What are some essentials for this winter?
Metallic pieces, especially items with glitter, can really upgrade your wardrobe. Wear them efficiently and they add a little glamour, too.

What’s the most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for clothes?
Everyone should have fun expressing themselves through fashion, but all your pieces should feel comfortable and you should be able to move in them. Don’t force yourself into a piece that just doesn’t fit.

What’s the next big thing?
So metallic pieces are hot, but also knitwear that’s light and easy to wear. Materials like leather and chiffon are also making a comeback.

What can we expect for Spring/Summer 2013?
Longer shapes, like almost hitting-the-floor type of designs, whether it’s dresses or bottoms. I also think there’s going to be more emphasis on playing with the layers of pieces as well as creating more loose and comfortable designs.

What’s your favorite fashion magazine and designer?
I’ve always loved British Vogue; they have beautiful fashion stories, great stylists and photographers. As for designers, I love Comme des Garcons, Chloe and Stella McCartney, and it would definitely be a dream scenario to have the chance to collaborate with Yves Saint Laurent.

What inspired you to organize Singapore Craft Beer Week (SCBW)?
There wasn’t a voice for the craft beer scene here, especially since it’s mostly small, all hands on deck companies in the craft beer business who can’t afford any advertising or marketing and are busy with operations. So for me, the important thing is to provide a platform for distributors and brewers to engage with consumers in a relaxed environment that’s conducive for educating and spreading the word about craft beer. Beerfest has helped open up the market, but I think distributors need a more interactive platform. After I left Eastern Craft, I figured this was a way I could help everyone. The scene’s been growing and I figured the time is right for something like this.

What’s the response been like so far?
It’s the first time I’ve done this, and it’s encouraging to see so many different people coming on board. It took me about three months from the time I first conceptualized this to the festival; I spent a lot of that time just running around and explaining my idea to distributors and outlets. Hopefully, in a few years, people will be so excited about SCBW that they’ll be the ones coming to me.

What do you hope to achieve with the Singapore Craft Beer Week?
There’s a real interest and desire on the consumers’ part to know more, so this gives consumers an opportunity to try new beers and raise public awareness. I want to let people know that there’s a large variety of craft brews available, with an emphasis on appreciating different flavor profiles and understanding beer, like an educational trail. Hopefully, they’ll go out looking for craft beers long after the week is over. Ideally, bars recognize their customers’ demand and increase their selection to meet those needs. It’s also about building a real beer culture, and that process will take time. After all, drinking a craft brew is an entire experience from beginning to end.

What are your top picks for Singapore Craft Beer Week?
The three events I’m most excited about are the Extreme Beer Evening (October 23), the Brewdog dinner (October 25)—they aren’t just pairing beers from a progressive brewery that does some weird and wonderful stuff, but are also cooking with the beer—and Old World, New Frontiers (October 24)—where four brewers will be talking about their own, as well as each other’s beers.

I always felt like a misfit in school. I never felt right. I once saw my friend slapped while attending a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps course and I was totally against it. Why did they have to use violence? I eventually dropped out in grade 11.

My parents didn’t want me to give up my education. They persuaded me to study through an alternative course and I became a pre-med student at Mahidol University in the late 80s.

I didn’t want to spend my life as a doctor. I would study for a year then drop out for a year. It was like that for 10 years before I decided to quit for good.

My parents were really disappointed. We were a lower middle class family so they had high hopes for me. They thought I had thrown away my future. I was pretty lost.

I always loved reading and wanted to be a writer. I had already had some stuff published in magazines before I quit university. I’ve been a full-time writer ever since.

You can’t survive as a writer here if your book isn’t a bestseller. I used to get paid B1,000 for a short story 20 years ago, and it’s pretty much the same rate today. It’s hard to be just a writer. Luckily, I had the chance to become a partner with some friends who opened the Taksura pubs around town. My wife also supports me.

Maintaining the highest quality is the hardest thing. It’s easy to get published but keeping a consistent quality is a challenge. Many writers give up on their career because they can’t find ways to keep improving.

It’s daunting to think how I can do better after winning [the SEA Write Award].

It’s sad that writers who have so much to communicate to society are ignored. It’s good that more Thai people are reading, but truth is we’re in short supply of both serious readers and creative writers. Readers just love Korean sci-fi fantasies or Japanese horror stories.

Writing is like breathing. Nothing can stop me from writing.

Traveling is a good way to find inspiration. I really love India; it’s a land of contrasts. There are lots of billionaires yet millions of people are still sleeping on the streets. The people are highly spiritual. I’ve taken so much inspiration from India.

Being a writer isn’t glamorous. We are poorly paid and rarely accepted. Competition is high.

A writer’s status is even lower than a farmer’s. If I say I’m a writer, I can’t prove that I really am because I have no well-known books. At least farmers have their land to prove who they really are.

