Sompobb “Hippo” Kittisaratham, 
24, freelance stylist
Instagram: @hypesompobbk
Facebook: vhptz, hypewrks
 
What’s hot?
Sportswear, cropped tops and sweatpants.
 
What are the trends this season?
Bold graphic prints, minimalistic and futuristic designs and transparency.
 
How is fashion changing in Bangkok?
Bangkok is more cosmopolitan than ever before, and is seeing Thai people become braver and more confident to dress up and express their style. However, celebrities are still the main fashion influencers, with many young Thai people seeing them as inspirations or icons. But there are also other fashion influencers who are known more among smaller groups or subcultures.  
 
What impact has the growth of fashion magazines had?
I think it’s great but it doesn’t really match the Thai lifestyle. Many people still do not consider buying magazines or stick to just one publication. With so many international magazines coming out in the market, some lack quality and standards. Sometimes the hottest international fashion magazines don’t have the same appeal and soul when it comes to the Thai version. It’s not helping make Thailand appear trendy on the global stage. I think the art and beauty of fashion magazines are still missing here—it’s sad that they are so mass-focused.
 
Who is your fashion idol?
Late British designer Alexander McQueen is my favorite because he was not concerned with catering to the masses, but created his collections purely from his passion for the arts.
 
Where is your favorite fashion city?
Tokyo. I like how the Japanese dress up in the streets—whether in Shinjuku or Harajuku, they are so confident to wear what they want. I think dressing up is all about being brave as an expression of one’s self. A lot of Thais tend to worry about what others will think if they wear something different, but Japanese people dress up for themselves. 
 
Tada, 25, stylist and designer 
Top: Tommy Hilfiger
Bottoms: H&M
Shoes: H&M
BND, 23, designer of Fuxury 

"Dressing up is all about being brave as an expression of one’s self."

 

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Supakasem “Mile” Chanapas, 25, 
fashion stylist at L’Officiel Thailand

Instagram: @milesupakasem
 
What’s hot on the streets at the moment?
Sportswear, relaxed trousers, jumpers, snapback hats, sneakers.
 
What are the trends on the runways?
A hint of punk, rock and grunge, camouflage, chess print, winter floral print, graphic art, polka dots.
 
How is fashion changing in Bangkok?
On the streets, Thai people are more expressive than ever before: they have their own sense of style and are not afraid to be different. Still, most Thai designers choose celebrities or so-called celebrity friends to present their clothes.
 
What do you think about the growth of fashion magazines in Thailand?
The fashion magazine industry is opening up to different groups of readers, but it’s harder for each magazine to be original, creative and unique. However, most readers consume style and fashion from Thai actresses and celebrities, often through social networks. A lot of people are still unaware that there are other art and fashion magazines that put the emphasis on individual style.
 
What’s the impact of the new fashion magazines in Thailand?
Readers now have more options while getting dressed up. They are more adept at mixing high street fashion brands and luxury fashion brands derived from the global fashion trends.
 
Do you have favorite fashion designers?
I love the sporty, dark, cool and stunningly creative collections by Rick Owen and I adore the fluid volume and unique textures of Damir Doma—his clothes are statement pieces that men and women can adapt to their outfit easily.
 
Where does your fashion inspiration come from?
Korean street fashion. Koreans are good at matching high fashion brands and street brands. Right now, Korean girls love to wear sporty outfits that still look feminine.
 
Max, 42, hairdresser
Cap: NYA 
Top: Chaps 
Bottoms: Chaps
Shoes: DM
Suthatip Air, 24, student
Top: Union Mall

"Thai people are more expressive than ever before: they have their own sense of style and are not afraid to be different."

 

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Natthadej “Strong” Theveethivarak,
21, fashion designer 
Instagram: @alwaysheadstrong
 
What’s hot?
Oversized sweaters, ripped jeans, sneakers.
 
What are the trends this season?
Nineties sportswear and kicks, and old-school hip hop and R&B get-ups similar to what TLC or Destiny’s Child wore­—trends that many of us are familiar with from growing up. The trend has also evolved from Alexander Wang, who has been conveying a casual but confident attitude since 2007. The trends have become younger, too, to appeal to Generation Y.
 
