Ting Bu Dong

It’s 10 minutes to noon and Swedish-born designer Emma Rytoft is expected to walk through the door. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed artist slash architect has recently ventured into the fashion industry with a special edition collection called Ting Bu Dong, known by its devotees for its combination of Bohemian flair with soft, calm austerity. When Rytoft finally arrives, it’s easy to see why her friends encouraged her to extend her artistic talents to clothing. She looks stylish yet comfortable, avant-garde without the frills.

“The clothes that I design are ones that I would wear throughout the year. They are all also very unique in that they are an extension of my illustrations of Shanghai and none of them are mass produced,” says Rytoft.

If you’ve lived in Shanghai for a while, you may be familiar with Rytoft’s artwork. Her pieces, which are inspired by the interaction between people and objects, have a distinctive vibrancy composed of sharp, thick black lines. It's not odd to find that the figures in her artwork are made from buildings, as Rytoft admits that she is somewhat intrigued by the wild, unstructured drive deeply rooted in Shanghai’s concrete jungle.

“I’ve lived in other big cities before coming to China – places like London and Paris. But Shanghai is just different. It’s challenging for me as a foreigner; I’ve been here for two and a half years now, but I still don’t understand some things. I use the phrase ting bu dong on a daily basis. As a result, I created my artwork in response to my desire to discover clarity in the midst of confusion.”

Rytoft’s uniquely constructed clothing line was created to be a wearable extension of her art. Her friend Allen Poropat, a fashion design instructor at Raffles Design Institute, was the one who suggested that Rytoft silk-screen her illustrations onto shirts and dresses.

Rytoft admits that she didn’t expect that the collection would catch the eye of Nana & Bird store owner Chiewling Tan. In fact, Tan liked the clothes so much that she placed an order to sell Rytoft’s collection in her Singapore store and Shanghai pop-up boutique (which closed earlier this month). According to Rytoft, production took about three months from design to finish. Working with a tailor, Rytoft had each piece constructed from two contrasting fabrics: one, a textured bamboo jersey material and the other, a softer, sheer silk. The finished garments range in price from RMB 900 for a shirt up to RMB 1,500 for a dress.

For someone who jokes that her background in fashion only goes as far as fashion illustrations and experimentation, her clothing reception is something to be proud of.

“I like fashion because it doesn’t take long to see the end result. Deciding which print or which type of material to use takes a short time in comparison to building an office, for example. I like designing and producing my shirts and dresses because it’s a good hobby to balance architectural work, which sometimes takes years to realise.”

So far, 10 pieces have been sold with a good chance that another order will be placed for a second collection. Rytoft, however, shrugs at the idea of making her small side project into a mass-produced commodity. As she shakes her head adamantly at the idea, she confirms that Ting Bu Dong will remain a limited collection of pieces. “I am not interested in making this a big company that requires a factory. I honestly don’t want Ting Bu Dong to be manufactured on a large scale. It’s got a raw beauty to it that I don’t want to destroy.”

The online look-book of the collection shows that Rytoft celebrates the endearing traits of her clothes to their fullest by connecting the themes to its reality-based inspirations, bringing everything full circle. In one shot (pictured above), beautiful models are shovelling gravel as a confused old Chinese man stares blankly to the side. Another shot romanticises one of the models wearing a dress that seems to be made from the building. The charming look-book pictures do the collection justice by emphasising its campy silliness.

However, as much as she cares about the special line, Rytoft’s focus remains firmly on her illustrations. By the end of our conversation, it’s obvious where her heart lies. Of all her artistic endeavours, her clothing line is merely a trial project. “I’m more keen to promote my illustrations because the clothes take up only a small part of what I do.”

By appointment only. Tel: 138 1851 0954. Web: www.emmarytoft.com