Trigon Clutch

In Conversation With Jian Yang

A Barbie World Of His Own

He is the proud custodian of Asia’s largest Barbie doll collection. He is also the co-owner of Distilleri, an integrated communications firm. Following his passion for creativity, Jian Yang (@jianyang1979) embarked on a remarkable journey with #FlushableFashion, crafting couture for dolls using everyday materials such as toilet paper. Yes, his name sounded familiar because you’ve probably read about him in The New York Times, VOGUE Italia or Mothership.

In this exclusive interview, he tells us how his love for unconventional design has fulled his creative journey, which comprises of crafting unique doll couture and shaping innovative fashion concepts. Jian also reveals the inspiration behind the Trigon Clutch, a collaboration with Bynd Artisan to commemorate our 10th anniversary. It’s a piece that aptly embodies friendship, creativity and the spirit of entrepreneurship.

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Can you give us a short self-introduction?
My name is Jian. By day, I co-own an integrated communications firm, Distilleri, which is a 50-man PR, advertising, social media, production and activation agency servicing the likes of McDonald’s, Puma, Toys"R"Us, GXS Bank, and the National Council of Social Service. But if you have heard my name before, it would more likely be in the news context as the owner of Asia’s largest Barbie doll collection. The collection of about 13,000 dolls has been featured in the global press from The New York Times and The Washington Post to Bored Panda, and local titles like Mothership and SGAG. I also create doll-sized couture using toilet paper and other reused materials under the hashtag #FlushableFashion, which is also incidentally the name of my book, available on Amazon. These pieces have been featured in VOGUE Italia, Harper’s Bazaar, and NYLON magazines, among others.

Being Asia’s largest Barbie doll collector comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. Can you tell us about this endeavour so far?
The rewarding aspects are plenty. I enjoy completing each series, meeting like-minded people in the scene, and scouting flea markets for hidden treasures. I have many stories about my quests, including spending my 40th birthday at a market in Jakarta, digging through plastic bags of cast-off Barbie accessories, and being invited to the Mattel factory when I was 17 years old.

I will admit there haven’t been many challenges. I have never felt the need to answer haters or give them the dignity of acknowledgement. Part of my job includes crisis management, and in the grander scheme of things, people attacking your hobby is barely considered a crisis. However, I did talk about it on the TEDx stage, explaining why I keep many details private to protect my loved ones and my family.

Is there a particular outfit or piece of clothing you’ve created that stands out as especially memorable?
I was invited to a Halloween party and had a brainwave. I had just broken my wrist at the time, and there were endless rolls of bandages in my house. So, I made a Halloween doll that was very different from anything I had ever made. She was a zombie mummy, complete with blood and gore. I wanted everyone at the party to touch her and stain her as part of the creation of the art. I personally think people take fashion far too seriously, and this concept would make my art participative while maintaining the essence of Barbie as a toy — because everyone gets to play with her.

I also have a love for copywriting, so I named her “Fashion Victim Barbie.”

Were there moments in your collecting journey that have significantly changed your perspective on fashion or design?
Actually, no. I don’t even think I have a style. I enjoy examining all brands and genres. I tend to create on trips, and each country inspires me differently — Taiwan was very 80s, Hong Kong was very slick, London was all about the hats, and a cruise inspired a whole collection based on sailor knots. I like to keep my themes fluid, which allows me to keep experimenting. I think it’s worth mentioning that I have never engaged in this craft for attention or “likes”. I do it to keep my creative mind working so that I never feel bored, tired or jaded by what the world throws at me.

What was your inspiration and purpose behind the Trigon Clutch for Bynd Artisan’s “10 Years and Beyond”? How do you envision people using it?
This piece is very close to my heart. To me, it’s not just a bag. It’s a representation of friendship and the spirit of constant ideation, entrepreneurship and charity. I had the idea for a doll bag for years. I bring dolls out to photograph them, and briefcases are too serious, while totes and clutches are too feminine. I wanted a clutch — no strap, nothing — so it would look like I casually brought a doll out in a fancy envelope. It would be black so it could be formal, but it would be soft, which makes it casual. On the inside, it would hit you with a shock of Barbie pink to always remind me of the woman who continues to encourage me to be an individual. I don’t like hardware on my leather goods, so a concealed bar magnet would hold it shut. The most important element? Barbie needs to have her own, in her size, so we created a human-sized accessory holder that would be detachable for Barbie.

I have already carried it to both formal and casual events, and it looks astounding. It doesn’t take the attention away from your outfit, but it also works on its own. I see it as very sophisticated, which I love because fashion has a lot of buzzwords like glamour, elegance and simplicity. But few are able to balance simplicity with sophistication; masculine with feminine; rigidity with suppleness; stationery and statement. I think this clutch does exactly that, and that’s the balance that makes it so unique.

Pre-order Jian Yang’s Trigon Clutch here