Summer in the city

Elle Fashion Week had promised plenty of surprises for its spring-summer showings and it lived up to its word, breaking away from the traditional air-conditioned white tent in downtown Bangkok and spreading the pleasure over the city in line with the theme “Bangkok is Your Runway”. Shows by nine leading Thai designers were held in a range of venues from theatre to park and hip hotel.
The four-day event opened at one of the kingdom’s oldest stand-alone cinemas, the Scala Theatre. Like 4D cinema, models came out of the big screen on to stepped catwalks leading down through the audience.
Greyhound kicked off the shows with its “Disarter” (Disaster+Art) collection, playfully blending an imaginary world after a major disaster with art. Graphic prints played an important role in this collection of suits, T-shirts, loose tunics and shorts in natural tones. The flow of hot lava and the melting cities using Marble Art jazzed up the Natural Error line, while Digital Error focused on technology with patterns featuring blurred pixels, digital graphics and broken computers.
Something Boudoir showcased sexy baby-doll creations inspired by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren’s “Pippi Longstocking” children’s book. Designer Romrujee Chuaiprasit took spectators on a treasure hunt adventure to the sea dressing his pigtailed models in mini dresses with colourful dot prints and stripes, sexy bikinis in pastel shades and micro shorts with sleeveless blouses.
Issue wrapped the first night with “Thai Sweet”, presented to a soundtrack that remixed the traditional Thai song “sepha” with electronic rhythms. The classic court costumes of Old Siam were given a contemporary look through neon colour hair, dramatic make-up and platform heels. Highlights included men in swimsuits and trunks in ultra neon shades
The second day of showings took place in Lumpini Park’s air-conditioned Lumpini Hall with Asava the first brand to show. Designer Polpat Asavaprapha brought a hint of Hawaii to the sporty, feminine characteristics of New York jet-setters like Doris Duke for his new collection “The Hibiscus Heiress”. Dresses were unique with various knotting techniques and cut-out tailoring. Smocking and bustier layering reflected the Hawaiian clothing style as did the printed dresses inspired by Maui’s tropical flowers.
Senada’s latest collection was inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s 1486 masterpiece “The Birth of Venus” and featured mini dresses, knee-length pleated skirts, sleeveless blouses, cute jumpsuits and sexy maxi dresses. Printed fabrics and contrasting textile mixes were highlighted through floral printed blouses matched with plain miniskirts decorated with see-through lace.
Curated by Ek Thongprasert wrapped the night with the collection “Mother Knows Best”. Ek drew his inspiration from American artist Lisa Lou’s life-size sculpture “Kitchen 1991-1996”, offering prints that featured such everyday objects as spoons, forks, necklaces and rings. He dressed models in his contemporary ’50’s dresses, skirts and accessories, all of them perfect for parties and prom nights.
On Day 3, Kloset and Munchu’s showcased their creations at the same venue. Kloset Design’s new vivid collection “Me, myself and the sky” featured mini dresses in creams, light orange, pinks, greens, yellows and blue. Creative prints illustrating bubbles, puffy clouds and hair widths blowing in the wind were used in the brand’s textiles. Structure-built dresses, blouses and shirts were decorated with ribbons and bows.
Designer Munchumas Numbenjapol introduced her Munchu’s “Moral Failure” collection. The contemporary ’20s outfits inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby”, served up a sexy vibe through high-cut-out evening dresses, high-cut v-neck dresses, bare-shouldered blouses and bare backed tops.
The boutique W Bangkok hotel hosted the grand final show by Vickteerut, which was inspired by the silent German movie, “Metropolis”. Designer Teerut Vickteerut dressed up her models as sci-fi cyber heroines in futuristic skin-tight dresses.
Entitled “Hello Stranger!”, the collection’s highlights included a robotic costume, a peplum belt and a ruffled hemline skirt. Models also showcased cropped tops with a crisp silhouette and sleeveless shirts in delicate see-through material.