MARRKNULL’s latest AW25 collection offered us an insight into their inner child’s (and similarly, our inner child’s) fondest practices: dressing up. The models, adorned with blankets, pillows, lego’s, dolls, and lampshades alike, remind us of our own childhood fashion shows at family gatherings. The main goal back then was convincing parents to let you have a sleepover – and the process was completely unbothered by established ways (industry practices, who?), instinctively creating without even knowing there were rules to begin with. This embrace of spontaneous creativity led not to a sleepover, but to an impressive collection that reimagines familiar garments through the lens of childhood play. Exposed bras, necklines flowing off the shoulders (similar to when you put an adult t-shirt on a toddler), fabrics draping well on the floor, shoes made of teddy bear plushies. Clearly in designers and founders Tim Shi and Mark Wang’s design ethos, storytelling is the duo’s holy grail, and functionality takes a back seat (where it belongs). Stepping into Marrknull’s world means saying hello to curiosity, play, reconnecting with carefree exploration, and gives a big middle finger to adult rationality (albeit temporarily). It also means excusing having a lollipop stuck in your hair once in a while.
Can you tell us more about the title of this collection, ‘Pure Angel’?
This collection draws inspiration from childhood dress-up games, seeking to reconnect with that innate human instinct of using clothing as a means of self-expression and identity construction. “Pure Angel” represents the inner angel within us all, a metaphor for that primal urge to adorn and transform ourselves through fashion. The untainted creative will that first made us drape blankets as robes or tie towels as capes.
Love that – the childlike wonder where nothing is a ‘wrong answer’ must be an incredibly rich source of inspiration. The poem that goes alongside this collection paints a picture of a childlike dressing ritual, messy yet creative: “You dreamed of yourself again last night… two ill fitting trousers worn as one, you tied a t- shirt around your neck and put on a hooded jacket, wondering if you can wear three glasses at the same time.” How does this chaotic, yet intentional, process reflect the essence of the collection? Is there a vanity or vulnerability you’re exploring here?
We believe many people today are trapped by fashion, blindly following trends while losing their personal perspective and sensibility toward clothing. With this collection, we hope to evoke people’s pure, instinctive connection to fashion by reawakening childhood memories.
Your lookbook images are set in a bougie yet cluttered bedroom, filled with stuffed animals. It’s almost like a punky teen version of the set of Saltburn. What’s the story behind the character you’re creating with this scene?
We prefer to develop each season’s inspiration through character-building. We believe storytelling serves as a vital bridge, allowing viewers to quickly connect with the work and immerse themselves in the concepts we wish to convey. For this collection, we aim to invite people to reconsider clothing from a fresh perspective. Stepping into the room we’ve envisioned, means embarking on an exploratory journey of identity and self-expression. We encourage viewers to temporarily set aside adult rationality and return to a childlike innocence as they reexamine the meaning of clothing and how we use it to define and express ourselves.
You use a lot of “disjointed” layering – combining deliberately exaggerated / oversized and seemingly shrunken pieces. My favourite look is the one with white shorts and a shrunken wool vest. What’s the appeal of this frumpy, ‘mismatched’ aesthetic to you personally?
The essence of MARRKNULL lies in its paradoxical nature—rhythmically and methodically combining pieces of contrasting styles in unexpected ways to create deliberate visual disorder and chaos. We believe this carries a unique appeal. Similarly, we apply this design approach to each individual garment, giving every piece an unexpectedly unconventional structure.
We also love the skirt with the opening at the backside – hanging a bell infront of the buttcheeks. What’s the story behind that provocative piece?
This look was born from a brilliant styling experiment. The original way to wear this dress was to only expose the back, but during the shoot, we wanted to try something different, so we pulled the entire dress downward, revealing the buttcheeks instead, and even accessorized them with little bells. I believe this is also part of the playful charm of dressing up.
It’s cool that your design approach doesn’t stop when the garments are final, but also trickles down into the styling! The collection features a lot of toys and trinkets, do the objects portrayed (lego’s, dolls) hold any personal meaning to you? If so – how do you decide which trinkets or toys to incorporate?
Lego is a tool that helps children build the world of their imagination, and for Tim Shi, it also marked his first encounter with architecture. The small drawing board represents our earliest memories of engaging with art from childhood. We believe these little props can help us step into the role of children and better recall our original passion for the fashion industry.
Your work has often drawn from Chinese contemporary culture, but this collection feels like it leans into a retro, almost Western vibe, complete with granny-esque brocade fabrics. Are there any specific Chinese cultural references that you’ve woven into this collection, or is it a departure from that?
The boundaries of cultural hybridity are inherently fluid. County-level culture itself epitomizes how indigenous traditions confront foreign influences, we aim to articulate precisely this sense of paradox. For this collection, we delve deeper into excavating childhood memories. By staging the show in a granny-style vintage mansion on Paris’ outskirts, we construct a nostalgic tableau. The visual tension between our Eastern childhood recollections and this quintessentially Western retro setting manifests the very cultural contradictions MARRKNULL seeks to explore.
You’ve mentioned that daily life practices have been a key source of inspiration. What’s currently your own favorite mundane ritual or everyday routine?
My daily life is actually quite mundane, it’s mostly just the studio and home, though I’ve recently gotten into fitness. But creative sparks emerge unexpectedly: a passing detail, a space, or most powerfully, the emotional residue of lived moments.
Your backgrounds in knitting and architecture shape your approach to design in a unique way. How do these two influences come together to build the foundation of your brand?
Architecture is rational and restrained, while knitting holds the possibility of softness and romance. We see these two qualities as complementary. Our background in architecture lends a sculptural sensibility to our designs, while our expertise in knitting brings fluidity and intricate detail to the work.
Are you excited for Shanghai fashion week? What can we expect there?
Certainly! This Shanghai Fashion Week, MARRKNULL went beyond the AW25 collection debut – we curated a special archive exhibition with WWD Shanghai, while our collaborative campaign with Nike Air Max DN8 was officially launched during this period.
Exciting! can’t wait to see it <3
Words by Pykel van Latum
images courtesy of MARRKNULL
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