Getting personal with a present

With the holiday season done and dusted, it’s time to welcome the New Year and blow the little cash we left over by giving ourselves a treat.

Whether it’s shoes, a bag, something for the home or a funky accessory for our favourite smartphone, these 10 local brands selected by Sunday Nations are guaranteed to bring pleasure.

 

 

1. Labrador

A leader in stylish stationery and lifestyle goodies made from genuine leather since it opened back in 2005, Labrador offers a range of items that look great but won’t break the bank.

This year, it demonstrates its concern for our environment by launching Relabrador, which offers stationery made from recycled leather and Labrador Paper, which stocks a selection of refill paper for its organisers and notebooks. You’ll also find a variety of quality CD holders, iPad cases, cardholders, bankbook cases, passport cases, wallets, and more. 

Labrador has branches at Silom Complex and Terminal 21. Call (02) 951 3488 or visit www.Facebook.com/LabradorFactoryPage

 

2. Artist Denim

Kitipat Soontornampol’s online shop Artist Denim lets you customise your favourite jeans with material, a funky design and anything you care to add to the back pocket.

He offers 90 different styles of well-cut, handcrafted jeans that stand out thanks to the use of two-coloured thread, brass buttons and an embroidered pocket. The denims are sourced from four mills in Japan and his original line, Sugar Cane Number 1, even retains the aromatic scent of the cane. All the jeans are produced on old sewing machines that are capable of creating different effects and stitches. 

Kitipat recently launched a second line, Waft X Weft, targeted at youngsters, and a series of black and white tees.

Find out more at (086) 361 1005 or visit www.Facebook.com/Artistdenim.

 

 

3. 31 Thanwa

Born into a family of shoemakers famed for their leather moccasins, Boonyanuch Vittayasamrit carries on the family tradition with her own line of bags for men and women under the name 31 Thanwa.

Her two latest collections, Animal Instinct and Mystique, are guaranteed to wash away the post-holiday blues. The first includes the stylish Two Faces clutch bag in two kinds of leather that flips into a shoulder bag and folds into a tiger-stripe clutch.

The equally attractive Mystique clutch comes in A4 size, ideal for carrying documents and an iPad, while the zipper on the Curios Noir reveals a mini pocket for an iPhone made from the skin of a monitor lizard.

The 31 Thanwa has a pop-up store on the ground floor of the W Hotel on Sathorn Road and is open daily from 9am to 9pm. The bags are also available in the Wonder Room at Siam Center. Call (081) 711 8031 or visit www.31Thanwa.com or the “31Thanwashop” page on Facebook.

 

 

4. Mywarisa

Mywarisa, the Thai brand that has taken Japan by storm, has expanded its reach with the opening of a new shop in Siam Square Soi 2. Run by designer Anawin Kangwalkulkij and his accountant girlfriend, this bigger space is filled with a colourful selection of handcrafted, comfortable footwear including flats, high heels, boat shoes and sandals.

Elaborate mat shoes are decorated with fish ornaments, colourful flats have a see-through mesh while the leather high heels are stamped with wood grain and zebra patterns.

Mywarisa also has branches at The Circle Ratchapreuk and Chatuchak Market’s Project 2. Call (02) 863 8679 or visit www.Facebook.com/Mywarisa.

 

5. Mink’s

Thepsawarin Tapienthong, one of the winners of the Talent Thai Award, has come up with a new collection of minimalist wooden furniture and furnishings for her popular store Mink’s. 

Made from pine, ash and walnut wood, her creations are designed with the urban condominium in mind and involve surprising transformations, like the tree root sprouting a lamp, a thumb drive that looks like a polar bear and a pencil holder shaped like a house.

She also offers a garden bench, table lamps, wall clocks with wooden hands, tote bags made from Japanese linen and attractive notebooks with graphic designs from Japan.

Mink’s is in Ekkamai Shopping Mall on Ekkamai Soi 10. Call (02) 714 2047 or visit www.Facebook.com/Minkislove.

 

6. Singha Life

Brewer Singha Corporation made its entry into the fashion retail business five years ago, opening the first Singha Life boutique at Siam Center with a menswear line that also included accessories. 

Created by leading designers Chamnan Pakdeesuk and Kowit Pongpandecha, the designs come in two categories; Singha Play and Singha Work.

The boutique stocks suits, shirts, t-shirts, blazers, shorts and pants along with accessories like neckties, scarves, bags, belts, shoes and wallets that are ideal for mixing and matching.

A skincare and cosmetic line under the name of Brew Skin features cleaners, moisturisers for day and night, sunscreen, shampoo and soap. 

Singha Life has branches at Siam Center, Central World and the Int Intersect mall on Rama 3, as well as a kiosk in the International Departures at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Call (02) 658 1177 or visit www.SinghaLife.com.

 

 

7. Saprang

Silpakorn University graduates Sirikan Jirajbhaskornkul and Supot Suwannasing have gained quite a following for their handcrafted jewellery, which sells under the Saprang brand. 

Made from brass and coated with blue titanium and pink gold, their jewellery takes the form of Mother Nature’s flowers and leaves, with their inspirations coming from the twisting and turning of the metals. 

Check out their shop on Soi Ekamai 10 for the latest bangles adorned with flowers, petal-like bracelets, brass necklaces with geometric wooden pendants, butterfly-shaped necklaces, shell-like bracelets and fan-shaped earrings.

Saprang shop is in Ekamai Shopping Mall, Ekkamai Soi 10. Call (081) 905 6681, (081) 986 4819 or visit www.Facebook.com/SaprangCraftJewelry.

 

8. Pastel

Pastel on Siam Square Soi 2 brings art to your smart phone with a collection of brilliant iPhone cases, covers for the iPad, MacBook sleeves, wallets, tote bags as well as pillows and scarves that bear distinctive illustrations by well-known Thai artists.

Also on sale are t-shirts, tote bags, scarves and socks screened with Wisut Ponnimit’s adorable cartoon character Nong Mamuang, aka Mango Girl, as well as a phone case depicting the profound relationship between Mamuang, her dog Manao and her cat Dora.

Pastel is on Siam Square Soi 2. Call (02) 658 0486 or visit www.PastelDesignStudio.com.

 

9. Nature Touch

You can get in touch with nature at Mega Bangna with a quality collection of aromatic spa products based on essential oils from French perfumery leader Charabot.

The products come in 70 single nose scents and 12 aromas, which are divided into four categories - relax, refreshing, balance and rejuvenation - and all extracted from flowers, fruits and herb. 

Nature Touch offers body lotions, bath & shower gels, soaps, talcum, hand cream, shampoo, conditioner, bath salt, body scrubs, perfumes, room sprays, diffusers, candles and cleansing foams.

It’s on the second floor of Mega Bangna. Call (081) 923 5050, (081) 279 8338 or visit www.NatureTouch.com/

 

10. Mazmoizelle

New-wave designer Supawadee Kaewkum invites fashionistas to move away from leather and enjoy funky bags and accessories made from cork.

Sold under the Mazmoizelle label, her products are made from the cork oak tree and imported Korea and China. It is flexible, light, sticky, water-resistant and easy to clean too.

She offers more than 40 designs of handbags, totes, shoulder bags, briefcases, clutch bags, messenger bags, iPad and iPhone cases and wallets. The bags are strengthened with either light or hard frames and padded with fabric or leather to ensure durability.

Mazmoizelle’s products are available at ZM Bangkok shop in Chatuchak Weekend Market, section 3, Soi 43/1. Call (085) 557 5721, (081) 992 9901 or visit www.Facebook.com/mazmoizelle shop and zhowcase.