Material Man: MRKT Founder & Design Consultant Bill Yen

Born in Taipei but raised in the States, Bill Yen had just completed his masters in architecture when he was offered a visiting scholarship at Shanghai’s Tongji University to do research on the urbanization of China in 2003. He has since stayed on to found architectural design firm MRT Design and its product line MRKT, which now is sold in major cities all throughout China. Here, he chats about why he chooses to work with felt, the future of green and why MRKT enjoys more commercial success in Beijing than Shanghai.

You first came to China on a research scholarship – what convinced you to stay? I stayed afterward because there was work for aspiring architects in China. It started with friends of family asking me if I could design their house, and off I went and started an architecture and interior design firm with a friend in ’05. In ’08, my design firm partner and I started MRKT as an outlet for our product design ideas.

What is the concept behind MRKT? It is actually a play on my design firm’s name “MRT” – by adding a “K,” it kind of reads like “market.” It is a not so subtle reminder to ourselves that as designers we need to keep in mind that what we design also has to satisfy a consumer need; in other words, there has to be a market for it.

The whole thing started when we bought a laser cutter for the office to make models with. I remembered from my school days that you could also use it to cut felt, and I wanted to make a laptop bag for my new Mac. So I went and got a sewing machine, and a month later, I had a rudimentary case for my laptop – but I’d also learned to sew pretty well in the process. A friend stopped by the office and commented on how I should sell them. He took one of the extras I’d made to a shop called 100% here in Shanghai, and the owner Jenny was gracious enough to try it out. That’s how it got started in ’07, and a year later we officially started the company MRKT.

What made you want to work with felt? Do you use any materials other than felt, and why do you think it often gets a bad rep? Bad rep? Who says? I think it’s misunderstood. It’s great stuff, the first fabric known to man. Wool felt is actually incredible – it’s anti-shock, anti-mildew and made with renewable material. There are a lot of naked sheep around because of it, but at least none of them have to die. Some of our synthetic felt is also made with recycled fiber content, which means less garbage in the landfill. At least for me, it has a great Scandinavian heritage to it, but I did not realize how much it is also used in Asia. I went to Ulaanbaatar (in Mongolia) last year and the nomads use it for everything, from blankets to covering their gers. If it is tough enough for the Mongolians, then it’s good enough for me. It’s non-woven and has a great heft to it that you don’t get with other fabrics. Can I just say, as far as fabric goes, felt is the most tectonic of them all.

What are your best-selling products at this time? Is there anything you can’t make out of felt? Bags always sell well. The laptop bag is a staple because it is functional and a nice break from the black nylon and neoprene stuff you see everywhere. We tried making a dress shirt out of synthetic felt once for fun, but it didn’t work.

How has the company evolved over the last few years? What do your day-to-day duties consist of? The company has changed a lot since the beginning. Up until two months ago, I was still running the company as creative director and general manager with the help of my brother, while also continuing to run the architecture and interior design firm. At this point last year, I was working with three product designers, a sales rep and two more staff on the manufacturing and shipping side to make it all work. It was pretty hectic. So last year, my partner and I started talking about how to take MRKT to the next level. Finally last month, a new director for MRKT took over and I can be a designer again. Now I am a design consultant to MRKT and fill in as the spokesman when the occasion demands it.

Do you encounter any difficulties with the Chinese market? Who seems more receptive to your felt products, foreigners or locals? The Chinese market is a tough nut to crack, but that’s the problem with any brand that wants to do quality – with the corresponding higher price – in China with no pre-established brand name. Foreigners seem more receptive, but the locals seem to be catching on really fast. Last year I was working on an office design project, and the creative director – a local Chinese – for the firm saw our laptop bag in our office and commented on how he just bought one as a birthday present for a friend. That made me really happy.

Your brand is Shanghai-based but experiences more commercial success in Beijing – do you have any theories on why that is? That Beijing has more taste? Just kidding. People have theories, but it mostly defers to clichés and stereotypes about how people in Beijing are more impulsive buyers, especially when it comes to something new and different. Honestly, I don’t know.

Have you been to Beijing before? What are the most striking differences between Shanghai and Beijing? I go to Beijing a lot for work. Differences? Sometimes I have to take a taxi to get to a convenience store from my hotel, but damn … Beijing sure has nicer modern architecture than Shanghai. We here in the south need to catch up. I rarely sit down with a bunch of friends to talk for hours over drinks or coffee here in Shanghai, but in Beijing, it happens all the time.

What do you see for the future of green in China? It can only get better and people are becoming more aware. The question is at what speed? My own goal is to just make more people buy nicer quality stuff and use it for longer instead of changing every six months. We don’t always succeed with MRKT but we try.

Any other plans for the future? I think I’ve been too verbose already, but I’m working on a new project called “the order of things” – it’s a line of products that has nothing to do with felt! Look for it on a website called www.the-order-of-things.com in a few months!

Check out their website www.mrktstore.com to find store locations in Beijing, or to order products online.