Channel 0121 Textile Business | Apparel

University of the Arts London and Mentor International invited you to join Press Conference 2010 titled “Designing Your Future”

2010-02-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

On behalf of University of the Arts London and Mentor International, we would like to invite you to join Mentor Scholarships – Press Conference 2010. The event will be hosted at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, Bangkok.

With this press conference, Mentor International is offering two special scholarships for the most creative and original Thai students in Art & Design, under the title: “Designing Your Future”. The 2 Mentor scholarships are worth 50,000 Baht each. This scholarship campaign continues for the third consecutive year.

Applicants must apply and be accepted for either a Diploma, Foundation or BA programme at the University of the Arts London. The University brings together six of Europe's most prominent Colleges (Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Art) for the study of art, design, fashion, communications and the performing arts.

All potential applicants are requested to submit their application forms and with the purpose of pursuing their studies for the 2010 September intake. All applicants will be interviewed on 9 - 10 February 2010 by a selection panel including an International Coordinator of University of the Arts London, and Ms Kamolpan Patarusuwankul, Mentor UAL Senior Counsellor at Mentor office.

DEP eyes BIFF & BIL 2010 as springboard for Thai fashion industry to be more competitive and visible in global marketplace

2010-01-30T00:01:00.001-08:00

The effectiveness of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) is believed to help drive the overall trade volume between the ASEAN countries and their partners.

The Bangkok International Fashion Fair & Bangkok International Leather Fair 2010 (BIFF & BIL 2010) organized by the Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce of Thailand during 1 - 4 April is expected to encourage the rise of Thai and ASEAN fashion products in the global marketplace, especially in one of the world’s most vibrant fashion markets like Japan.

Riding on the theme, Look East, the BIFF & BIL 2010 will be a vivid showcase of great potential of the ASEAN fashion industry, from upstream to downstream. The mega event will bring together the best fashions and accessories of the ASEAN region, capitalizing on hot new trends, signature styles, textiles and leather products supported by the synergy of local expertise and regional cooperation.

By highlighting the fashions of all 10 ASEAN member countries, BIFF & BIL continues its campaign to bring ASEAN Fashion to, and stay more competitive in the global stage.

“With the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) become effective from January this year, the overall trade volume between the ASEAN countries and their partners is growing at rapid pace,” said Srirat Rastapana, Director General, the Department of Export Promotion (DEP). “The BIFF & BIL 2010 therefore will provide the region’s exhibitors and buyers from Japan, India, China, Korea and Taiwan with a promising platform for trade and cooperation. It is the only fair that offers a complete range of products and services related to the fashion industry supply chain, with greater trade negotiation and sourcing opportunities ever for everyone involved.”

More than 1,000 selected domestic and overseas exhibitors in diverse fields from clothing, textile, leather and fashion accessories to textile equipment & machinery, software & services related to the fashion industry will participate. Potential visitors include importers, manufacturers, traders, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, boutiques, department stores, buying agents, designers, international press and related others.

“The extensive profile of visitors will make the Thai fashion industry more visible, and get broadened access to international fashion markets,” commented Mrs. Srirat.

Speaking at a recent press conference during the BIFF & BIL road show in Tokyo, the DEP Director General also invited manufacturers, buyers and relevant institutes and organizations in the Japanese fashion industry to join BIFF & BIL 2010. The road show was organized in conjunction with JFW International Fashion Fair 2010 (JFW-IFF) in Tokyo, in which 12 Thai textile, apparel and leather products manufacturers, exporters and brand owners participated,

With exports to Japan continuing to increase, Thailand’s textile and apparel industry is expected to see steady growth and development. Relevant organisations led by the Association of Thai Textile Bleaching Dyeing Printing and Finishing Industries (ATDP) has recently cooperated with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to develop and manufacture fabrics that meet Japanese standards and market requirements. These textile innovations will be presented to Japanese importers at this year’s BIF & BIL in Thailand.