It really hurt to be branded a plagiarizer when I released my short story “Vela Luang Pan U Mong” in 2008. It’s true that I took inspiration from [Australian author Peter Carey’s short story] “Peeling”. It was my fault that I didn’t credit him.

The SEA Write Award isn’t a lifetime achievement or moral award. It’s not fair that my past faults should overshadow my whole career as a writer.

No matter what you’re facing, keep writing. I put my all into writing Khon Khrae (Dwarf) to prove myself. And I finally did it.

The idea behind Khon Khrae comes from my real-life experience. I once met a dwarf on the streets of Bangkok. He had come from the country with the dream of becoming an actor, but his neighbor had instilled him with the fear that he would be abducted by strangers to do road shows.

I loved writing this story in a way where readers can’t guess how it will end, and the suspense means they have to read it in just one sitting.

Winning the award is a distraction. It’s good that it might boost my book sales and make it easier to talk to publishers, but the whole frenzy has destroyed my concentration. I hope that when the dusts settle, everything will go back to how it used to be. I’ll be releasing my new book, Ma Hua Khon [Human Headed Dog], this month.

I love to live in isolation. I only got a mobile phone after winning the award. I prefer to rely on my email and home phone.

Writing with the aim of winning an award will cloud your natural decision-making ability. Just write what you want.

I love running. I don’t believe that I’m more special than anyone else, but I know that I’m tougher. Running reminds me to believe in my ability to do anything. I love the endorphin rush of running. It helped me quit smoking, too.

My wife is my first editor. I always tell her what I am writing about and I like to ask her opinion on it. I love that she loves reading, traveling and the arts like me.

Everyone needs love. Even if you have everything in life, what you need most is love—to love others and be loved.

I have faith in humanity. I always write about the dark side of humans, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have high hopes for us. This world is meaningless without us humans.

How did you become a sundried fish vendor?
I started off as a farmer in Chainat. At first, when my sister-in-law asked me to be a vendor, I turned her down to work as a construction worker, which I did for 10 years. Working on building sites is grueling work and very tiring. It’s also frustrating always having to work under a supervisor. Eventually, I had enough and decided to come sell sundried fish in Bangkok.

Talk us through your daily routine
I live in Angthong, but I have to buy fresh fish at Suphanburi, which is about 30km from my house. I leave there to go to Bangkok at around 5am, arriving sometime after 7am depending on traffic which can be very slow. After drying the fish, I’m generally selling by 11am. I try to sell at different places every day, otherwise customers might get bored of me; for example, on Sunday I’ll go to Samrong and on Tuesday to Phrapradaeng.

Do you get tired of your seven-hour commute every day?
I am accustomed to doing it now, but at first it made me tired and grumpy. Also, about two years ago, I switched to using a pushcart after previously carrying everything on a shoulder pole, which gave me a bad backache.

What is your daily income?
I usually earn B400-B500 per day after paying B400 to my son-in-law who drives me, and several other vendors, to Bangkok. Luckily, I don’t have to pay any rent. Exactly how much I make depends on how much fish I buy—usually I buy about B3,000-B4,000 worth. As my fish are always fresh, it’s important that I sell-out each day. Thankfully, I have many regular customers. I can survive. However, this one time, I had a lot of customers queuing up. One guy bought B215 worth of fish, and I gave him B785 back in change. Later, I realized that he didn’t give me B1,000. That was a day where I gained nothing. It was hard to accept.

How does your work impact your family situation?
My husband and I split up a long time ago. I have four children; three of whom have already moved out. My youngest, 15, was adopted. She studies at a lower secondary school and lives with me. I support her. Her parents gave her to me and I simply couldn’t say no because I was sympathetic to their situation. She’s been with me since she was three months old and she calls me mom. Another daughter also works as a vendor at Bangpakok Market.

Do you have fun working as a vendor?
It’s OK. When I am tired I can take time off. There’s no one to stop me. I could never be a construction worker again. I simply couldn’t! Still, I don’t really like Bangkok. The air is so polluted. Living in my hometown is much better.

What drew you to this role?
I have a deep admiration for Sondheim. This role in particular is interesting to me because Bobby's issues are very real and exist in every male, albeit to differing degrees. It’s a constant battle between settling down and freedom.

Would you personally rather be single or attached?
I'm pretty much a nester. I like making a home and being able to share it with someone.

Share a funny event that happened during rehearsal.
Well, there's a pretty intimate scene where my co-star is looking really seductive lying in bed and I'm on top of her. She has to sit up to deliver her next line. Unfortunately, we didn't quite master the timing of it, so she sat up before I could move, and what was supposed to be a romantic scene fast became a scene where I had a bruised eye, she had a bruised head and everyone else had bruised ribs from laughing!

