Kain Picken and Fiona Lau of ffiXXed derive inspirations from the mundane and reinterpret them into apparel with a twist. They open their Shenzhen studio to Rebecca Lo for a sneak peek.

About 40 minutes' drive from the glittering skyscrapers of Shenzhen's urban center is Wutong village. Named in honor of the mountain that it hugs, the village offers a slower and simpler pace not unlike Broken Hill in rural Australia where Kain Picken grew up. It is from Wutong's green landscape and clay brick houses that Picken and partner Fiona Lau have drawn inspiration for their label ffiXXed.

The two met originally in Melbourne, Australia, through mutual friends, where Picken has lived since the age of 14. Lau, born in Melbourne to parents originally from Hong Kong, was studying fashion at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. Picken had already graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts at the University of Melbourne, where he studied painting.

FfiXXed designs reference existing objects and garments but use unexpected fabrications. Pictured is from the ffiXXed Autumn/Winter 2013 womenswear series. Photos provided to China Daily

A long skirt from the ffiXXed Autumn/Winter 2013 womenswear collection.

An overcoat and shawl from the ffiXXed Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear.

The ffiXXed bag from its Spring/Summer 2014 collection takes on the concept of a recyclable plastic bag.

A sweater from the ffiXXed Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear collection.

When Picken obtained an internship to work for Bless in Berlin, Lau relocated with him to the eclectic German city. They began collaborating when they realized that they worked well together. Their first project was exhibited at Art Rotterdam, and they had to come up with a name to label their work.

"We didn't want to use our own names," explains Lau.

Picken says: "We wanted to develop another entity. At the time, we weren't sure which direction to take. FfiXXed is a play on something being fixed, whether it's an idea or a locale. We also played around with the spelling. Actually, we needed to come up with something right away and we just went with this name. We didn't think too much about it."

Lau explains: "The word ffiXXed has no inbuilt meaning. It implies something not that serious. And it's easy to search on the Internet."

Picken says: "I was working on paintings with Xs at the time. That's how the two capital Xs were included."

Although Picken has no formal training in fashion design, he feels that his lack of technical expertise worked to his advantage when he began creating apparel with Lau.

"Everything that we did from the beginning was related to fashion," he recalls. "We combined our respective backgrounds."

Lau says: "Our designs are like fabric sculpture."

Picken adds: "I don't really know how to sew."

Lau interjects: "But it's better to see clothing in a different way like that. If you have a background in sewing, you can really get bogged down by the technical side of things."

What they're doing isn't traditional, says Picken. "We're in a different category: We're more about how fashion merges with art and architecture," he says. "We're cross disciplinary and for that we don't have to be technically proficient.

Lau adds: "Plus, in Shenzhen, we can always find help to resolve technical issues."

After relocating to Hong Kong to take advantage of her family's garment connections, Lau found things were more efficient in Asia. Picken, who originally thought that they would only be in the city for two months, was also amazed at its quickness.

"The speed here is incredible," he says. "Everything is so accessible. Australia and Berlin are not that much different. The change was more dramatic coming to China - and very stimulating."

After a friend let them use a Shenzhen holiday home near a reservoir, the two moved ffiXXed's studio to China while maintaining an office in Fotan to handle the business side.

"One side of our studio is a national park and mountains are on the other," says Picken. "You get there by traveling through a series of villages. There are no high-rises. Our studio gives us space to think about things. We live and work there."

Lau says: "We spend about half our time in Hong Kong, to source materials from places like Sham Shui Po or for sampling. We like discovering luxurious textures, like Japanese wool or silk and cotton from China."

FfiXXed's staff fluctuates from 10 to 24 in the studio, depending on how busy it is. When possible, they try to employ interns. "Not many people from Hong Kong or Shenzhen want to venture out to our studio," Lau sighs.

Picken says: "We've found that interns from Australia or Europe are more confident than Hong Kong ones. They like socializing with locals while the Hong Kong ones tend to keep to themselves."

They make everything inhouse but will sometimes outsource the production to family or friends in the villages nearby.

"Grannies will knit some of our pieces at home in the winter," Lau says.

They have no minimums, which means that we can produce an order of five pieces, says Picken. "And we always deliver on time. That is very important to our Japanese customers - they don't accept any defects."

They see their work as enhanced urban basics, with silhouettes based on traditional garments that are recognizable yet fresh at the same time. Their vest made from small wooden balls in the Spring/Summer 2013 collection was inspired by reflexology sandals and massage mats used by Chinese taxi drivers. Their bag in the Spring/Summer 2014 collection is a tongue-in-cheek take on the concept of the recyclable plastic bag.

"It's our response to everyday objects," says Picken. "We don't live outside reality. Our clothes are engrained into everyday life. We reference existing objects and garments, but utilize unexpected fabrication."

Although they admit that they prefer to work with monochromatic color schemes, their Spring/Summer 2014 collaboration with Ester Partegas yielded a vibrant series of prints that they applied to menswear and womenswear. The collection has a breezy casualness that belies its impeccable tailoring, clever cuts and thoughtful draping that encourage the fabrics to breathe naturally.

"Our latest collection is our most ready to wear," Lau says. "Ester is an old friend who lived in our studio during our collaboration."

FfiXXed offers buyers shows in New York City, Paris and Tokyo, and shops distribute the brand throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States.

"Our dream is to mount a runway show at New York Fashion Week," Lau says.

Picken add: "And we hope to grow and to hire more staff, so the two of us aren't doing everything ourselves!"

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 11/24/2013 page13)