Thailand 'A La Mode'

Thailand's fashion scene has been very quiet over the past months, taking a while to pick up steam after the cancellation of autumn-winter 2016 showings in the weeks following the death last October of the country’s beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej. 
The shows are now back and in style too, with Chinese first lady of haute couture Guo Pei kicking off Bangkok Fashion Week 2017 last weekend before handing over the catwalk to 36 Thai designers and leading fashion labels. 
Models strutted confidently and gracefully along the main runways at Parc Paragon of Siam Paragon with talks and mini-fashion shows at Siam Center and Siam Discovery adding to the buzz. 
The feedback was great – and immediate too – as designers, fashionistas and the press turned to the social networks to offer live runway reports. 
The opening show by Guo Pei was a stunner, with the Chinese designer bringing last year’s collection to the stage – this year’s is still in Paris – showcasing “that canary yellow cape” in which pop star Rihanna made such a splash right before the show and following up with embroidered gowns reflecting the ancient techniques and the rich history and culture of her great nation.
But it was Issue’s show that rekindled memories of what Bangkok Fashion Week is all about. Sponsored by Wacoal Mood, designer and founder Bhubawit Kritpholnara, narrated a journey to Malacca, a state in Malaysia listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site and noted for its long history. Colonised by many countries including Portugal, France, Japan and Thailand over the centuries, Malacca is a land of diversity with rich cultures, traditions and arts. Bhubawit communicated his story through prints on Hawaiian shirts for both males and females using special light fabrics. Embroidery techniques were used on printed textiles while sporty and street-wear styles were also mixed in, making it much more colourful and lively than his previous works.
Tube Gallery nurtured nostalgia with a romantic runway enhanced by the most beautiful Thai song of all time, “Bua Khao” (“White Lotus”) by Thanpuying Phuangroi Apaiwong, with lyrics by General Major Prince Bhanubandhu Yugala that was first released in 1937. 
Designer duo Phisit Jongnarangsin and Saxit Pisalasupongs took spectators on a romantic ride over a pond filled with lotus blossoms, water lilies and beautiful creatures. 
Translating the music, the lyrics, and yesterday’s memories into their fashion, the two chose watercolours as an appropriate way to visualise the song. Candy colours such as Baby Blue and Baby Pink highlighted the collection, stirring memories of childhood sweets. Hand embroidery with old and new crafting techniques was adopted to create the unique work for which Tube Gallery is known. 
Asava by Polpat Asavaprapha once again presented timeless silhouettes in simple, clear and elegant forms and, with its unique identity of one-shoulder and off-shoulder dresses, proved that the label can reach and touch all women. V-neck and covered shoulder dresses oozing femininity also formed part of the collection.
The four-day fashion week heated up as actress Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund showed off her sexy side, appearing with a wet-hair look and boasting plenty of gold on her chest. She was modelling Vatanika’s modern and classic designs, which this time had a manly though still feminine look to them. Designer and founder Vatanika Patamasingh na Ayudhya explained that the robust golden chain decoration was meticulously and delicately put together piece by piece by the best craftsmen. 
“When worn, this harsh material will attractively and sensually accentuate the curves of the female body – it’s a clever way of using a sturdy element to advocate femininity in a contemporary style. Bold pinstripe and hand-selected exquisite lace are juxtaposed together, underlined with the contrasting golden chains is a manifestation of a multifaceted character.”
 Returning to the fashion scene at BIFW 2017 this season was legendary brand Nagara and Nagara Sambandaraksa did not disappoint his loyal fans with a collection that combined Thai silk blends and hand-woven, made-to-order fabrics. An applique technique was used in the detailed cutting to convey the complicated design that makes Nagara’s fashion so unique. The colour palette included white, black, grey and dark blue.
Nagara is credited with redefining Thai fashion and catapulting it onto the world stage thanks to his tie-dye, hand-painting and embroidery techniques that makes his clothes so stunning and wearable. For this collection, he brought back his long-time model, Metinee “Lukkade” Kingpayom and paired her with heartthrob actor Nadech Kugimiya. 
Exceptional young brands Adhoc, House of PB and Shaka, whose designs are sold exclusively at Siam Center, joined forces for their show. Wiyada Teawpongpant and Saranyatach Kawinchotpaisan of Adhoc presented “Post Apocalypse”, a range of street fashion boasting a raw, cool and modern identity inspired by imaginary disasters.
After a break in recent years, Chatree Theng-ha, founder and designer of Shaka, made his return with a collection inspired by the Sino- Portuguese architecture of Phuket town. 
“We have co-designed our textiles with the talented illustrator/interior designer, Harisadhi Leelayuwapan. As a result, the moods of liveliness, joy and elegance are presented in a sporty look using specialised printing and embroidering methods.”
Semi-couture outfit, La Boutique by To Phatchawatt, added colour to spring 2017 with a palette of shocking pink, flamingo feather pink, cherry red, mustard yellow, cobalt blue, Egyptian blue and shimmering gold for a collection called “Hyphy Dudette”. Chiffon, lace, organdie, silk velvet and glittering spandex added allure to ’80’s style clothes that emphasised and encompassed playful decorative details like handkerchief style’s bows, ornamental fringes and pleated lace. 
The only menswear brand of fashion week, Fri27Nov, created a Boy Army street wear collection, offering a version of military uniforms that mixed patterns and colours of each military unit with the brand’s eccentric style.
The week wrapped with a show by Milin and founder Milin Yuvacharuskul brought extra glitz and glamour to her shirts, mini, midi, and maxi dress with new prints of desert flowers layered in different shades, a desert pattern in pastel hues, and exquisite fur prints. Safari pockets were embroidered with sequins and a wrap dress and an asymmetrical cocktail number played with layers formed by a specialised technique using metal hoops and 3D draping.