Our Man on American TV

Suthiwat “Tu” Nakchat has become the first Thai to appear on the US television reality show “Project Runway”, a series in which aspiring young clothing designers compete to make a name for themselves.
Suthiwat, 26, admits he was “very shy” at first when the cameras were rolling, self-conscious about his heavily accented English accent. But he wasn’t about to back down. He applied twice to be a contestant on “Project Runway” before finally being accepted on his third try.
Suthiwat was born in Chacheongsao and raised there by his grandmother until he could join his parents in the US state of Virginia and attend high school. His parents run the Bangkok Golden Restaurant, with outlets in Virginia and Maryland.
“It’s important for me to remember how hard they work selling phad thai and making spring rolls. I spent a lot of their money on my education, chasing my dreams.”
Suthiwat graduated from the Parsons the New School for Design in New York and the Paris American Academy in France. “My idea of clothing – when I start my own brand Tu Era one day – will never be too exaggerated,” he says. “It will be creative, original, neat and affordable. Simply put, the clothes have to sell.
“I’ve loved art since I was very young. I took a sculpture degree at George Mason University, but found that I was more into fashion, so I dropped out and went to the Parsons School and then studied couturier techniques in France, where I got a bachelor’s degree.
“I also trained at Vivienne Tam – I didn’t do any designing but I did everything else, from buying the coffee to purchasing the materials, which turned out to be very educational.”
One thing he learned: Always ask people for their name card. “I collect
 contacts. There are places you cannot imagine that have amazing raw materials available, especially for creating accessories! This is crucial if you want to start your own label.”
He also learned to seize every learning opportunity. On a year’s break in Thailand, before his “Project Runway” audition, Suthiwat put in time working at Monlada, the label of his friend Monlada Pongpanich. “I did everything there too, like graphic design, screening T-shirts, all the production process, and even sales, which is the last thing I wanted to do because I’m so shy. But I did it so I could get to know the minds of the customers.”
Being a fast learner is one of Suthiwat’s strong suits on the TV show. His talent, experience and personal charm and humility have made him popular on the series and invariably also make his designs stand out.
 “With my love for drawing and my background in art history and sculpture, I think I’ve found my style,” he says. “My designs are modern with architectural and cultural flair. I offer a new form and new patterns, but I try to balance them so that people will like my clothes and want to wear them.”
“Project Runway” is proving beneficial beyond the fame and friendships, Suthiwat says. It’s been a major boost to his confidence. “I’ve learned to think, act and manage fast – because we all make mistakes all the time. After a day’s shoot,
what’s gone is gone and you can’t fix it, but in real life, you can.
“Ultimately I’m very proud. My parents don’t usually watch television because they’re always in front of the cooker, but they’re watching me on the show and they’re proud of their son. They even told their customers to cheer for me!”

   TUNE IN
- Sixteen contenders started out and Suthiwat remains in the running after two episodes of “Project Runway”, now airing in North America. True Visions will soon announce broadcast times for Thailand.
- The series features supermodel Heidi Klum and fashion gurus Tim Gunn and Nina Garcia and Season 11’s guest judges include movie actress Susan Sarandon and Kristin Davis from “Sex and the City”.