Howling at the moon
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Author Chart Korbjitti brings his mad dog to trendy tees
WELL-KNOWN CONTEMPORARY author Chart Korbjitti is bringing his Mad Dogs & Co back to life by printing it on T-shirts and other fashion accessories for his popular Phan Ma Ba brand. The label takes its name from his best-selling novel about a wild group of friends who take on the tourists that was released in 1988 and has since been translated into English.
Chart, who was named National Artist for literature in 2004 and has twice won the SeaWrite award, shifted to a fashion career five years ago, partly in an attempt to attract new readers but also to top up his earnings.
Initially sold through a friend’s boutique at Chatuchak Weekend Market, his T-shirts quickly found their way upcountry and were soon selling like hot cakes in Pak Chong, Chiang Mai, Sara Buri, Sattahip and Maha Chai.
“I knew my writing career would eventually come off the boil so I wanted a second career that would bring in some money while perhaps expanding my readers to include the younger generation,” Chart says.
“A friend came up with the idea of naming the brand after the book and of using the Thai dog logo that appears on the front page of every chapter.”
Chart opened his first shop on trendy Sukhumvit Soi 53 last year and today offers a range of unisex polo shirts, scarves, fisherman pants, canvas tote bags and shoulder bags.
All the tees are hand-screened and individually dyed, which helps keep the fabric soft and durable. More than 10 motifs, some in cartoon style, others boasting messages, are available in a colour palette that stretches from purple, orange, pink, blue, red and yellow to the more basic black, white and grey.
“My T-shirts are a little more expensive than other brands because I use only the best quality cotton,” he says.
COLOURFUL CANINES
>>Phan Ma Ba is located on Soi Sukhumvit 53 and is open daily from 11am to 8pm.
>>Call (094) 346 5546 or visit Facebook.com/PhanMaBaThongLor
