Indians East and West

Sirichai Daharanont, designer at clothing house Theatre, would like to thank Google for its search engine. His surprising new “One of a Kind” spring-summer 2013 collection wouldn’t have been possible without the results from his search for “Indian”.
That was the keyword Sirichai used to produce a flood of ideas and influences that he turned into clothes that turn heads. Among the heads nodding in approval are those of Sinjai Plengpanich, Araya Intra, ML Rojanathorn Na Songkhla, MR Srikamrung Yukol, Saranthorn and Chitramon Taechapaiboon, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Wannaros Sonthichai, Karatpetch Issara and Ploy Horwang.
Google, being eclectic, turned up images of both native North Americans and residents of the Indian subcontinent. “That gave our designers the inspiration for our theme – the marriage of two ethnic groups,” Sirichai says. “In mixing two different cultural traditions, we used their clothing identity as the skeletal base to build up the garments.”
Materials such as silks of varying thickness are woven into designs and motifs with gold and silver threads. Leather is decorated with embellished with multicoloured mirrors to add depth. American Indian tattoos and patterns are printed on the fabrics.
White, black, brown, emerald, indigo, royal blue, orange and golden yellow combine to promise a brighter summer.
“When it comes to men’s tops,” Sirichai says, “we emphasise luxury and elegance in the classic Theatre style, to be worn with pieces inspired by American Indian breechcloths. In women’ clothing we stress the waistline, with drapes and fringes of various styles in the manner of Indian female garment to give the body a soft and lean silhouette.”
“One of a Kind” is on sale at the Theatre boutique at Siam Center.