“The textiles, apparel, and leather exports to Japan are now worth nearly 500 Million US Dollars. Within this, textiles and apparel exports account for more than 420 Million US Dollars and leather goods account for 50 Million US Dollars. Thanks to the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) and the expanding opportunity for Thai exporters in the Japanese medium market as local Japanese manufacturers focus on high-end segment,” said Mrs Srirat.

She added, “Our success at JFW-IFF reflects the high interest of Japanese importers and buyers in Thai fashion products. Japan has expressed its support for Thailand to become ASEAN’s textile and apparel manufacturing base due to its unmatched capacity for integrated production. We are looking forward to see more an increase in number of Japanese visitors to the upcoming event.”

Among highlights at BIFF & BIL 2010 include seminars and conferences, 48 fashion shows, ASEAN Design Congress, Thailand Designer Contest as well as ASEAN Pavilion and Japan Pavilion.

Nautica Signs Apparel Sponsorship

2009-12-15T05:48:00.000-08:00

According to the sponsorship agreement, Nautica will outfit all Thai and international sailors, race officers and attending media with their great quality sportswear.

In support of this apparel sponsorship, Khun Chantra Sangsrirattanakul, Division Manager, Bara, Windsor & Co., Ltd — Nautica’s brand representative in Thailand —

said "The Nautica brand and its design was originally inspired by the sea and sailing. We are proud to support the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which is the largest race of its kind in Asia. This sponsorship is also in line with Nautica’s global policy of supporting the sport of sailing, a sport that relies on teamwork, athleticism — and a sport which is environmentally friendly.”

"Nautica's brand and reputation for quality are known worldwide. We are very happy to have such a strong clothing brand involved with our great week of races. We’re sure their contribution will be appreciated by all,” said Santi Kanchanabandhu, President of the 21st Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee.

The Phuket King's Cup Regatta this year will be held to celebrate His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 80th Birthday from December 1 to 8. Another exciting year of races is expected after a record turnout of over 100 boats last year. This year is expected to see another large turnout of sailors from Thailand and around the world.

A textile manufacturer puts up VOQUE, a brand-new condominium project on Sukhumvit 16.

2009-11-19T07:08:00.001-08:00

Apollo Asset, a textile manufacturer, partners with Vertex Millennium to put up VOQUE Residential Condominium, a low-rise residential condominium on Sukhumvit 16. The project, which will include two 8-story buildings in Bangkok’s central business district, will have a starting price of 69,000 Baht per SQ.M. or 2.9 M.B. for a one-bedroom suite and a combined project value of 620 million Baht. With Century 21 as Marketing and Sales Management Advisor, it is scheduled to be up for a presale in an open house party to be held on this coming November 21, 2009.

Mr. Kittisak Jumpathippong, CEO of Century 21 Realty Affiliates (Thailand) Co., Ltd., discloses today that Century 21 has just been entrusted as Project Investment Advisor for VOQUE Residential Condominium, a brand-new residential condominium project on Sukhumvit 16. The project, which will include two 8-story buildings for a combined project value of 620 million Baht, is a joint venture between Apollo Asset,a textile manufacturer , and Vertex Millennium. At a starting price of 69,000 Baht per SQ.M. or 2.9 M.B. for a one-bedroom suite, Century 21 has scheduled a presale in an open house party to be held on this coming November 21. With special promotion to be offered on-site, there have been an overwhelming number of responses from its target, which enquired and registered to the event.

“The project is invested by a leading manufacturer group, who is interested in developing a residential condominium when the time is right, while we help take part in conducting the feasibility study and well craft out the marketing plan. The project is most outstanding in its location and has been conceptualized to be a condominium with high level of privacy and total relaxation. Designed to go and flow with its environment, it is a low-rise condominium in Bangkok’s central business district with an open view to the lake of Benjakitti Park. For Residential who stay from the third floor onward without the high-rise building blocking the eye good view. The VOQUE is the low rise project in the downtown. It is easily commuted by BTS Asok and MRT Sukhumvit as well as well connected to various main roads, i.e. Sukhumvit 22, 24 and 26, Rama 4, Ratchadapisek, and New Petchburi. Given its superb location and future potentials, the project is expected to be well received by its target, i.e. the working generation, which prompts us to put our presale target at 60% within this year.” Mr. Kittisak said.