How is fashion changing in Bangkok?
Right now, Thai people are adopting trends from Korean street fashion, which is usually a copy of what the Koreans copy from Japanese or global trends. At the same time, many Thai women dislike wearing oversized clothing, tending to wear party outfits which are too short, too fitted, too sexy and too showy.
 
What do you think about the growth of fashion magazines in Thailand?
I think Thai people tend to consume fashion and trends, whether it’s food, drinks and mobile phones, through celebrity endorsements in the media. Regarding fashion magazines, I think the market is too broad as readers do not know which magazine to buy or read. It’s important that magazines try to change the attitude of readers and support Thai designers who make clothes that are focused not on mass endorsement by celebrities but rather on original designs.
 
Who is your fashion icon?
UK fashion designer J.W. Anderson. I was lucky enough to intern with him before I graduated.
 
Best Jareonthamasuk, 23, makeup artist
Top: Yeti Shop
Bottoms: DIY by Bset
Shoes: Milin
Bag: Aristotle
Knatz, DJ, 
Cap: Stussy
Top: Chap Man
Bottom: APC
Shoes: Jordan
 
"Thai women dislike wearing oversized clothing, tending to wear party outfits which are too short, too fitted, too sexy and too showy."

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American rock band, The Fray, headlines the highly-anticipated Arthur Guinness Day concert on September 27. We talk to co-founder and guitarist, Joe King, in an exclusive phone interview prior to their upcoming showcase.

How would you describe your typical listener?
Well, I’m always surprised at my shows—there’s a great diversity. When we were doing a muppets show, we suddenly had four-year old fans! I guess they go across the board in terms of age; it’s a person who likes piano, melodies, lyrics and stories.

How does it feel like being in existence for more than a decade now?
Just being in a band for 10 years is incredible. We’re blown away that we lasted so long and that in itself is an accomplishment. I’m just thankful that I can quit my job at the autoshop. We consider ourselves to be very lucky.

Where do you guys see yourselves in another 10 years?
Maybe one or two of us might have a slight beer belly? We’ll still be one of those bands wearing skinny jeans with a beer belly cos we think it looks kinda cool.

Guinness Singapore are creative with their ticket sales for this concert. What do you think of that?
We’re always ready to try new things. We played at so many environments, from performing for presidents in little rooms to large audiences in stadiums. We’ve also done secret shows for just 25 fans before. so we love to change it up a little.

Scars and Stories seem to be more sing-along compared to previous albums. Was there a conscious effort on your part to stay relevant to the fans?
We wanted to follow our instincts; whether that would mean doing well commercially and so on. If anything, an artist should always go where their gut takes them to. Our lives were reflected in that record. There was some darkness and horrible emotions during that period so it came out in our music.

A new album coming out?
We’re actually done with that. We’re in the mixing stage now and looking for artwork. It’s coming out pretty soon! No release dates for that but you’ll start hearing our new single before the end of the year.

We know we’re not the first people to ask this. Have you ever had to save a life? Pun intended
One time when I was in junior high we were sitting during lunch eating our packed sandwiches and I realized my buddy’s face was blood red and he just couldn’t breathe. Luckily I took a Heimlich course as my mom was a nurse! I gave him a couple of thrusts. I remember what came out—a ham and cheese sandwich. I might have broken a ribcage too.

You come from Colorado. So we have to ask, are you a big fan of the show?
Oh I love South Park! I took my fiancé to Casa Bonita just a couple of weeks ago and I made her watch through the whole satire episode of that place before we went in. It’s hilarious when you see all the elements in the show. They have brilliant writers in there. Trey Parker, the co-creator, said that the most creative period in your life is your 20s and 30s. To a large extent I think it’s true—for an artist that’s the most influential period of time. 

The Fray performs at Guinness Arthur's Day on September 27. Check out their Facebook page for updates on venue and how to score tickets.

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Enduring fans of British band, Suede, will have the opportunity to catch the legendary suit perform here once again come September 27. We talk to frontman Brett Anderson and reminisce about the illustrious journey that's brought them to where they are today.

