Krutpetch Issara

KEMISSARA

74/4 Ekkamai Soi 22 or Pridi Banomyong 41 (next to Tor See School), 086-527-6266. www.kemissara.com

Style: This line of womenswear features minimal designs, influenced by American sportswear. “Kemissara is for working women. My clothes are not very girly but I use some textile techniques, from pleats to layering, to create interesting details that help bring out the wearers’ femininity.”
Background: The daughter of a real estate tycoon who owns Sri Panwa resort in Phuket, Krutpetch “Kem” Issara started her own fashion house seven months ago. Kem completed textile fashion courses at Chelsea College of Art and Design and London College of Fashion but her first real fashion experiences came from her time as an intern. “What I studied was just theories. But I earned real experience when I did an internship at Chloe and DvF in London, especially DvF in New York where I was working very hard seven days a week. That helped a lot when I started my own brand.” Kem will be presenting her next collection at the current Elle Bangkok Fashion Week (on Oct 14, see page 12), and will be opening her second boutique at Siam Center once renovations are completed in December.
Inspiration: Her inspiration mostly comes from deconstructing the details found in natural objects and re-presenting them through minimal cuts and lines. She claims not to follow trends, nor really read fashion magazines. “Once you see other people’s designs, they mark spots in your brain and you might end up copying those designs without even realizing.”

Tawn Chatchavalvong

TAWN C.

2/F, Central Chidlom, Ploenchit Rd., 02-793-7777. BTS Chit Lom. www.tawn-c.com

Style: As he’s personally fond of 1920s fashion, Tawn’s designs aim to be enduring and classic. “Timeless elegance is my core style. I do ready-to-wear clothes that use fine textiles and details. Women these days have several activities during the day, from their office job to an evening party, so an outfit must serve all these purposes.” Tawn C.’s signature looks are pencil skirts and delicate blouses, with adjustable patterns for all sizes. “I love to empower women with my clothes. Women wearing my outfits must feel confident in them. I don’t encourage women to hide what they think are their flaws.”
Background: A former PR consultant, Tawn Chatchavalvong only opened his first boutique at Central Chidlom this year after deciding to go back to college three years ago, at the age of 34, to retrain. “I always loved fashion but had no formal education,” explains the international relations graduate. “It was a bit awkward at first, sitting with undergrad kids and learning everything from scratch, but I gave it my all. Fashion is a technical skill you have to study.” After graduating he worked with famous designer Somchai “Kai” Kaewthong on the K and I brand, before launching his own collection.
Inspiration: “The latest collection was inspired by space travel, imagining what sartorial women would wear on a journey to Mercury. I use black and white, representing the colors of the planet, with floral details to tone it down.”

Kwankao Savetavimala

Kwankao

1/F, Siam Paragon, 02-690-1000. BTS Siam; 1/F, Emporium, Sukhumvit Soi 24, 02-269-1000. BTS Phrom Phong. www.kwankao.com

Style: A range of feminine mix-and-match pieces covering everything from dresses to shoes and accessories, designed to fit every occasion.
Background: The brainchild of Kwankao “Paeng” Savetavimala, celebrity, DJ and daughter of famous food connoisseur Santi Saveatvimala. Kwankao’s passion for fashion overcame her lack of formal training. “I never get bored spending hours with clothes and leather. My love of fashion drove me to visit fashion fairs overseas and learn everything I could. I did research for more than a year, before I launched my first collection.” Kwankao’s new Autumn/Winter collection, inspired by the five elements, features prints and sartorial dresses, and will be available in store late October.
Inspiration: “Kwankao’s women are modern-day ladies who might look well-mannered at first glance but actually they hide a sexy, playful side. So our items might look simple, but they hide sexy details.”

Wannaporn Poshyananda

Rouge Rouge

M/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., 02-258-4230. BTS Siam.
Facebook.com/RougeRougeThailand

Style: Leather clutches and bags with artsy, surreal twists for edgy women.
Background: Best known on the Thai celeb circuit for her luscious red lips, Wannaporn “Duang” Poshyananda has been involved in the local scene for a few years. After graduating from the Instituto Marangoni in Milan she worked as a publicist for Pucci and Christian Lacroix. But last year she launched hip children’s wear line Rhapsody and then bag brand Rouge Rouge. “It wasn’t planned, actually. I was invited to design a limited-edition bag for the Zen Design Showcase project last year. So my friend and I, Marc, who was an accessory designer for Givenchy, created three geometric-style bags inspired by Milanese architecture. We called them “three sisters.” When I took them to the event, people kept asking to buy them so I decided to take it seriously.”
Inspiration: Wannaporn is now focused on Rouge Rouge, with the latest collection inspired by surrealist artists like Salvadore Dali. ”Rouge Rouge’s surreal style truly represents my character. I wish I could have my store decked out in a surreal style, too, but I have to take it step by step.”

Monrissa Leenutaphong

Skin on Skin

3/F, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), Rama 1 Rd., 087-799-0781. BTS National Stadium. www.skinonskin.net

Style: A range of women’s wear made from light, wrinkle-free fabrics. “Today’s women wish to look beautiful for an entire day but don’t want to spend time taking care of their clothes. So I create wrinkle-free clothes that are easy to wear and look after.”
Background: The four-month-old Skin on Skin is the Bangkok Art and Culture Center’s (BACC) very first fashion boutique, run by Monrissa “Beau” Leenutaphong, a Goldsmith London graduate in Image and Communications. It all started when Beau couldn’t find clothes she liked at affordable prices in Bangkok. So she started her own brand to pass on what she had learned in the UK. She got the name for the label from three core elements: the use of animal skin in terms of genuine leather; the use of skin-colored beige as a predominate color; and, finally, that the clothes aim to be comfortable and easy to wear, like a second skin. Monrissa never went to fashion school, but has learnt from her family. “I’ve never learned to make patterns. But I think it’s like drawing eyeliner, it’s common sense. It’s also thanks to my grandma and my mom who know how to sew.” She also has shown her stubborn streak in picking the location, “I opened a boutique at BACC due to my artistic side. I won’t follow the path of others. I knew it wouldn’t make a lot of money. I knew there would be problems. But I was stubborn, I wanted to help develop Thai fashion in my own way, instead of working for other brands.”
Inspiration: “To me, fashion is just another kind of art. It’s more fun when we don’t see it as fashion. That’s the core idea I’ve learned and try to convey through my collection, which is based on artistically sophisticated themes.”

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