Managed by Mr. Vorathep Srikuruwal, Managing Director of Apollo Asset, and Miss Premika Srichawla, Managing Director of Vertex Millennium (Miss Premika Srichawla comes from a real-estate development family,which has been in business for more than 30 years.) VOQUE Residential is a residential condominium project. It includes two 8-story buildings with basement located on approximately 563-Square-Wah plot of land on Sukhumvit 16, Klongtoey, Bangkok. Financial supported Ocean Life Insurance Co.,Ltd for this project. With Boonvess & Associates as Project Architect, Gooseberry Co.,Ltd as Designer& Interior. it is designed into two room types, i.e. one-bedroom suite with sellable area of 41.50 – 54.50 SQ.M. and two-bedroom suite with sellable area of 74.50 – 81 SQ.M. totaling 140 units. All units are equipped with DAIKIN air conditioner (or equivalent), built-in kitchen from RCD Thonglor, touch-ceramic electric stove , hood and sink from swiss brand ‘Franke’, American Standard sanitary ware (or equivalent), and tempered glass shower.

The project facilities include swimming pool, Jacuzzi, fitness center, parking lots, 2 sets of elevators in each building, built-in phone line socket, satellite television system and is fully secured with key card system, CCTV and 24-hour security guards. The project construction is expect to commence in early 2010 and complete by at the end of 2011.

CRISIS FORCES ADAPTATION

2009-11-12T22:57:00.001-08:00

       Hoping to turn a crisis into an opportunity and take advantage of the nascent economic recovery, Thai businesses are adjusting the way they do business in a variety of ways.
       Teeradej Snongtaweeporn, deputy administrative director of Big Star, the maker of Gambol footwear, said the company had revised its strategy to focus more on own-brand products and reduce the amount of original-equipment manufacturing (OEM) of footwear for client brands.
       "We want to export more footwear under our Gambol brand, and to move away from the OEM business," Teeradej said, adding that the company currently exports Gambol footwear to 10 markets in Southeast Asia, in addition to the Middle East and Eastern European countries including Ukraine and Russia.
       "We want to reduce OEM from 40 per cent to about 20 per cent of our export business by the second quarter of next year," Teeradej said. Exports currently account for about 40 per cent of Big Star's total sales.
       "Relying too much on OEM leaves you vulnerable to clients who shift orders to lower-cost manufacturers. So we want to focus on our own brand, which is quite strong," Teeradej said.
       The company saw OEM orders from Europe plunge during the recent global economic turmoil, but was able to offset this by exporting more footwear under the Gambol brand.
       "The Thai economy is expected to recover in the second half of next year, driven by higher purchasing power among consumers, aided in part by the [government's] Thai Khemkhaeng economic stimulus scheme. We plan to increase our production capacity by 10 per cent next year. The company currently produces about 10 million pairs of footwear per annum," Teeradej said.
       The economic crisis has also brought about some changes at ICC International, according to director Somphol Chaisiriroj, who oversees the Arrow apparel brand. He said the company expected to achieve close to Bt2 billion in sales of Arrow products this year, up nearly 10 per cent over last year - but lower than the 15 per cent targeted at the beginning of the year.
       "Rather than worry about the economic crisis, I'd rather learn from it and use those lessons to formulate a new business plan," said Somphol.
       The downturn should encourage business operators to think about society in all its dimensions, he said, and not just their bottom lines.
       "It should be a mission of all businesspeople today to try and do something to help other people," he said.
       Consumers want to buy brands that make a contribution to society, Somphol said.
       In 2007, Arrow launched a corporate social responsibility campaign, "Send Me Home", with the goal of releasing eight captive elephants back into the wild. The last two elephants are due to be released next month.
       Sales of Arrow apparel were stagnant for the first six months, but grew a strong 15 per cent in the third quarter, which he attributes largely to the exposure achieved via the campaign.
       Singer Thailand, meanwhile, has revamped its instalment payment plan for electrical appliances.
       "We have increased the payment-period options from 12 and 18 months to 24 and 38 months, and reduced the monthly payments from between Bt700 and Bt1,000 to just Bt500 for refrigerators, and from between Bt1,500 and Bt2,000 to Bt900 for air-conditioners. This will make it easier for consumers to access our installment plan amid the current economic difficulties," Boonyong said.