What are some of your best memories on stage throughout all these years?
We’ve had so many great live moments down the years but we take our live appearances a lot more seriously now. In the 90s a gig was just part of the continuous circus-cum-party that was our lives. Now they are the entire focus of our lives as Suede.

So taking that into account, I’d have to say that when played “Metal Mickey” at the Royal Albert hall in 2010, the standing ovation seemed to go on for about twenty minutes. It was total vindication of the reunion and proved to us that our career was worthwhile; that there was a demand for us to come back and a genuine emotional response to that.

Were you guys absolutely sure about another Suede record when you promised the fans at London Astoria in 2003?
Well, you never want to say never but we couldn’t actually see it happening in 2003.

You guys have been credited for having kick started the Britpop scene and are now definitely part of a more global music culture. What do you think of that?
Well, we started singing about British life, using British vocabulary and it got turned into a horrible beery cartoon that we hated and rejected. We weren’t a part of that and we didn’t want to be part of it.

Is rock barely surviving now?
I think it’s more than surviving. These things are always cyclical. You have an emphasis on dance music in the charts for a bit and then hip-hop or whatever and then it comes back to guitar music for abit and so on. As I write, the new Arctic Monkeys album has just become the second fastest selling album of 2013 in the UK, after Daft Punk. Foals, Vaccines, Maccabees and loads of others have been really successful over the past 18 months. You know… it’s ok.

Is Bloodsports loaded in terms of meaning?
It’s a wry look at the endless game of love—the fact that it’s got blood and sports in there together sums it up: a slightly cynical look at romance.

Has the routine toned down for Suede?
Yes and no. We don’t tour quite so much but we push ourselves harder when we do play. The writing and recording is probably more intense. It helps that our chemical intake isn’t as punishing.

One artist or band that you’d love to collaborate with?
Err… don’t know. Who have you got?

Going around so many cities and being away from home making you miss something?
Well, yeah. We all have lives and partners and families to come home to that are more more of a priority now than before. Of course it’s difficult to leave that.

What’s it feel like singing the same song again and again yet receiving that same roar of approval?
Yea, it’s great. How couldn’t it be?

What’s the meaning of life?
To gather together as many lizards as you can.

Suede performs at The Coliseum, Resorts World Sentosa on September 27, 8pm. Tickets at $115 from Sistic.

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When it comes to style, it’s high time we stop following celebrities and listen to our stylists and designers instead. Here, our fave tastemakers tell you what’s hot this season and who they’ll be looking up to for inspiration. 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      
 
 
 

 

 

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You might remember Pol. Maj. Padthongtew Damapong as the guy behind the police K-pop cover video for “Sorry” that was a viral hit a few years back, but he also happens to be the Thai national footvolley team manager. He talks to BK about the burgeoning sport, a type of sepak takraw played on the beach, ahead of the TrueVision GPP 2nd Asian Footvolley Championships which kicks off at Central Plaza Rama 2 on Sep 22.

What’s the status of footvolley right now? 
Footvolley began about 20-30 years ago in Brazil and those countries who do well in the game now are also the top teams in football, like Brazil, Argentina, England and France. It’s been going on in Thailand for almost 10 years now, but very quietly. So in many ways, we can say it’s a fairly new and not widely known sport here. Still, we can see that we have the potential to do very well. 
 
Could you tell us more about this potential?
If you look at how we fare in sepak takraw, we’re number one in Asia and even the world. The two sports are very similar requiring less physicality and more technical skills, which really suits Thai athletes. We have the advantage of taking the tactics we use in sepak takraw and applying them to footvolley. There’s a lot of potential. 
 
What sort of entertainment value does footvolley offer?
By its nature, footvolley is very combative, fast-paced, and given that it’s played on the beach, it’s got all the entertainment you need. Also looking at sports like volleyball, sepak takraw and badminton, we’re seeing a trend where Thai female athletes are leading the way—women’s sports are a joy to watch as there’s so much emotion involved. So, we’re looking to press on with building our women’s team. The earlier we get started, the more chance we can dominate the game, too.
 
