Sleeping with the symphony

Design director Schle Wood-Thanan says he was inspired by classical music to come up with the “Symphony No 5” collection.

“I went to several concerts last year and each time found myself wondering why so many Thais consider classical music ‘difficult’. My guess is that it’s because its elements have restricted formats and styles unlike modern-day music, which is faster, more fun and more spontaneous. Even European people turn away from classical music. But if we could dress up classical music as jazz, rock, and pop, perhaps these older sounds would have greater appeal,” he says.

“Those thoughts led to my ‘musical healing bed linen’, where classical sounds are translated to intricate lines, shapes, and colour to soothe the body and mind in the same way as audio sounds,” says the designer. 

Wood-Thanan has interpreted the “Symphony No. 5” into classic, elegant, patterns for Pasaya’s best-selling Softamante line. While the colour of the fabric also responds to the musical healing bed linen concept, he matches the hues of gemstones to musical notes to maximise the theraputic effects. For example, ruby red comes from the note “re” and the motif from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is chosen to match the colour. 

The Symphony No 5 collection comes in two designs and seven colours, each representing different gemstones and musical note. Lively green, Diopside, represents the “do” note. Inspired by Vivaldi’s “Spring”, which narrates the dawn of spring through notions of growth and blooming, the line is in a soft light green. 

The Ruby line, representing “re” is inspired by Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5”, with the victory theme subtly translated from the first four syllables of the motif. Four dots in Morse code translate V in roman letters. The red colour represents power and victory. 

Mother of Pearl represents the “me” note. Wood-Thanan chose “Canon in D Minor” by German composer Johann Pachebel, for this bedding line. “White is pure. When you listen to this song, you sense the notion of pure nature, cleanliness, and happiness,” he adds. 

The black linen line “Black Lava” symbolises the note “la”. The pattern inspired by Italian composer Tomaso Albinoni’s “Adagio in G Minor”. 

“Black is associated with mystery and ending. Asians do not like this colour but I think it is very zen and ideal to relax after an exciting day,” he says. 

The earthy brown Fire Agate representing “fa” takes its motif from Bach’s “Toccata”. the passionate purple Spinel is the “sol” note, inspired by Bizet’s “Hebanera” from the opera “Carmen”, while the delightful Blue Turquoise represents “ti” in Brahms’s “Hungarian Dance No 5”.

Wonderfully soft and smooth, the bed linen has anti-bacterial and anti-dust properties that make it ideal for allergy sufferers.

“My research and development team is also studying if we can do something to help those who suffer from rashes and even acne. If you sleep on your side or your stomach, your face is always touching the fabric, so anyone with sensitive skin could suffer problems,” Wood-Thanan says.

The collection, which is now available at the store and other Pasaya outlets, comes with a free CD of the music that inspired the designer.