Mittal trust to acquire Germany's Escada brand

2009-11-08T04:57:00.002-08:00

       Megha Mittal will buy the insolvent German luxury fashion house Escada for an undisclosed price,the company said on Thursday.
       "Today the insolvency administrator of Escada AG signed a sale and transfer agreement with one of the Mittal family trusts," the company said in a statement late on Thursday after the preliminary creditors' committee approved the deal."The board of management and the new investor have agreed to cooperate on the basis of the business strategy launched in mid-2008 securing continuity of the operative business."
       All key assets of Escada's operating business as well as shares in its subsidiaries will be transferred to Mittal's trust,excluding those that serve as guarantor for the Escada bond.
       Escada, once one of the world's top fashion labels, filed for insolvency in August after years of diminishing sales took their toll and a broad restructuring plan failed to win approval from bondholders.
       Mittal won the bidding war for Escada against Sven Ley, son of Escada founder Wolfgang Ley. He said on Tuesday he had teamed up with the former head of Gucci, Giacomo Santucci, and Italian investment group Borletti to mount a rescue bid.
       Megha Mittal, the 33-year old daughter-in-law of ArcelorMittal chief executive Lakshmi Mittal, had also expressed an interest in Escada.
       German newspapers reported on Thursday that Lebanon's influential Mi-kati family was also among the frontrunners.
       The family runs M1 Group, a multibillion dollar conglomerate invested in real estate, Geneva airline Fly Baboo and fashion line Facconable, as well as oil and gas.
       The crux of the bidding war revolved around who will manage Escada in future.
       The consortium around Ley had said it would replace the current CEO, Bruno Saelzer, with Santucci.
       Mittal, on the other hand, supports Saelzer's approach of turning Escada into an affordable luxury fashion brand,offering more day-wear rather than the glamorous evening gowns Escada was once known for, the Mittal family source said.
       Mittal would take a supervisory board seat, the source said.
       Mittal has been looking for an investment in the fashion industry for about a year and has also expressed interest in Italian fashion brand Gianfranco Ferre.

Man sells T-shirt ad space for $85,000

2009-11-08T04:57:00.001-08:00

       A T-shirt a day has kept unemployment at bay for an American man who is making about $85,000 a year by selling advertising space on his torso.
       Jason Sadler,26, a former marketing professional from Florida, founded his own company, www.iwearyourshirt.com,in 2008 with the idea to wear a T-shirt supplied by any company and then use social media tools to promote the firm.
       For his human billboard service, Sadler charges the "face value" of the day so January 1 costs $1, while December 31 costs $365.
       Sadler said this "may not sound like a lot but it adds up to $66,795 a year if he sells out every day, which he did this year." He also sells monthly sponsorships for $1,500, adding another $18,000 to his income.
       "I walk around, take photos, wear the shirt all day.... I blog about those photos, I put 'em up on Twitter, I change my Facebook profile ... and then I do a YouTube video," he told Reuters Television."I made about $83,000 this year."
       The average US wage is about $615 a week or about $32,000 a year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
       Sadler has already begun filling his 2010 calendar so, in true entrepreneurial fashion, he is expanding services by hiring another individual to wear a shirt a day on the west coast of the United States and is doubling his price.