How is the Thai national footvolley team doing at the moment? How confident are you about winning the tournament?
We’ve set high targets—we’re not satisfied with just being Asia’s number one, though. We want to win regardless of the opponents. And despite having no national league at the moment, we’re lucky to have quite a strong foundation in sepak takraw. We’re also lucky to have Thai sepak takraw legend Suebsak Phunsueb, who happened to be in my police unit, help us a lot with direction and training.
 
Do you have any message for people out there who maybe aren’t aware of footvolley?
I just hope Thais give footvolley a try. Especially the less advantaged kids out there, I want them to know that the sport is very accessible without any big investment needed, and there are great opportunities to go far especially at this early stage of Thai footvolley.
 

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What got you interested in knives?
I was a chef for almost 10 years and felt a close bond with the knives I used every day. Knives are like a chef’s hands. When I cut something, I cut it with passion. It’s an emotional thing. It’s a part of us. It’s got history in it.
 
Why do you only supply Japanese knives?
With Japanese knives the charm is all in the craftsmanship. Every step of the process is traditional—they’re handmade with no machinery involved. Artisans make only seven knives per month, while some tailor-made knives can take years.
 
Who does Cutboy cater for?
It’s for chefs who have been working for a while with 1-2 knives and know what kind of knives they like. Money is also a factor since the title “chef” here is pretty different from the West.
 
Are there any popular bladesmiths in Thailand?
There’s very little in the way of kitchen knives as it’s something very new to Thai chefs. Also, we don’t have enough good materials in the country.
 
How do you select the knives? 
Japanese knives have got more soul and back-story. One family I met was a samurai sword maker before changing to make kitchen knives. Western knives are usually mass-produced with machinery. The Japanese knives are high-carbon and made with a real human touch. Therefore, it offers a much better quality but also needs a lot of care. Every blade is unique. 

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Edging out other contestants to win this year’s Thailand’s Got Talent (TGT), singer/songwriter Somchai “Chai” Ninsri, from Pattani, performs songs he composes in the hope of peace in Thailand’s troubled Southern provinces. Here, he chats to BK about his influences and being Thai and proud.
What music do you listen to?
I think it’s fair to say Sek Loso, Pu Phongsit and Add Carabao have influenced me a lot. The thing is I don’t think I’m very good at the guitar so I enjoy simple songs with direct, honest lyrics. I also think that who we are dictates what we like. I’m a “lo-so” kind of guy so these types of songs really speak to me. 
 
Your songs carry strong messages about peace and life; can you explain your songwriting process?
I just finished a new song about the sea and mountains, inviting people to come experience the South. It took me two days to write. But the process does vary; for example, one of the songs I performed on TGT took me about two weeks. I don’t plan ahead, when it comes to me, I just write it down. It often comes together simultaneously: the lyrics, chords and rhythm. When I compose I don’t need nice views or the right atmosphere. I can work anywhere; a tiny room and a mountaintop are the same for me. I don’t play the guitar to drown my sorrows. For me, my guitar is a part of my soul and I don’t want to have it involved with bad things.
 
Your performances on TGT were captivating; do you have any special tricks for performing live?
I often look at the audience and remember that I’m singing for them. I also always start my set with the song “Nok Pirarb Si Khao” (The White Pigeon), which you might have heard on the program—it reminds me why I’m doing this and where I come from. 
 
What do you make of many Thai artists taking their main inspiration from the West?
As much as you can’t force anyone to play a certain style, I just hope they carry with them some Thainess. It would be great to make a name for yourself internationally and then be able to stand up to the world and say this is Thai. For me, Thai is the right thing for a Thai person to be. I grew up with manora, nang taloong and li gay hulu [traditional Southern performances]; I hear them in my ears all the time. So, I guess this will always be present in whatever music I make. We should make the most of our unique sound from traditional music instruments. It’s something electronic devices can’t imitate. 
 
We heard you were written off by many people in the music industry during your years as an independent artist. Do you feel your success is a big punch in their faces?
Not at all. In fact, I must thank those people. If not for them, I might never have got to where I am. Going through such experiences really makes you strong. It gets you to challenge yourself to see if you have what it takes. 

