Singing in the rain
With a trendy umbrella and stylish raincoat from Japan, you'll be in the mood to face the seasonal downpours
THE RAINY season has started and that means it’s time to toss your plastic mackintosh and cartoon-printed umbrella and invest in rainwear that will keep you in vogue throughout the 2015 monsoon showers.
You’ll find them among popular Japanese brand WPC’s new collection, which turns every downpour into a fashion statement.
Growing up in a family that supplied a variety of industrial tools from Japan, Pongnadda Oulapathorn headed to the Land of the Rising Sun to study and quickly realised that an umbrella is as much part of fashion as, say, a pair of shoes.
The designs and innovations are continuously improved to look trendy yet remain functional and suited to the Asian climate. Last year she set up
Toolplus to offer consumers a wide variety of smart Japanese lifestyle products including WPC’s rain goods, Marna’s household products, Lec’s cleaning equipment and Craftholic’s cartoon character dolls.
“Japanese people use umbrellas to shelter them from both the sun and the rain so there’s a variety of designs and technology. We’re the sole distributor of WPC in Thailand and our aim is to offer a new choice for young shoppers,” Pongnadda says.
“WPC is one of the most popular brands and its products are available at every underground station.”
The umbrellas and raincoats are made with specially woven polyester that protects the wearer from harmful UV rays. Perfect for Thailand’s weather, the newest collection of foldable umbrellas has been made in such a way as to significantly reduce heat under the umbrella and protect against 97 per cent of UV infiltration.
Made from quality aluminium, the structure is flexible, durable and lightweight, while the canopy boasts matching colours and graphic prints. Women will love a shocking-pink mini umbrella covered in dots, a striped parasol in white and blue, an elegant dotted parasol with 16 bones and a yellow foldable umbrella dotted with flowers.
The men’s brollies come in a bigger size and with a stronger handle.
Patterns include tartan, stripes and army camouflage.
Those wanting a superlight umbrella to protect them from the elements will find it among the new foldable 90-gram brollies that come in different designs.
“We offer a variety of colours and
designs. We have sun-proof umbrellas with small handles and sturdier models for men. We also have a range of plain umbrellas in black, white, navy blue and pink,” Pongnadda says.
“All our umbrellas come with a bag that zips.”
Also from Japan is a range of funky raincoats in trench coat style. They’re available in navy blue, green and beige and there’s also a shirt-like raincoat in camouflage for children as well as waterproof bags.
WPC’s collections are available at The Mall Bang Kapi and Bang Khae, Siam Paragon, Emporium, EmQuartier, Central and Loft.
Find out more at “WPCThailand” page on Facebook and Instagram.