Water Lily commemoration

2009-11-04T06:22:00.002-08:00

       Central Department Store is celebrating its 62nd anniversary with the presentation of the "Water Lily Commemoration of the 77th Royal Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen".
       All seven floors of Central Chidlom will be decorated with fresh flowers and is open to the public until Friday. A grand sale promotion at every branch, with the exception of Zen department store, begins today until November 15.
       Presided last Thursday by Thanpuying Pharani Mahanonda, Her Majesty's Deputy Private Secretary, the giant lily situated at the Morakot area of Central Chidlom, was the highlight alongside 300 more water lilies as well as 62 award-winning plants including 15 species.
       At the opening ceremony, actress Ann Thongprasom performed the lead dance role in Upsara Thawai Dokbua (Upsara Water Lily Presentation), as an introduction for the new water lily species.
       Chermarn Bunyasakdi and Chris Horwang led the parade of 300 water lily plants and a variety of insects along with Central's top management team as well as distinguished guests into its Chidlom branch. The department store was flooded with flowers and plants, and each floor design was done by the nation's top florists.
       Watercolour specialist Phansak Chakkaphak, food stylist and independent artist ML Jirathorn Jiraprawat, Arianna Caroli from Italy - who is fond of Thailand and its wide variety of flora and fauna - and designer Disaya Sornkraikittikul of the Disaya brand all contributed their personal designs for Central's cotton cloth bags at a price of only 395 baht. Only 8,000 bags will be available from each of the four artists' designs. All proceeds will be donated to the Chai Patana Foundation.
       Call 02-255-6959.

LUXURY-BRAND FIRMS HUNT FOR UNTAPPED MARKETS

2009-11-04T06:22:00.001-08:00

       With spending on luxury goods down across the developed world in the economic crisis, luxury brands are increasingly looking far beyond the chic avenues of New York, London or Paris for revenue.
       The new names on the lips of luxury professionals are far less familiar - Almaty, Shenzhen, Ulan Bator, respectively, the commercial capital of Kazakhstan, a major Chinese provincial centre and the capital of Mongolia.
       "The desire for luxury is more and more universal so the luxury sector has to reach its clients around the world," Yves Carcelle, chairman of Louis Vuitton, said at the Paris launch of a new luxury products website for China.
       Louis Vuitton earlier this month opened its first store in Mongolia, an Asian country of 2.7 million people with extensive mineral resources and an average per capital annual income of just $1,800 (Bt60,200).
       "It's a country that is taking off economically," said Carcelle, adding: "In just a few days, we already know the store is doing well and we should make as much in Ulan Bator as in a good-sized provincial town in China."
       Antoione Belge, luxury expert at British bank HSBC, explained the strategy.
       "In Mongolio or in Kazakhstan, the big luxury brands are targeting pockets of wealth. In countries which are making revenues from energy, there are small communities of people that have money," he said.
       "When you open a store in a new city in China, the clientele in that city multiplies by a factor of 10. There's the client who is used to buying the brand abroad and nine others who are new."
       A study out this week by US-based consultancy Bain and Company showed luxury sales this year will drop by 16 per cent in North America, by 10 per cent in Japan and by 8 per cent in Europe compared to last year.
       In Asia, however, sales are set to grow by 10 per cent.
       "First we get local elites familiar with our brand, then we open a place where we offer the same quality of service, the same products and therefore the same prices as in other luxury-brand shops," said LVMH, the world's top luxury firm.
       Out of 300 openings of upmarket stores in 2009, Bain said, 15 per cent will be in China, 25 per cent in other Asian countries, 30 per cent in the Middle East, and 15 per cent in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
       Just 15 per cent would be in Western markets, the study found.
       "Emerging markets with dynamic profiles and appropriate economic potential will offer good growth opportunities," the Gucci luxury group said in a statement.

