Janesuda Parnto, 31, has worked all over showbiz, from MVs to movies, as a VJ, actress, model and now fashion designer, inspired by her love of T-shirts. After releasing the first collection under her self-titled label, she opens up to BK about the business side of fashion, her love of music and how to survive being in the spotlight.

I love music so much. When I was in England, I would go out and not drink as I’d spend all my money on buying CDs. I have a huge collection and love to sit all day in front of the stereo, listening to them on repeat.
 
I’m a 90s kid. I like rock n’ roll, alternative rock, and indie, but I still have a soft spot for the Spice Girls. I enjoy analyzing the instrumentation in the songs: the guitar sounds, bass lines and drums, as well as the lyrics. That’s what influenced me to become a VJ at MTV Thailand after being cast in a few MVs and becoming an actress.
 
Being an actress allows me to be crazy. The job is both fun and funny. One minute you have to act all crazy, then in another take you have to cry. It makes me forget who I am. It soothed me when I was heartbroken, too.
 
You have to be pretty thick-skinned to be in showbiz. It’s not always glamorous. You must be ready for the negative comments that come when you are in the spotlight. 
 
Business is business, and you need to understand that. It’s not only the entertainment business, but all fields; you have to learn how to handle it.
 
The scandal surrounding my friend Jenny [Tienposuwan, actress] and her marriage [to politician Chonsawat Asavahame] stunned me. It made me really question our society. Jenny’s wedding attracted more interest from the public than important news like the amnesty bill. Maybe people are just too bored with politics, economics or crime, so they only pay attention to entertainment news.
 
Not many women can handle that kind of trouble, but she did. Now she’s happy and I’m happy for her and support her decision.
 
I always fancied making my own clothes. When I was 19, I walked into a fabric factory and asked them to produce 10 T-shirts. They laughed at me but finally did it. My friends loved them, so I ended up giving them all away for free. I never tried to do it again because I saw how hard it was to produce and sell them.
 
Social media has become a big way to promote fashion. It’s helped me regain my dream, which I’m now pursuing under the Janesuda brand.
 
I don’t want to use my fame to sell my clothes. I threw my whole collection in the trash last year just because I felt it wasn’t good enough. I lost hundreds of thousands because of this. I don’t want people saying, “You’re a celebrity. You can sell anything.” It was probably my most distressing moment. 
 
A T-shirt can reflect your personality. It’s my favorite choice when I go out. They seem ordinary but actually they’re special. Just as with jeans, there are so many choices, but if you find the one you like, you’ll fall in love with it. It belongs to you.
 
Your personality must lead your fashion sense. Don’t dress in a way that overshadows your personality.
 
I don’t want girls to waste their money on trends. I try to avoid things like the it-bag of the season that costs B100,000. Those things are just fads. 
 
Thai fashion is fun but it lacks individuality or originality. Most Thai women just follow trends, so everybody ends up with the same look. You can say that buying shoes or bags is an investment, sure, but I choose to invest in items that are more timeless and meaningful.  
 
I don’t know if the T-shirt has much of a place in Thai fashion. I used to wonder how we could get more people wearing plain tees. But there are T-shirt lovers out there, concerned with patterns, quality and fabric details. 
 
Perfection is off-putting. Those with perfect faces, perfect shapes, are like robots. They look artificial.
 
Perfect is imperfect. I like the imperfect look. It’s more attractive and fascinating. With a perfectly beautiful-looking lady, you notice her stunning appearance and that’s it. Naturally beautiful girls, meanwhile, have a realness inside them.
 
I love history. I love reading old books or going to ancient places like Yogyakarta or Angkor Wat. They’re amazing. You can feel the powerful faith involved in the ancient architecture. 
 
I’m privileged to have had so many opportunities in my life. There’s no real justice in the world, I know that. There are many talented people who haven’t had the opportunity to show their abilities. I’m not the best but I’ve had many great opportunities.
 
I dream of having horses. I love riding them. I feel that the connection between humans and horses is miraculous. They have a special sense. Every part of our body links to them. It’s calming. It’s almost like meditation. 
 
I don’t think marriage is a life achievement. It’s actually the start of a journey and you don’t know where it will end.
 
Loving someone is to set them free and let them go do whatever they want.
 
Friends and family give you truthful love. That’s the only thing we need, a circle of trust that supports us to live our lives.

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