AESTHETICS IN THE SOUTH

       It's been hoped for, aspired to even, but has never materialised despite long, enduring attempts from the various involved parties. While many of us take pride in the traditional craftsmanship and peerless skills of our nation's artisans, we have never successfully maximised their potential in the realm of modern fashion design. To be more precise, a large number of successful designers are reluctant to use materials bred and brewed in local craft houses, and it's not their fault either. The skilfully crafted pieces, exquisite as they are on their own with a technical mastery that craftspeople of other countries could only envy, lack the modern edge that would make them a suitable choice for contemporary fashion design. Bringing together traditional Thai craftsmanship and contemporary fashion had thus long been an unachieved goal set by various government departments in the past.
       Sombatsara Teerasaroch and ‘Elle’ Thailand editor-in-chief Kullawit Laosuksri during a workshop with batik manufacturers from the southern provinces.
       Such is the mission that brought together three of Thailand's fashion supremos: fashion organiser Sombatsara Teerasaroch, Elle Thailand editor-in-chief Kullawit Laosuksri and stylist/designer Jirat Subpisankul.
       "I was contacted by the Department of Export Promotion [DEP] to help use the existing craft skills of people in the South to make a product that would be competitive in the contemporary fashion market," said Sombatsara of his role in this DEP-initiated project, Southern Culture and Fashion (SC&F).
       After travelling to the Songkhla, Satun, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces to meet with local offices of commercial affairs and manufacturers, it was agreed that the project should focus on enhancing the batik designers' understanding of modern looks and trends by creating fabrics of batik prints that can be used in modern fashion design.
       "We decided to combine what we know with what they have - fashion trends with traditional techniques - to create something more contemporary than what they had been making," said Kullawit.
       Designer-stylist Jirat Subpisankul assists batik artists in developing the designs.
       The team travelled to the South to conduct workshops for local manufacturers and guide them as to how their creations, made with meticulous skill, can increase their commercial viability when they incorporate modern designs and trends. Relying on autumn/winter 2009/2010 trends, Kullawit combined monochrome and bright pink shades for participating batik artists to ensure their final products would have the colour unity of a fashion collection. However, he insisted the project's aim is to enhance the value of existing skills, and not ask the artisans to do what is not their forte.
       "Batik incorporates various techniques and styles and what we did was to match graphic lines and designs with the batik techniques each artist was skilled at. For example, one entrepreneur is good at freehand drawing, so we used fabric with an organic design. For other manufacturers who are good at line drawing, we chose modern graphic lines for them," he explained.
       Recruited to handle graphic design for the batik artists is Jirat, who is known for his use of graphics and geometric prints.
       "Batik has its own distinctive appeal because it's handmade. The only problem is that it always revolves around the same designs and colour patterns: gaudy shades, seascapes, coconut trees and large images," he said.
       "I showed them examples, such as Dries Van Noten's work, and gave them guidelines on how to transform a beach fabric into real prints."
       Both Kullawit and Jirat agreed that another aspect that required modification was the scale and proportion of the design. Normally, batik cotton used as beach fabric is produced on a large scale, as it is cheaper and faster to manufacture in that form. Also gone are low-quality cotton and heavy silk once commonly used, now replaced by finer materials such as silk crepe, silk chiffon and Japanese silk, while cotton canvas and cotton twill are now also used for shoes and bags.
       Issue
vHowever, since the finished fabrics will serve as materials for Thailand's top designers, the ability to see the potential of each piece of cloth and match it with the right designer plays a crucial role. Jokingly claiming it is his natural gift, Kullawit said he could see, even before they are finished, which designer each piece would get.
       Sretsis
       "I saw this scarlet/black-patterned chiffon and I knew it had to go to [Issue's designer] Roj, and he would make it into a kaftan dress! And well, it was! There's another batik artist who has a very strong brushstroke - there's a real energy in his work and Vatit Itthi has made a stunning evening dress out of one of his fabrics. There's one artist that I asked to do two separate designs, each on one-and-a-half yards of fabric knowing it would go to Disaya and she would use one design on the top and the other on the bottom half of a mini-dress."
       And the participants are no less enthusiastic. Some literally couldn't wait to show what they had learned in the next session, which was weeks away, so they returned home to create something to show to the team the following day.
       Vatit Itthi
       "The first time I saw the finished piece, I cried," said Sombatsara.
       "I didn't only see the beautiful work but also the determination of these manufacturers to improve their work. I see our job as forming a bridge between these material manufacturers and the designers and I'm glad we can successfully connect them. It may not culminate in large orders from the designers but it's a good pilot project that can help develop not just these batik artists but also artisans in other regions."