WHEN WOMEN ARE SINNERS IN THE EYES OF EXTREMISTS

2009-11-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

       The Shabaab movement in Somalia controls large parts of the south and centre of the country, and because officials in the movement embrace the Wahabi ideology they have imposed their views on Somalis by force and have issued strict decrees banning films, plays,dancing at weddings, football matches and all forms of music - even the ring tones on mobile phones.
       Some days ago these extremists carried out a strange operation - they arrested a Somali woman and whipped her in public because she was wearing a bra. They announced clearly that wearing bras was un-Islamic because it is a form of fraud and deception.
       We may well ask what wearing bras has to do with religion, why they would consider them to be a form of fraud and deception,and how they managed to arrest the woman wearing the bra when all Somali women go around with their bodies completely covered.Did they appoint a special female officer to inspect the breasts of women passing by in the street? One Somali woman called Halima said:"Al Shabaab forced us to wear their type of veil and now they order us to shake our breasts ... they first banned the former veil and introduced a hard fabric which stands stiffly on women's chests. They are now saying that breasts should be firm naturally, or just flat."
       In fact, this excessive interest in covering up women's bodies is not confined to the extremists in Somalia. In Sudan, the police examine women's clothing with extreme vigilance and arrest any woman who is wearing trousers. They force her to make a public apology for what she has done and then they whip her in public as an example to other women.
       Some weeks ago the Sudanese journalist Lubna al-Husseini insisted on wearing trousers and refused to make the public apology. When she refused to submit to flogging she was referred to a real trial, and the farce reached its climax when the judge summoned three witnesses and asked them if they had been able to detect the shape of the accused's underwear when she was wearing the trousers.When one of the witnesses hesitated in answering, the judge asked him directly:"Did you see Lubna's stomach when she was wearing the trousers?" The witness gravely replied:"To some extent."
       Ms Lubna said she was wearing a modest pair of trousers and that the scandalous pair she was accused of wearing would not suit her because she is plump and would need to lose 20kg in order to put them on. But the judge convicted her anyway and fined her ฃ500(27,700 baht) or a month in prison.
       In Egypt, too, extremists continue to take an excessive interest in women's bodies and in trying to cover them up entirely. They not only advocate that women wear the niqab,but also that they wear gloves on their hands,which they believe will ensure that no passions are aroused when men and women shake hands. We really do face a phenomenon which deserves consideration - why are extremists so obsessed with women's bodies?Some ideas might help us answer this question:
       Firstly, the extremist view of women is that they are only bodies and instruments for either legitimate pleasure or temptation,as well as factories for producing children.This view strips women of their human nature.Accusing the Somali woman of fraud and deception because she was wearing a bra is the same charge of commercial fraud which the law holds against a merchant who conceals the defects of his goods and makes false claims about their qualities in order to sell them at a higher price. The idea here is that a woman who accentuates her breasts by using a bra gives a false impression of the goods (her body), which is seen as fraud and deception of the buyer (the man) who might buy (marry) her for her ample breasts and later discover that they were ample because of the bra and not by nature.
       It would be fair to remember that treating women's bodies as commodities is not something found only in extremist ideologies, but often happens in Western societies too.
       The use of women's naked bodies to market commercial products in the West is merely another application of the idea that women are commodities. Anyone who visits the redlight district in Amsterdam can see for himself how wretched prostitutes, completely naked,are lined up behind glass windows so that passers-by can inspect their charms before agreeing on the price. Isn't that a modernday slave market, where women's bodies are on sale to anyone willing to pay?
       Secondly, the extremists believe women to be the source of temptation and the prime cause of sin. This view, which is prevalent in all primitive societies, is unfair and inhuman,because men and women commit sin together and the responsibility is shared and equal. If a beautiful woman arouses and tempts men,then a handsome man also arouses and tempts women. But the extremist ideology is naturally biased in favour of the man and hostile to the woman, and considers that she alone is primarily responsible for all sins.
       Thirdly, being strict about covering up women's bodies is an easy and effortless form of religious struggle. In Egypt we see dozens of Wahabi sheikhs who enthusiastically advocate covering up women's bodies, but do not utter a single word against despotism,corruption, fraudulence or torture because they know very well that serious opposition to the despotic regime (which should really be their first duty) would inevitably lead to their arrest, torture and the destruction of their lives. Their strictness on things related to women's bodies enables them to operate as evangelists without any real costs.
       Throughout human history, strictness toward women has usually been a way to conceal political abuses and real crimes.Somalia is a wretched country in the grip of famine and chaos, but officials there are distracted from that by inspecting bras. The Sudanese regime is implicated in crimes of murder, torture and raping thousands of innocents in Darfur, but that does not stop the regime from putting on trial a woman who insisted on wearing trousers.
       It is women rather than men who always pay the price for despotism, corruption and religious hypocrisy.
       Fourthly, the extremist ideology assumes that humans are a group of wild beasts that are completely incapable of controlling their instincts, that it is enough for a man to see a bare piece of female flesh for him to pounce on her and have intercourse. This assumption is incorrect, because humans, unlike animals,always have the power to control their instincts by will power and ethics.
       An ordinary man, if he is sane, cannot have his instincts aroused by his mother,sister, daughter or even the wife of a friend,because his sense of honour and morality transcends his desires and neutralises their effect. So virtue will never come about through bans, repression and pursuing women in the street, but rather through giving children a good upbringing, propagating morality and refining character.
       Societies which impose segregation between men and women (as in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia), according to official statistics, do not have lower rates of sexual crimes than other societies. The rates there may even be higher. We favour and advocate modesty for women, but firstly we advocate a humane view of women, a view that respects their abilities, their wishes and their thinking.
       What is really saddening is that the Wahabi extremism, which is spreading throughout the world with oil money and which gives Muslims a bad image, is as far as can be from the real teachings of Islam. Anyone who reads the history of Islam fairly has to be impressed by the high status it accords to women, because from the time of the Prophet Muhammad until the fall of Andalusia, Muslim women mixed with men, were educated,worked and traded, fought and had financial responsibilities separately from their fathers or husbands. They had the right to choose the husband they loved and the right to divorce if they wanted. Western civilisation gave women these rights many centuries after Islam. Finally, let me say that religious extremism is the other face of political despotism. We cannot get rid of the extremism before we end the despotism.

