October 07, 2019
Fashion is more than just an industry. It richly encompasses history, culture and heritage. It is a platform that expresses individuality and celebrates multiculturalism. For fashion designer Marcus Ling, this is evident as his cultural diversity inspires his design process. Much of his work features the use of traditional Chinese motifs, reinterpreted with a modern twist, that pay homage to his background and lineage. Currently based in Trinidad, Marcus understands the importance of tailoring his designs to meet the demands of his context and consumers. He can make you feel confident, classy or uniquely you, and that’s what the clothes we wear should do. Our clothes can represent who we are and who we want to be.
I visited Marcus at his studio, Idlewood in Woodbrook where we chatted about his background, how it inspires his brand and the future plans for his studio.
Here’s our chat with Marcus Ling of Idlewood.
You moved from China to Trinidad… what inspired this decision?
MARCUS LING: It was several things. One is that I have Trinidadian heritage. My parents are from here, but I was born in the States and grew up there. I have travelled and lived in numerous places around the world, but I have always had an interest in Trinidad. I would visit my family here fairly often, but I always felt like a ‘fake Trini’ because I never actually lived here and I didn’t know what it really meant.
I met Meiling when I visited for Carnival a couple of years ago, and we became close. I kept in touch with her and started thinking this would be a good move for me, a new challenge. I discussed the prospect with her because she’s been in the fashion industry for so many years here and has been quite successful. She helped me gain some insight into Trinidad.
I moved here in 2017, took some time and figured out what I wanted to do. Found a space and renovated it. I opened my studio in March 2018, and so far it’s been great. There has been a lot of challenges. It was a big adjustment for me, but I’m happy with my decision, and I believe it’s the right place for me at this given time.
Was fashion always something you wanted to pursue growing up?
MARCUS LING: I got into fashion in a round-a-bout way. I didn’t study fashion in school, but I always had an interest in it. I grew up in South Carolina, and it’s more of a rural, conservative area. There wasn’t much of a fashion scene there. I didn’t have any role models in fashion to look up to, so I pursued my other interests. I majored in history and studied international relations. Did an internship, planned to go to law school and somehow ended up in China doing finance, but I always just liked fashion.
In my early 20’s, I was living in Shanghai- a giant, modern city in China. Where I had a finance job that I wore suits to every day. I found tailors to have them custom made and experimented with different materials. I enjoyed the process of designing these suits, and they garnered a lot of attention and love from other people. A lot of guys my age were starting their first real jobs or going to weddings that they needed suits for, but didn’t have thousands of dollars to spend and still wanted to look stylish. So I figured, ‘Hey, I could at least sell to my friends, start from there see how it goes.’ I ended up quitting my job and took an internship with a designer in Shanghai. It was one thing to design, but I knew nothing about construction, stitching, or how to sew. I had to learn from scratch in a very hands-on, crash course way, and eventually, that laid the groundwork for what I was about to do
“I believe it’s the right place for me at this given time.”
That groundwork was you starting the brand – Idlewood officially in China?
MARCUS LING: Correct, I started selling in China but also online. My biggest markets were in the States and Canada. Now that I’m in Trinidad with a physical space, people can come into the studio where I measure them myself, and it’s more hands-on.
Have there been any major constraints now that you’re a fashion designer located in the Caribbean?
MARCUS LING: There are some constraints, one is the general public in Trinidad and perhaps the Caribbean as a whole, isn’t very focused on local fashion. People would rather get something from Zara or Calvin Klein, but I think it’s changing-especially in regards to women’s fashion. They’ve started buying from more local designers, and there are a lot more options. I think it’s a bit behind for men’s fashion. There’s not that much menswear coming out of Trinidad that’s unique or design-oriented, so I thought that’s something that I could bring.
Ultimately there’s positives and negatives. The positive is that fashion is such an open field, where it’s something I can help grow here in Trinidad. The negative is that I have to help grow it. It’s not already established. It’s going to be work but work that I am willing to undertake.
Your background is in suit design and your brand is predominantly known for its bespoke suits, what inspired you to branch out and do ready-to-wear collections?
MARCUS LING: Trinidad isn’t really a suit-wearing culture, but it is evolving a bit. Suits aren’t just for the office, weddings or funerals. It’s for whenever you want to go out and look good, when you want to feel good.
I got into ready-to-wear pieces to help me grow as a designer. I was challenged to design according to this climate. Whereas in Shanghai, I would design not only suits but lots of coats – winter coats in leather and other materials that don’t work here. So I had to totally rethink my designs and figure out how to meld my aesthetic to this climate.
“There’s not that much menswear coming out of Trinidad that’s unique or design-oriented, so I thought that’s something that I could bring.”
Would you say your design process is inspired by your context?
MARCUS LING: Yes, it is influenced by Trinidad but also by China, the States, pop culture and my travels. I believe inspiration truly comes from everywhere.
Okay, let’s talk about some of your collections. The “Meiling x Idlewood” collection you released in 2017, was this your first ready-to-wear line?
