafters.
Describe the studio where most of this was designed. Our studio and office is located in Shenzhen, China. It’s kind of a mess, but we’ve coloured the walls in different functional areas.
What is the creative scene like in your city? There are many creative events happening in Shenzhen. There are exhibitions in different art locations and institutes, and every second year there’s the Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism/architecture, which is the most magnificent creative event with many famous artists and architects coming over to show their work. The whole city joins in to enjoy it.
What is your personal approach to fashion and clothing? I prefer a vintage, girly style, or combined Western and Eastern fashion – old and new together.
Where can we see more of your stuff? At unlogicalpoem.store or on Instagram at @unlogicalpoem.