What’s the most challenging part of this production?
I’ve had to examine a lot of my own beliefs and convictions when looking at this role. That can be a very scary thing. I also had to draw upon my own personal experiences, which is always a daunting.

What would you like audiences to take away from this performance?
To allow ourselves to love and to be loved: truly, deeply and with sincerity.

Peter Ong performs in Company on November 1-11, 8pm at The Drama Centre, National Library.

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.”

Bangkok's Best Online Fashion Shops on Facebook

How long have you all been living in Laos?
Long enough to remember how much fun it used to be getting censored! Before ULUVUS a few of us were in a band called Soviet Reunion. The first time we played at a big public concert, in 2005, thousands of flyers had to be binned after an official objected to our name. We appeared simply as “Reunion.”

What are your day jobs?
Modeling, product endorsement, cameo roles in Lao films, that kind of thing. Actually, that last one is true. I have a role in the upcoming film Big Heart, due for release next year.

How did the band form?
In the usual kind of way—drummer Tom O’Hawk started asking around town for other people with time on their hands. The turning point was when our label Indee Records asked us to be the fake backing band for a Lao solo artist called Sook. We had to pose for his album cover and shoot a music video with him. The video was banned from Lao television as there were dancers in it who were wearing short skirts. Sook’s career never recovered, but ours was kick-started!

Tell us a bit about your new album, 55555; what’s with the title?
The main reason is that people like to laugh at our band, for lots of reasons—and we like to laugh at the whole thing, too. 55555 is shorthand in Laos and Thailand for the sound of laughter. Auspiciously, there seemed to be lots of other 5s around—it is the year 2555, there are 5 of us, the album cost 5,555,555 Kip to make, and, er, that’s it.

Your lyrics feature a lot of wordplay; do locals ever pull you up on your Lao pronunciation?
We spend a lot of time hanging out with our Lao friends, talking about food and losing money at pok deng [a card game]. But, of course, our pronunciation isn’t perfect…this album is better than the first though!

Where do you get the inspiration for your lyrics?
Mainly urban youth culture. But inspiration is everywhere: late night noodle soup shops, traffic policewomen, power cuts, wearing socks with flip-flops.

You seem to spend a lot of time making music videos; how important is this visual aspect to your music?
The karaoke lyrics running across the screen definitely help some people to understand what we’re singing! The videos are a lot of fun to make. Dancing barefoot in a paddy field with a troupe of lam vong dancers is a good feeling. But look closely and you’ll see that we usually don’t know the songs that well at the time of filming.

What can Bangkok audiences expect from a ULUVUS concert?
At some of our gigs in provincial Laos, armed police have stood between us and the audience—we’re not sure if the band or the crowd were being protected. So in the big city we hope at least for the sound of tasers zapping in the hot night air.

What’s been your most memorable gig?
Playing at Lao boat racing festivals is always good—trying to keep playing while the equipment is literally sliding down the banks of the Mekong, and grandmothers are pouring whiskey down your throat mid-song. Supporting Thai band Clash in Vientiane in front of 20,000 screaming fans was also brilliant. The concrete floor of the venue was actually shaking under the weight!

Outside of covers bands, what’s the Lao live music scene like at the moment?
There’s a lot of talent around. Both our albums were produced by Sam Intharaphithak, who is an amazing producer, but also a wonderful artist. Bands like Veska, Boxer, the Oilinezz and Translator are also quirky and fun. We are still in awe of Cells—Laos’ best rock band, featuring stellar songwriting and world-class musicianship. In terms of gigs, there are exciting times ahead—music festivals are planned for both Vientiane and Vang Vieng over the coming months.

After Bangkok, where next for ULUVUS?
Every ULUVUS tour ends at the Long Cheng bowl [site of a secret CIA airbase in Laos during the Vietnam War—and still officially off limits to foreigners]. The acoustics are amazing.

I love art, so I never dreamed of being anything but a designer. I studied fine arts in Australia where I really loved the whole approach to studying. I didn’t need to attend classes every day; I could sit in the studio and create art.

I became bored with my life in Australia, so I decided to study elsewhere. As I loved fashion, it was only natural that I applied to study at the Accademia Italiana in Florence.

I nearly packed my bags to go home on my first day in Italy. I couldn’t speak Italian and the people there didn’t speak English. All the classes were taught in Italian. I survived by using hand gestures.

I had a big crush on the UK since I regularly flew there to visit my friends on weekends. I liked that it was a city for young people, with lots of culture, shops, pubs and museums. After one year in Florence, I moved to London to study fashion at  St. Martins.

The best times of my life were I studying there. I loved their educational style. There were no classes. I studied fashion design for women’s wear and they just gave us open briefs and we had to submit our work two weeks later. It taught me to be responsible and manage my time.

