Sirivannavari's Superwoman

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana demonstrates her passion for sport, art and fashion in a line of clothes she’s designed for this spring and summer, which some 700 admirers previewed on Thursday at Siam Paragon, home of the boutique Sirivannavari.
The princess who represented Thailand in the equestrian events at the recent SEA Games in Nay Pyi Taw, ranking 10th in dressage, has come up with stunning futuristic sportswear. The collection, about 40 pieces, “reflects my own recent personal experiences, most notably my horse-riding accident and other illnesses”, she explained.
“I combined these experiences with inspiration from my favourite works of art. As many of you know, art has always been among my inspirations, and this time I have incorporated elements from works by Leonardo da Vinci, Damien Hirst and Frida Kahlo through the ‘X-Ray Collage’ print.”
Her Royal Highness studied fashion and textiles at Chulalongkorn University, and in 2008 Paris couturier Pierre Balman invited her to present her designs at his Paris Fashion Week show.
The fashion show maintained a futuristic thrill through four segments, during which sport jackets, pantsuits, peplum dresses and evening gowns were the mainstays.
A sleeveless top printed with an image of a galaxy was worn with metallic bell-bottoms, while a sport jacket with puffed sleeves and silver patchwork details looked great over black leggings. The X-Ray Collage appeared on a peplum tuxedo jacket in electric blue, ideal for pairing with leggings in a matching colour.
The weaving techniques gave a Spandex bustier dress a touch of refinement, while luxurious details like feathers were used on an evening dress bearing the X-Ray Collage in monochrome.
“The concept is ‘Remarkable Sports Couture’,” said the Princess, who also played with the championship-winning national badminton team at the SEA Games.
Like Superwomen leaping from the silver screen, a model dressed in shiny black tight leather slacks and a metallic trunk top decorated with feathers looked smart and elegant, aided by black leather gloves and high heels.
“The clothes feel active and sporty and give the wearer great freedom of movement, but with subtly concealed cutting and pattern-making details that are reminiscent of the meticulous refinement of haute couture,” said the Princess.
“The concept revolves around ‘futuristic’ shapes, so the collection as a whole feels entirely fresh and modern. In addition, the clothes are designed to flatter the figure, enabling the wearer to feel fit, confident and comfortable.”
Celebrated Thai fashion house Fly Now provided the atelier for her current collection, adding neat tailoring throughout. Classic black, metallic hues, turquoise and shocking pink and lime dominate the line.
The futuristic look is ideal for her handbags and handcrafted accessories, and for the leather gladiator boots and high-heel platforms produced by the brand Tango. The prints, metallic leather and handbag straps that brought to mind the human skeleton lifted the collection to a pinnacle, even as key items like pochettes and a luxe backpack continued to catch the eye.
The footwear ranged from skeleton gladiator boots and flats in soft leather to high heels in her signature prints, with acrylic and nail details at the heels.
The collection also carries the idea of a modern woman whose life experiences help her mature by polishing her outlook and personality. She blossoms into a confident being who is strong both emotionally and physically and never loses the slightest sense of style and elegance.
The show’s elegant finale featured supermodel Cindy Burbridge Bishop in a shining pink-satin evening gown cut right up to the thigh, revealing metallic high heels. It was a sexy and elegant look.
“I was delighted to get back to work on this collection,” Princess Sirivannavari said. “I had a great time every day I was working on it because this is what I truly love. I was very serious with this collection and devoted myself to it.
“We have much smaller, yet stronger team now, so I did many things by myself from the beginning – sketching, cutting fabrics, draping and fitting. I’ve put a lot of own identity into this collection and I hope everyone likes it!”