Wrapped up in fantasy
A Kiss Me Doll scarf doubles as a dress, a muumuu, even a headband
SCARVES LONG AGO replaced jewellery as a way of jazzing up even the most mundane outfit and the ones designed by Kiss Me Doll with their sweet fairy tale motifs add an unmistakable feminine touch to shirts, tees and dresses.
They’re the work of Pasith Rathjarupong, a boy raised to take over the family’s gold business but decided early on that his passion lay in fashion.
He founded Kiss Me Doll 10 years ago and started by selling a collection of knitted teddy bears and key rings handcrafted by artisans in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The bears were snapped up from his stall at the Bangkok International Gift and Houseware Fairs, with orders pouring in from Europe and elsewhere in Asia. Finding it unexpectedly complicated to produce enough for the mass market, he switched to fashion accessories, opening his first shop at the Palio shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Khao Yai district..
“I was one of the first to open a boutique at Palio,” Pasith says, “I started by selling costume jewellery and other accessories and in my spare time, I designed scarves, thinking they’d make good souvenirs for the tourists.”
The line proved popular but Pasith decided his future lay in the big city so headed down to Bangkok, renting two kiosks at Siam Skytrain station from which to sell his printed scarves with unusual unicorn and rabbit motifs.
Today, Kiss Me Doll has 11 branches around town and recently opened a new outlet in Terminal 21 where the scarves are hot favourites with tourists from China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The brand is flourishing on the social networks too with more than 30,000 followers on Instagram.
The scarves, made from a specially woven combination of cotton and spandex, are digitally printed and come in different sizes, some of them large enough to double as a dress.
“The inspiration for my designs comes from my travels. Wild animals feature a lot,” Pasith says.
The current collection includes the Marry-Go-Round, Best Friends, Karat, Bear Kiss, Bear Hug II and Love in the Air series, with each available in three sizes: 60 x 60 centimetres, 100 x 100cm and 180 x 80cm.
“I’m think about launching scarves for men. They will have graphic motifs,” Pasith says.
TIE ONE ON
>>The newest branch of Kiss Me Doll is on the third floor of Terminal 21. It’s open daily from 10am to 10pm. Call (084) 569 5591 or visit the “KissMeDollScarf” page on Facebook.
