A passion for design

As we bid farewell to 2015, Sunday Leisure looks back at five local brands that have not only delighted us this year with their creative and unique products but also brought colour and fun to this shopping page. Check them out this week and you might just find a few last-minute gifts either for yourself or those you love.

 

A Piece (s) of Paper 

Run by actor Thanavate “Gap” Siriwatanagul and his wife Rattanin “Num” Supurtipanish, A Piece (s) of Paper shows its concern for the environment by offering perforated reusable wraps that can double as stationery.

The Chulalongkorn University graduates–Num holds a degree in architecture and Gap in industrial design – are a well-matched pair as she loves handcrafts and he knows all about marketing having worked for an advertising agency for several years.

The brand was established in 2012 after Gap watched his friends rip the gaily printed wrapping paper off their gifts and chuck it into the nearest bin and thought to himself “what a waste”. 

That led to the introduction of a collection of perforated wraps that tear off easily and can transform into notepads, notebook covers and even smartphone cases.

Now, their brand has more than 10,000 loyal fans on Facebook. Its paper comes in the single size of 72x48 centimetres and boasts several different illustrations.

Also available are notebooks, boxes and gift bags in different shapes, bookmarks and eye-catching decorative stickers that double as gift tags. The prices range from Bt80 to Bt165.

Find them at B2S, Betrend, Loft, Bookend in Chiang Mai and Spoonful on Soi Langsuan.

Check out the latest collection at “A Pieces of Paper: page on Facebook. 

 

Rosemanclub

Rosemanclub is famous for smart vintage-inspired eyewear that’s hand-crafted by artisans in Fukui, Japan. The brainchild of graphic designer Piyawan “Spoyz” Eauboonsiri and copywriter Passanunt “Natz” Tarajaruspat, the shop near Chulalongkorn University opened last year after the pair made a successful debut at trade shows in Paris and New York. 

There are more than 40 designs and 27 colours from which to choose in the attractive boutique, which is designed to resemble a walk-in closet. The specs are made from good-quality acetate and come with UV protection lenses that are electromagnetic interference proof, anti-reflective, scratch resistant and dirt and water repellent. 

Ryu frames have straight arms to reduce compression of the ears and no uncomfortable plastic nose pads, the classic Charlie edition comes in three hues, while the Kin frame combines a round shape with straight lines. The Alfie is a mixture of acetate and alloy and the Katsu line looks cool with a narrow square frame. 

Prices range from Bt3,800 to Bt4,850 with clip-ons going for Bt550. 

The shop also sells trunks from Australia, fashionable outfits from Japan and genuine leather wallets from New York.

Rosemanclub is at 1497 Soi Chula 11, Rama IV Road. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 8pm. Call (081) 444 2642 or visit www.RosemanClub.com.

 

Just in Case 

Hand-crafted customised leather shoes are the stars at Just in Case. They’re padded with a 7.5-centimetre-high insole and come with a one-year warranty for men who want to be taller. 

Founded in 2013, the brand is owned by Chalermkit Pokamas, who won this year’s Design Excellence Award from the Department of International Trade Promotion with a tailor-made shoe-in-shoe that features a smart leather chunky heel and a ballet flat upper.

Inspired by the habit most women have slipping off their heels and encasing their feet in gaily-coloured slippers as soon as they arrive at the office, his shoe sets out to leave the ladies’ feet looking attractive while affording them relief from aching calf muscles.

Made with wool textile and leather, the shoe is designed to be flexible and durable for walking on any surface. 

Chalermkit’s collection for men comes in more than 10 designs and features different kinds of Italian leather in 20 shades of basic brown and black. The best-sellers include shoes with uppers in waterproof oil-coated grain leather, polished red leather, premium nubuck leather and soft chamois and Threegether, a set of three oxford shoes in different designs and see-through plastic ankle boots with a printed sole. They range in price from Bt5,250 to Bt7,500. 

Just in Case is on the second floor of CentralWorld. It’s open daily from 10am to 10pm. Call (083) 003 5287 or visit www.JustInCaseShoes.com or the JustInCase_Shoes page on Facebook. 

 

Tisgraphy 

The most imaginative cushions and pillows Sunday Leisure ever remembers seeing come from Tisgraphy and boast printed images of popular Thai dishes. The brand is owned by Morakot Chomboon and her boyfriend Nawaporn Thanmarutwipark and the goodies can be found at their store at Mega Bangna.

They use top-quality polyester for the cushion covers, which is the perfect texture for transfer printing, and fill them with synthetic fibres. 

Check out the store at Mega Bangna for colourful round cushions printed with images of shrimp-paste chilli sauce, pad thai, somtam, green curry with chicken and even a Northern-style khan tok dinner and the even funkier cushions shaped like a prawn, a fried mackerel, a grilled squid and snakeskin gourami. They range from Bt480 to Bt1,280. 

Tistgraphy also has branches at Hua Hin’s Cicada night market and Bangkok’s Rod Fai market on Srinakarin Road. Call (090) 971 1132 or visit the Tistgraphy page on Facebook.

 

Sai Di Dee

Patteera Chwengchaiyong draws on nostalgia for her Sai Di Dee brand that focuses on T-shirts resembling the uniforms worn by Cub Scouts, motorcycle taxi drivers and waitresses.

She got the idea in 2011 after seeing office workers dressed up in junior-school uniforms for a theme party. She printed up the initial batch of T-shirts just for fun and launched them at the Fat Festival, where her designs caught the eyes of hip youngsters. 

Today she sells the tees online via Facebook and has more than 7,000 followers. Made from top-quality cotton, her T-shirts come in 14 different designs based on the uniforms of Cub Scout, Air Scout, Sea Scout, Red Cross Youth, security guard, motor-taxi driver, mariner and Reserve Officer Training Corps. 

They come in five sizes and are priced at Bt390. Five designs are available for kids and cost Bt200 apiece..

Check out the whole line at the “SaiDiDee” page at Facebook.