Talent and traditions

NOW IN ITS second year, “Tor Fah Pha Thai”, a reality show dedicated to searching for new talent in Thailand’s design industry, is back again with cooperation from the Ministry of Culture, Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, Modernine TV and Thumbs Up Media.
From the pool of more than 1,000 applicants, ten contestants have made it to the final round. The outfits will also be made with fabrics damaged during the flooding in 2011 and tailored in a modern legacy style to build on the textile heritage that has been passed down through the generations.
As the main sponsor of the show, Culture Minister Sontaya Kunplome is happy to speak about the role of the ministry in promoting a show that supports local wisdom.
“We are well aware of the importance of conserving local wisdom, and we have a policy to give value to every aspect of our culture, from food to language and religious rituals. At the beginning of this year, we collaborated with Chon Buri province in initiating a project to conserve, promote and restore the tradition of Angsila–Ban Puek weaving that saw the setting up of a cultural council for Ban Puek subdistrict. It will be in charge of original weaving techniques and patterns, while also coming up with new patterns. In the future, we aim to develop an Angsila Weaving Centre to create OTOP products for the province.”
Before the competition got underway earlier this month, guest celebrities travelled to various destinations to study a particular type of fabric and its origin, in order to bring that fabric and the wisdom behind it to the contestants to use in designing and making their fashion pieces.
 Actor Sunny Suwanmethanon was assigned to learn about Angsila hand-woven fabric and went to Chon Buri to meet granny Nguan Sermsri, 93. The last proponent of this wonderful art in Thailand, she has practised this ancient hand-weaving for eight decades.
Project manager of the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, Piyavara Teekara, who’s a consultant to the show, notes that Thai silk has its origins in local wisdom. “Thai people have always been advanced in terms of arts and crafts, developing beautiful patterns from things around them. The people created the weaving techniques. This is our cultural heritage and it has a distinctive character. With silk so very popular among foreigners, we must raise awareness among the young generation so that they look at silk in a modern way. One way of doing this is to have them make fashionable items in a competition that allows them to sharpen their skills and learn from gurus in the fashion and Thai textile industry.”
“Tor Fah Pha Thai” is first and only fashion reality show that focuses on Thai textile, using it as the challenge in every week to raise awareness about Thai textiles.
“The first season of the show was very well received. Last year’s contestants, whether they won or not, got new opportunities in fashion and design, and they can utilise the knowledge they’ve acquired from the show to weave their dreams,” says the show’s executive producer Jenistar Ruksirsopha.
Designed around a semi-reality setting, contestants are asked to come up with something using Thai textile to illustrate local wisdom. The show is divided into two parts. The first part is “Thai Icon” and has young celebrities like Sunny travelling to different communities to learn about the textiles at their source.
The second part is “Thai Designer”, in which the contestants use the textile from the first part to design clothes following the theme of each week. The judges and commentators then share their opinions, and one person will be voted out. Only one contestant will make it to the finish line, scooping up prizes worth more than Bt500,000 and a certificate from the Support Foundation.
“The competition this year will have more flavour. We have developed new gimmicks and the contestants are all very interesting individuals,” says Jenistar.
The designers invited to share their expertise with the contestants include Sirichai Taharanon, Pichitra Boonyarataphan and Chanita Preechawitayakul. Sinjai Plengpanich is the show’s host and the commentators are Sririta Jantzen, Lalita Sasiprapa, Pechaya Wattanamontree, Praiya Suandokmai and Khemanit Jamikorn.
The judges are experts in different fields, among them fashion and design gurus Ornapa Krisadee and Kullawit Laosuksri, and Thai textile expert Suttirat Kaewaporn.

 - “Tor Fah Pha Thai Season 2” airs on Sunday at 9.50pm through September 22.