This week we had the opportunity to sit down with our chief designer, Ruby Ho, and learn more about her as a designer and as a person.
Hi Ruby, thank you for sitting down with me today, I know you have a pretty packed schedule at the moment!
Ruby: Yes, its always quite busy leading up to Christmas and new year… but its no problem! It’s nice to take a break.
1. What’s your favourite time of day?
I know its usually considered a chore, but I really enjoy my morning commute. I usually ride in the car to get to work so I can relax and gather my thoughts before starting the day proper. I like to look out the window for inspiration, Hong Kong has such an interesting mix of futuristic architecture and dense, almost jungle-like, countryside, so it is a pretty engaging background to stare out at.
Sometimes the afternoon is really exciting though. Occasionally, around 2pm, we receive samples from the factory of some doll or idea that’s in production. It’s so gratifying to see my ideas come to life… almost like they're my babies!
2. What was it that first got you interested in dolls and doll design?
When I was growing up, in Shanghai, my mother was often out of the country, working in Hong Kong. I think that lead me to look for companionship in unlikely places, and my first experience with dolls stemmed from that. The first time I saw a real life doll was in Shanghai, she was sitting in the window at a department store in town. Her name was Miu Miu and I instantly fell in love with her! I had a pretty active imagination as a child, and I saw this doll in the window display as friend who I could confide in, she really was very special to me. After meeting her [the doll], I started experimenting with making my own dolls. I didn’t have access to much equipment at the time, so I had to be a bit resourceful. I would try and make dolls out of pillows and sew them clothes from spare bits of fabric - I suppose this is where my fascination with dolls and making dolls grew from.