Still work to be done

ART LANE, which began as a more or less impromptu art-and-design extension of the anti-government rally site on Chidlom Road, has not been laid to rest by the coup.

The Army forced the People’s Democratic Reform Committee to close up shop last week, but the creative minds behind Art Lane are keeping the spirit alive with a pop-up shop at Siam Center.

At the moment it’s selling funky apparel made with hand-woven pa khao ma, with the proceeds going to farmers left short-changed by the government’s rice subsidy scheme. Twenty-one designers came up with the collection. 

“We started Art Lane at the anti-government rally in January as an open space for artists, designers and students to sell their handmade, protest-related souvenirs,” says artist Sakwut Wisesmanee. “Surprisingly, it became a popular shopping and activity venue! 

 “Later we started raising money for the farmers by selling T-shirts, morhom shirts and accessories bearing messages about Thailand and farming. Everything sold out. Then Benya Nantakwang, a designer, came up with the idea of using the pa khao ma that’s hand-woven by farmers in Isaan to produce trendy outfits and accessories. The pop-up shop is intended to earn money to help them and also to help a new generation appreciate the charm of Thai fabric and traditional weaving techniques.”

The weavers are specifically in Mahasarakham, Mukdahan and Nong Bua Lamphu, and they dye the cloth with plant extracts – blue, yellow, red, green, orange 

 and pink, as well as black and white.

Along with Sakwut, the participating designers are Soda, It’s Happened to be a Closet, Koi Suwannagate, Wannasiri Kongman of Boyy, Issue, Kloset, JBB Bote Benchakarn, Realistic Situation, Olanor, Jitsing of Playhound, Good Mixer, Chai, Hook, Kemmissara, Nagara, Sanshai, Pichita and Munchu’s.

The store is basic, just long tables and display trees laden with tartan skirts, fisherman pants, miniskirts, blouses, dresses, jackets, bags and hats. The top sellers are Wannasiri’s caps and cropped shirts and the long hooded dresses made by Koi.

Nat Mangkang of Kloset offers beautiful cropped blouses and miniskirts adorned with white lace, ideal for sweet girls. 

“Pa kha ma often has that tartan pattern we’re familiar with in the fashion business,” Nat says. “I was inspired by Kloset’s 2014 spring-summer collection. I played with a mix of pastel colours and decorated the skirt hems with flower-pattern lace. It can paired with a cap and white T-shirt to look like great street fashion.”

Jirawat “Bote” Benchakarn of JBB made striking suit jackets with fancy tailoring. The word “Thailand” stretches across the back in velvet. “I wanted to modernise pa kaho ma so that people 

 can wear it every day. With tailoring technique, my jackets are refined and trendy in details that relate to a current situation, for example, a word of Thailand is embed on the back.” 

And artist Sakwut’s white T-shirts are screened with hands held in a gesture of freedom and Thai tattoos like a tiger signifying invulnerability and a Naga king representing abundance. 

“I’m launching a new line soon,” Sakwut says. “The design is adapted from the covers of gramophone record to symbolise the cyclical nature of Thai politics. It will be my last design before I get back to doing actual artwork.”

 

 

TWO WEEKS LEFT

>>The Art Lane Pop-up Shop is on the first floor of Siam Center and will be open until June 15, daily from 10 to 10.