Behind the scenes: we speak with Tine Mollatt of byTiMo
One question we are always obviously keen to know here at the YCB HQ is: coffee or tea? The latest designer to prick our interest is a coffee lady; she literally had us at hello! Tine Mollatt is the designer and founder of the adorable and gorgeous Scandinavian label, byTiMo. We can’t get enough of the all the breezy material, pretty prints, solid colours and clean lines. Neither can Anna Wintour apparently as the Norwegian label was recently featured in American Vogue and spotted on none other than Kylie Jenner.
So, you can imagine our excitement when we got the chance to sit down with Tine Mollatt to chat about her success journey and inspiration behind her collections over a cup of coffee a few weeks ago. The founder behind the byTiMo label is clearly a focused woman, not only on fashion but also business. As well as being trained as a tailor, Mollatt studied economics at the Oslo Business School. The double major encompassed drawing and studying couture, as well as the business side of fashion. Mollatt always had a penchant for fashion, saying: “I have been drawn to fabrics, prints and all types of vintage garments since I was a child, but I was a young adult before I realised I could do something about it.” Mollatt’s older sister taught her to sew, buying her her first sewing machine at the tender age of ten. Impressively, her first job in the fashion world was making costumes at the Oslo Opera House.
The concept of byTiMo is creating garments which are honest and have integrity, the designs combine elements of modern romance and timeless craftsmanship. The looks are high quality pieces which are long lasting wardrobe staples, which prayers answered, are at reasonable prices! Mollatt tells YCB: “Truthfulness, consciousness and quality are byTiMo’s guiding beacons which can be found within every process; from the production to the way we design.”
Another question we wanted to ask the designer is who is the woman that she is designing for, who is the by TiMo woman? “I design for the confident woman. She is intelligent, cultural and she dares to be herself. She is feminine without being too sweet. She cares about the process behind a garment, she wants quality and longevity in the clothes she choose.” She says.
It is always a good sign when a designer tells us that they would wear their own designs. Mollatt is one of them, saying that by TiMo is actually a reflection of herself, and this is very important to her. “I think you can define my personal style as Bohemian with a classic touch. I normally start with a printed top or a dress and then I add my leather pants and boots.” The Bohemian look is often one associated with a vintage feel, which we love, and is a source of inspiration for the byTiMo collections.
We always find it very interesting to know about how designers find their inspiration, and of course we asked Mollatt, she told us: “I love to travel, so I get inspiration from distant cultures, people and nature. My designs are always very inspired by vintage fashion; very old pieces from the early 1900s, so going to antique and vintage markets all over the world gives me great amounts of inspiration!”
The by TiMo brand is in a very exciting point in its journey – the brand is currently designed locally in Norway and manufactured globally, but will soon have both local and international aspects to all stages of the design process. But by TiMo is not a one woman show, Mollatt acknowledges the amazing team around her and which she claims she couldn’t live without! We think that keeping balance and harmony within companies and life in general is always a good idea, and it is clear that Mollatt does too, as she consults with a personal life coach.
Mollatt tells us that the fashion culture and trends in Norway are still quite young, as opposed to Sweden where there are longer traditions and trends in the fashion industry. With fashion week month in full force, you can look out for the by TiMo show at Oslo’s new fashion week called Oslo Runway. What is really excited about this for by TiMo is that it is being held at the Oslo Opera House which is obviously a special place for Mollatt. We asked about preparations for the new collection and she said: “Every season is the same; I am very nervous to show my new collection to my global sales team; for me it’s important they fall in love with it, because if they do, I know my design will be in the best hands.”
We are very excited to see more of this brand in the future, and Mollatt talks about the fascinating changes in almost every aspect of the fashion industry and is looking forward to seeing how the brand adapts with these changes. When asked about the label and where she hopes by TiMo will be in the next five years, she said: “I hope by then TiMo’s DNA and values are on people’s lips.”
Shop the collection at www.bytimo.no!