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She’s only 25 but Aom Suchar, or Sucharat Manaying, has already found fame throughout Asia for her role in the hit lesbian movie Yes or No. Recently, she came under fire for pretending to go crazy as part of Snickers’ viral ad campaign. But now she’s back to talk about her new projects, the dharma movie Namaste Ja-e Bye Bye, in cinemas this week, and a Thai remake of the hit Korean series Full House.

There are many ways to make merit. I feel that I can make merit through my profession. I was part of Sathien Dhammasathan’s movie project from the start and now Namaste Ja-e Bye Bye is the third movie they’ve released.
 
Being part of these projects really opened my mind. I grew up in a loving and caring family, so I was quite sheltered. But the first film, called Kaya (Junk) hit me really hard. It was based on the true story of a girl who was addicted to drugs and resorted to selling flowers on the roadside. One day, she got caught by the police who made her friend rape her in exchange for not sending her to prison. 
 
I was shocked that such a terrible thing could happen. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to play her character. It’s so far removed from my situation. 
 
Meditation helps me get into character. When I attended acting classes we had to sit in meditation and link ourselves to our bodies. As actors, we must understand our bodies.
 
Becoming an actress was down to luck. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I really enjoyed studying acting in Bangkok. A casting scout spotted me and asked me to get into modeling. It was a surprise because when I was in Nakhon Ratchasima, my hometown, I was just an everyday girl with no ties to the media industry.
 
My friends suggested I study theater because they thought I had potential. I wasn’t so sure. I knew little about theater but I finally got into Srinakharinwirot University. Now I really like it.
 
Acting allows me to become someone else. It’s a way of letting yourself go. It’s interesting to explore other characters and make people believe in that character.
 
The entertainment industry is just one part of me, not my whole life. Being in the spotlight, I feel that I have to do my work properly so that people will remember me favorably.
 
I learn by observing people. Everyone around me act as my teachers because in my profession, observing my environment and those around me is very important. It makes me understand people more.
 
I don’t judge people by their actions. There can always be some reason behind their action that we may not know. No one is 100 percent good or bad.
 
Visiting India made me realize how lucky we are as Thais. I went to places of great historical significance, where Buddha use to visit such as Varanasi, Buddha Gaya and the crossing to Nepal, and saw people faced with tremendous difficulties. This made me think that we, all Thais, are living in heaven.
 
It’s sad to see people over there don’t care about Buddhism like we do. It’s only Thai people who go there and pay their respects. I’m not normally very religious but when I had a chance to pray at the place where Lord Buddha died, I cried a lot. I didn’t know where it came from.
 
Making a movie abroad wasn’t easy. The tight schedule and bad weather can make you feel exhausted.
 
I love to be alone when I don’t have to work. My life involves too much planning, so I don’t like to schedule anything on my free days. 
 
I felt so bad from all the criticism I got about the Snickers’ ad. People cursed me like I had killed somebody. I even cried while I ate my breakfast. I admit that it was my fault for taking the job without thinking it through, but some comments went too far.
 
I can’t be naïve anymore. The viral clip taught me to be more selective and careful with my work. It’s not like lakorn where audiences know it’s not real.
 
Remaking a Korean series comes with so much pressure. Series like Full House and Autumn In My Heart were really huge hits. It’s inevitable that fans would compare it to the original.
 
I don’t like putting my faith in too many people. But I do have total faith in my parents—they are my real inspiration.
 
I dream of becoming a director. Working with Nine (Saraswadee Wonsompetch, director of Namaste Ja-e Bye Bye and Yes or No) has really given me an insight into a director’s job. He pays such close attention to detail to really capture the essence of a story. The audience appreciates this.  
 
Meeting with fans from other countries makes me feel so patriotic. I’m so proud that, though I’m just a small actress in the Thai entertainment industry, I can help people love my country more. There were 300-400 fans waiting to meet me at the airport in China. It was overwhelming.
 
Try to find the good in bad things. My dad has always taught me this. It helps you get through tough times more easily.
 
 

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