The Thai education system spoon-feeds everything to students. This eliminates free thought and innovation.

I got a job with Hussein Chalayan, but it so happened that I was contacted by Khun Ford [ex-Elle Magazine editor and current Vogue Thailand editor Kullawit Laosuksri] to help out with the Thailand Young Designer Award in 2005. I chose Thailand because no matter how long I stayed abroad, I knew I would have to come back someday.

I launched my brand Vickteerut right after receiving plaudits at the Young Designer Award. But I had to close it down after just a couple of years.

It was entirely my own fault. I was too hung up on my ego and only wanted to sell clothes that represented my style, which was too conceptual to make money in Thailand. I didn’t put my full effort into it, either. I would open the shop for two days and close to hang out with friends for three days. I was  irresponsible.

To have a bright future you need to stand on your own two feet. I was living comfortably but I was just playing around while others my age were building their careers. I realized I could no longer live like this if I wanted to succeed.

Pinpoint your weaknesses before you set to work. I knew I would end up like I did before, so I asked my brother, sister and my friends to be my partners when I reopened my shop two years ago. Having them on board forces me to work harder.

I’m like a factory worker now. I wake up at 7am to start work at 9am and I eat lunch with my tailors in my factory. I never imagined that I would be like this.

I really love yoga. It helps me concentrate and keep my emotions in check. I used to explode with anger and bad-mouth my tailors when they made mistakes. Then I would feel guilty afterwards. Now I really love to chat with them. We enjoy working together which helps with productivity.

A lack of continuity is what keeps Bangkok from being a true fashion city. We have the potential but the government needs to show unwavering support for fashion. Blowing the budget on a single show doesn’t achieve anything. Just look at Comme des Garçons; the Japanese government continuously supported them to do shows abroad until they became the huge success they are now.

It’s hard to change Thailand’s notorious reputation for copyright infringement. My brand is also copied and all I can do is try to understand it. We are a country with a B300 minimum daily wage. It’s hard for everyone to afford brand name products, so people choose cheaper knock-offs.

My last collection caused controversy after it was discovered that it copied a Western designer [Portuguese fashion designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista]. It was my mistake. I let my assistants come up with a design and I didn’t check whether it was original or not. I sent an apology to him and my customers for this huge error. This is a big lesson for Thai designers.

I try to build my brand’s identity with every collection. I’m not afraid that foreign labels keep coming to town because I know customers really like what we stand for.

Build an individual style and stick with it. Don’t buy something just because it’s trendy. Trends don’t suit everybody. Only pay for clothes that make you look better.

If you do something and never get bored of it then that’s a career for life. I’ve already found mine.

What kind of criteria did these companies have to meet to make the list?
We basically covered offices that were recently built or refurbished, making sure to include spaces of various sizes and many different fields of creative practices.

Was there anything the final 10 had in common?
No matter how big or small they were, all of them had an open plan concept so everyone in the office could communicate easily and exchange ideas with each other. Each office also tried to create an atmosphere that expressed who they were and what inspired them.

What does it mean to have your own creative space?
It’s important that you work in a space you feel comfortable in that is conducive for
creativity. You don’t need to have a big space or table, or anything elegant in the place, but it needs to have an inspiring ambiance so you and the members of your team can retain your creative energies.

What are the pros and cons of living as a creative in an urban and highly progressive environment?
A big advantage of living and working in a big city is access to all sorts of inspiration, including museums, galleries, events and people. The dynamism of city life can keep you fresh but can also tire you out. You just have to find a space where you can keep a good balance. In fact, this is a question we’re trying to explore further at Designing (in) the City.

Designing (in) the City is an Archifest event happening October 10, 7pm.

What’s special about the Singapore style of architecture?
It’s unique not because of a singular style but rather an approach and strategy to assimilate Singapore’s diversity. It explores the mosaic-like nature of our multiculturalism and history. It studies our tropical climate and pushes the boundaries of our garden city concept.

What’s new and different about your pavilion design?
We used the material VersiWeb, which allows natural ventilation while providing shelter from the sun and rain. When viewed from different angles, the Pavilion seems to disappear and merge with the surroundings. The Pavilion design is also highly interactive. Straw mats are inserted into pockets in the VersiWeb to encourage visitors to use them for seminars or picnics around the Pavilion.

How did you first find out about VersiWeb?
I first saw it used in construction work to strengthen the slopes of Fort Canning. I realized the VersiWeb could be re-used on these slopes after the Archifest or donated to countries affected by slope erosion due to floods.

Do you have any personal memories of the pavilion site?
I used to swim at the River Valley swimming pool that was here back in the 1980s! And I visited the National Library (now demolished and relocated) on weekends.