Taottao’s Subtle Playfulness
Their latest collection was inspired by vintage cartoons.
Photo Courtesy of Lindsey Media
Designer Yitao Li doesn’t need to say much. Instead, she lets the garments from her brand, Taottao, do all the talking. Founded in 2022, Taottao is inspired by Li’s nickname in Chinese. Li eluded from her familial expectations of a financial or economic career for her abiding love for fashion.
Taottao made its New York Fashion Week debut this past Valentine’s Day in Chinatown. Inspired by vintage cartoons, the collection combined vibrant ‘90s plaid layered with pastel distress-washed denim, noting the Japanese manga Neighborhood Story. The grungy, nostalgic collection was pieced together with plaid platforms, fuzzy heels, shaggy braid hairstyles, fur shawls, oversized belts, and extra mini skirts.
Li may have been one of the only designers to beautifully execute this blend of colors, textures, and layers into a debut collection, fusing hues of muted pastel greens, pinks, and browns.
Li graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and has since interned with notable designers like MONSE, Thom Browne, Tibi, and Kim Shui to help kickstart Taottao’s what is now textile mastery and innovative designs. Her experimental techniques of washing and dying denim have left fashion lovers already yearning for the next collection.
