Something old, something new

TANISARA “JAZZ” Poenateetai and Patanin “Tap” Ngamkitcharoenlap share two common traits: they dislike waste and are creative by nature. Now they are putting both these qualities to good use by transforming second-hand clothes into one-of-a-kind funky headgear. 

After graduating in industrial design from Chulalongkorn University, Jazz, 24, worked with a costume jewellery brand for six months, while Tap, 25, offers his services as a freelance event designer. 

Last year, they reunited and turned their passions into a business by opening the online boutique Madmatter to market their unique quirky caps made with used clothes. They quickly found a clientele among the creative set –advertising agency staff and designers mainly – and today their shop has more than 1,500 followers on Facebook and is expanding its line to include more lifestyle items. 

“We started collecting second-hand clothing while we were students,” says Tap. “They’re unique and once altered make for good outfits. We did some research and discovered that much of the clothing had been donated by people in Europe and Japan to help people in need. However, the sweaters and jackets were bulky and not suitable for a hot climate, so they were being sent to a tip. At one stage, more than 10 million tons of perfectly good clothing was being trashed.”

“Our idea is to revive them, not in their original form as fabric needs to breathe and poor storage renders much of the clothes useless. However, some of the materials were perfect for creating caps so that’s what we did.”

Every month, the pair do the round of the flea markets, often heading down south to Pattani and Hat Yai and east to Sa Kaeo to select wool jackets, sweaters, slacks, dresses, jeans, skirts, even kimonos. They pick items that are of good quality, have unique textures and are printed with interesting motifs.

The fabrics go through a professional cleaning service to ensure they are clean then come back to the pair to be cut.

Right now they are available in two designs, Five Patch and Six Nature, both boasting attractive patchwork designs that Jazz and Tap have developed in conjunction with a local factory that produces clothing for leading brands.

The caps are designed to be well fitting, making them ideal for Asian women and men. There are more than 100 motifs from which to choose, and each cap is padded with soft fabric and comes with an adjustable leather strap and an adaptable brim made from plastic. 

“One shirt and jacket can produce just three or four hats. We use the patchwork idea to combine fabric scraps from various items so every cap is one of a kind,” Jazz says. 

Most come in pastel shades. Among the highlights are a two-tone Six Nature cap made from a polo shirt, a Five Patches cap that mixes off-cuts from skirts and slacks and white Six Nature models made from woven Japanese jackets.

 Another Six Nature edition boasts graphic and flower patterns from vintage jackets and there’s a Five Patch series made from kimono and yukata. Prices range from Bt1,290 to Bt1,490 for the Six Nature edition while the Five Patch series goes for Bt1,790. 

“We are working on designs for bow ties, name card cases, key rings, sneakers and stools. We want to come up with lifestyle products rather than fashion gear. All designs are easy to mix and match,” Tap says. 

“We will be opening our first shop at Siam Discovery soon and we also aim to market our products in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.” 

For now though, Madmatter’s caps are available at Greyhound Cafe and One Ounce for Onion Cafe on Soi Ekamai 12 as well as at the Madmatter Store page on Facebook. Call (086) 052 0205.