When Fiona Lau and Kain Picken moved from Melbourne to Berlin to pursue separate design careers, they found themselves sewing their own clothing. One thing led to another, and they decided to launch their own fashion label.
Lau and Picken call their line ffiXXed (a name that intentionally lacks meaning) and take traditional garments as a starting point, with comfort and minimalism being touchpoints. Their goal? “To create unexpected forms of trans-functionality for everyday basics, using natural fibers and personalized manufacturing processes.” In addition to their fashion pursuits, the couple has collaborated with designers like BLESS and curated shows at the Y3K gallery in Melbourne and at the Tate Modern in London. Since they founded ffiXXed in 2008, the two have moved studios from Berlin to Hong Kong to New York to Melbourne; in 2010, they settled at an in-house production studio in Shenzhen, China. ffiXXed’s current collection, called Customized Interdependencies, draws from a mixture of white gold cotton, natural cork, and knitted wool.
Photography courtesy of Kain Picken via Love & Squalor and from ffiXXed.
Above L: Kain Picken and Fiona Lau of ffiXXed.
Above R: A sewing table with a dash of verdant green.
Above: The studio features a print from a recent ffiXXed installation, Thanks for the Dinner and Sex, in Kapok, Hong Kong.
Above L: The loose Effective Balance Track Pant in beige is $185 from Ooga Booga Store in LA. Above R: A similar look to the dark trouser-tee combo is the Rectangular Sleeves Shirt for $190 from Stand Up Comedy in Portland. Both looks are from the current S/S 2012 collection.
Above: A work table is covered in textiles printed with roses, mangosteens, blueberries, and green tea by artist James Deutsher.
Above L: The Fabricated Familiarity Coat from the S/S 2012 collection is paired with white flip-flops.
Above R: A loose gray men’s tee and raw denim from the previous collection titled Surviving Sustainability.
Above: Lau and Picken’s studio opens onto a back patio.
Above: The billowing Observation Sensitivity Dress in light blue stripes is $310 from Anaise.
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