MARCUS LING: Correct, that was my first ready-to-wear line. Meiling was great. She’s been in this for so many years. From the first time we met many years ago, we realized that we clicked as far as attitudes and design-wise as well. We both have very minimalist tendencies. It was effortless to design things with her. The collaborative process was great, and it was sort of me introducing myself to Trinidad. I had just moved here. I didn’t know anyone and no one knew me.
We ended up doing a sequel to it which launched in early 2019, and it’s been quite successful – well received. I also did a solo collection, which launched in 2018.
Right, the- I’m going to pronounce this wrong – “Chinoiserie” collection which I understand was influenced by traditional Chinese heritage illustrated in a modern light. Can you give us more insight into the design process for this line?
MARCUS LING: *enunciates* ‘Jin-wɑ-zeri’ I decided that I wanted to go back to China to design this collection. I went for a month, and while I was there, I observed my surroundings and thought about what I wanted to do. I had a bit of a mental block. I was stuck, and it wasn’t a good thing because I had a finite amount of time planned for my visit. I also wanted to design there and start sewing. Essentially do it all there. About halfway through my trip, it all clicked for me. I was walking near the Jing’ an Temple – a massive temple in the middle of Shanghai. When I saw a group of monks wearing their traditional orange and burgundy robes, and they were flowing. From there, it all fell into place. I used that colour palette and made pieces that were flowy yet structured. I also meshed out the traditional Chinese silk design with the phoenix on it. There were also small details like using one jade button for a top and other subtle things like that.
You also did a collaboration with Celine of Acute An9le, which wasn’t exactly a full line, right?
MARCUS LING: Yeah, you could call it a capsule collection. A series of jackets. We both really like a movie director called Wong Kar-Wai from Hong Kong. He has a movie called ‘In the Mood for Love’, which is such a BIG mood. I just loved the aesthetics of that film – the feel, the editing. Also, Celine and I both have Chinese heritage, and we just decided, ‘Hey, we should collaborate’. We thought that bomber jackets would be good to use for the pieces because I feel like everyone looks good in bomber jackets.
We watched the film together and picked out little screencaps of images we liked. We were watching the movie and would just *screenshot* *screenshot* *screenshot*. Then Celine – who is very talented at painting, hand-painted the screenshots we liked on all these jackets, and I wrote the Chinese characters. It was a small collection. I think we did like 6 or 7 jackets. It was something fun to do. It’s a good feeling to have ideas and run with them. Keep the creative juices flowing.
Would you say that you have a target consumer?
MARCUS LING: Yes. I’ll say yes, although I do make clothes for everyone, especially for people who appreciate details, appreciate quality and who consider themselves an individual. I think that the coolest people I know, embrace different types of people, but their common denominator is that they all are free-thinking. They think for themselves, they’re their own person. They don’t blindly follow what others are doing, like trends and stuff like that. That’s the type of people who I think would most appreciate what I do and my brand.
Your studio, has gained prominence as one of the creative hubs to go to in Woodbrook. Was it important to you to create a space that facilitated and distributed varying forms of creativity?
MARCUS LING: It was. I figured that if I’m going to have a space- if I’m going to pay rent, I might as well make full use of it. Backing up a bit to when I was only visiting Trinidad and not living here yet, I saw there was a lot of creative talent here but not always avenues for that talent to be displayed. Whether it’s music, art, fashion, whatever it may be. I figured that I could have a space that allowed for people to express their minds, what they do and connect with others from different fields. I think that all creativity sort of flows together. It’s not ‘I’m just a fashion designer’ or ‘I’m just an artist.’ There are people like Donald Glover or Kanye who have their feats in multiple creative fields, that’s the vibe we’re fostering here. That’s something we’re continuing to grow.
“Idlewood now is based in Trinidad, but it’s a global thing.”
What can we expect in the future for Idlewood – the brand and yourself?
MARCUS LING: Idlewood now is based in Trinidad, but it’s a global thing. I’ve lived in a couple of different places. I’ve sold in different places, but I want when people come here, they experience good design in all forms. Whether it’s from the space itself or the clothes- I want them to experience it. I think design is crucial for happiness. Design isn’t just pretty things; it’s quite functional as well, which in turn can make people happy.
When I make suits for people – it’s still my bread and butter, they feel more confident- they stand taller. They feel good about themselves when they look good. I don’t claim to be talented in a lot of things, but I do think I have a talent for helping people to find what makes them look good. It’s not always the same for everybody. That’s something I want to continue to do. I’m working with more people, local musicians and more collaborations that I can’t say much on right now.
I want to keep growing in what I’m doing. I think the journey is fun. There’s no ‘I have to be…’ you know? Not any ‘I want to make this much money or have this much power.’ I just want to enjoy the journey and bring happiness to people and selfishly to myself, as I find great fulfilment in what I’m doing. Honestly, Trinidad is probably less financially lucrative than other places for me, but I am developing a sense of home in this place. Still got a lot of family here and I am continuing to feel more and more fulfilled in my life.
“I think design is crucial for happiness. Design isn’t just pretty things; it’s quite functional as well, which in turn can make people happy.”
TO SHOP THE BRAND VISIT: IDLEWOODBESPOKE.COM
Interviewer: Kadeem Thomas Photographer: Brendan Delzin Styling: Safia Elena Ali Creative Direction: Zarna Hart
