Set sail for summer

THE BANGKOK Fashion Society (BFS) reckons a bold, confident attitude is essential in facing the modern world’s hectic changes – and its designers’ spring-summer wardrobes reflect just that.
Everyone’s “feeling the heat” these days, and not just because the temperature’s already soaring. One way of coping is to stock up your closet with hot trends to match.
The BFS has some dazzling ideas for you, ranging from swimwear and T-shirts to wide-leg pants and including a caftan, a maxi dress, glimpses of flesh, plus a whole lot of black and white.
The new lines fall into three categories.

AROUND THE WORLD
The surprise-filled new line from Vickteerut, a brand that specialises in minimalist looks, is called Villa Egerton, and that’s the Mediterranean seaside destination for clothes that celebrate summer getaways.
Villa Egerton is an actual place on the bay at Monaco that once drew the famously creative, among them Coco Chanel, F Scott Fitzgerald, Greta Garbo, Salvador Dali and Ernest Hemingway. The exotic floral blooms that decorated the villa and perfumed their parties give the Vickteerut collection its starting point.
The details evoke a sea cruise. Fabric is twisted to resemble ropes running up a yacht’s sails. The metal eyelets might come straight from a sailor’s kit bag. Fabric bows call to mind the boatsman’s knots.
One dramatic item in particular is a silk-chiffon long-sleeved tunic in 
 earthy brown with matching flare pants. The combination is both laid-back and exquisitely stylish.
Kloset has set sail too, but on the voyage at the heart of the novel and feature film “Life of Pi”. The Indian orphan and fierce tiger who reluctantly share a precarious vessel provide the inspiration for the brand’s “If You Want the Rainbow” collection, in which cheerful optimism chases away the gloom of despair.
Fascinating details like handmade flowers merge with golden lace, silk embroidery and a spectrum of bright, beautiful colours in a happy, hope-filled line. There are floral prints, denims, knits and see-through numbers, and a terrific “Good Luck” bag that could go with pretty much any choice of clothes.
You might need a posh tent to “Go Glamping” with Milin, which summons the ethereal spirits of the breathtaking Sonoran Desert in the US Southwest. Safari pockets are embroidered with sequins and the materials include velvet, metallic brocade, glittery weaves and silk.
The basic camper wardrobe is transformed by twining glitz and glam prints of fur and flowers against the gorgeous shades of a luminous night sky and the pastels of the desert landscape. Meant for fun mixing, matching and layering, there’s a collared shirt, mini, midi and maxi dresses, a wrap dress and an asymmetrical cocktail dress. 
Ernest Hemingway’s model-actress granddaughter Margaux is remembered in the collection from ASV, which honours a life of adventure and grandeur, albeit one cut tragically short.
ASV harks back to 1950s Cuba, an era and place infused with the charms of cultural diversity. As a child, Margaux lived there with her famous grandfather, and a Sailor suit recalls those days and suggests a passion for travel. 
The line features a Havana collar that’s almost redolent of the scent of sea breeze, and a Shawl collar with a remarkable shape all its own. 
 A cropped jacket and short pants are the perfect look for an explorer on an exciting journey. One-shoulder and off-shoulder tops look amazing with culottes.

MIND’S TRIP
“The Realist” collection from Asava launches forth from four inspiring adjectives – realistic, sublime, progressive and romantic – to explore the concept of timelessness in silhouettes that retain the brand’s signature simple elegance. 
One-shoulder and off-shoulder pieces vie for attention with a V-neck dress and cape. Cotton lace mingles with custom-made “moss crepe” and other fine textiles such as organza, polyester and feathery and wavy pinstripes.  
Classic shades including black, white, beige and navy are given fresh looks in combination with limited-use tones such as blue fog, desert mist, acorn and the wonderfully named moonstruck.
Thanawut Thanasarnvimon makes his debut for TandT (pronounced T and T) with a collection 
 called “Synthesis Garden”, a lovely tribute to the Frances Hodgson Burnett children’s novel “The Secret Garden”, whose characters enjoy a harmonious relationship with nature. 
Green fabric immediately sets the place, but this garden is found in a city with its own array of beautiful floral colours. The patterns vary according to urban activities in pyjamas, an office uniform, party costumes and outfits suited to cooking and travelling. Numerous caring details make the clothes adjustable. 
TandT has also collaborated with the T-shirt firm Double Goose on a mix-and-match series. 

Patinya’s “Theory of Tides” collection rides the emotional swell and dip of ocean waves in sexy and elegant pieces that are classic but not conservative. The cutting is refined and both the fabrics and the palette of soft pink, light purple and white feel relaxed. Tassels are among the cool details on view. 
 TIME MACHINE
The “I Paint with Shapes” collection from Painkiller alludes to sculptor Alexander Calder, celebrated for his suspended minimalist mobiles doing their delicate balancing acts. Calder’s poetry and playfulness are transferred to men’s wear in black, white, navy and grey amid bold prints depicting a seal, moon or other objects. You have T-shirts, a Hawaiian shirt, wide trousers and jacket jersey. 
The new line from Greyhound Original is “If I Was Born in the ’90s”, recalling the music of Kurt Cobain and those oversize trousers a very young Leonardo DiCaprio wore in the movie “Romeo and Juliet”. The looks are sporty and further enlivened with rose, kiss and tattoo graphics. 
From Issue comes the “Yimsu” collection paying homage to the musical compositions of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol. It’s full of good cheer and happiness, white, black and grey aroused by yellow gold, navy and red. Typically for the brand, the fabrics bear handcrafted details and unique prints. 

THIS SEASON’S TRENDS
The colours found in the BFS collections fall generally into three categories. They’ve dubbed one “The Summer’s Romance”, with grey pastels and a light brown caramel. “The Zensual” adheres to blacks and whites. And “Spirit of the Sun” welcomes the bright hues and adds touches of brown for extra luxury and elegance. 
In terms of styling, every BFS brand has put flares into blouses, skirts and trousers. Also common is the looser shape better suited to hot days and more tailoring in the structure of suits and uniforms.
Among the chic details, expect to see a lot of ruffles, big shoulders, more blocking and see-through and some dazzling techniques in the patterns. Flowers, stripes and retraced graphics predominate, especially on T-shirts, the better to mix and match creatively.