Morgan eyes China, HK

2009-10-28T20:47:00.001-07:00

       Morgan De Toi (Thailand) will export its lingerie to China and Hong Kong next year and import a new French brand to tap the mass market in Thailand.
       The company produces and distributes lingerie and leather bags, and imports women's clothing for sale in Thailand.
       It was set up by Morgan, a French apparel-maker, and Saha Group, Thailand's largest and most diverse textile and garment manufacturer.
       China is expected to become the largest market for lingerie, Morgan director Marin Leelanuwatana said yesterday.
       The domestic market generates 70 per cent of Morgan's lingerie sales and exports 30 per cent, but if the company succeeds in the China market, that ratio will be reversed, she said.
       Lingerie contributes 60 per cent of the company's total sales, follow by women's apparel at 20 per cent and leather bags at 20 per cent.
       Morgan now expects its sales to increase 11 per cent to Bt170 million this year. It had targeted sales growth at 15 per cent but the economic crisis has throttled its exports.
       "Exports witnessed a drop of 20 per cent this year, especially to Taiwan and South Korea, because both countries rely on the US economy. Even if the global economy recovers, the export situation will not improve like the domestic market, which started to pick up in the third quarter. That helps the company to see some sales growth," she said.
       The company forecasts no progress in the export situation next year, so it will have to depend on the domestic market.
       Morgan's projection of sales growth of 15 per cent next year does not include China because the company has to wait and see the results of its attempt at market penetration there.
       The company will also start selling leather bags in the Asian market after achieving its sales goals in Thailand.
       "We have adjusted the price structure for bags to match our competitors. Our price was higher than theirs but when we reduced prices by 10 per cent, sales shot up 54 per cent, from 10-per-cent growth in previous years," she said.
       The company will launch Cache Cache, a French apparel brand from its parent Morgan that is produced in China, for the mass market in Thailand.
       The latest brand is priced lower than local brands, as in the company's experience, consumers are more cautious with their spending and will purchase those products that represent value for their money.
       The company is also considering cutting women's apparel prices by 20 per cent after the Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta) ends duties on imports and exports among Asean countries. The company now pays 30 per cent on imports of women's clothing.
       However, Afta will also open the market to many Asean lingerie brands. Morgan has to quickly build brand awareness for its products especially lingerie because consumers are less familiar with Morgan's lingerie than its women's apparel.

Still looking great,Elle

2009-10-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

       The Thai fashion industry's forced diet has had healthy results judging from the just-completed 11th Elle Fashion Week, during which 13 leading brands and one contender showed terrific autumn-winter collections that looked quite cosy despite the economic chill.
       There were no press conferences, no billowing event tents - and no big-name sponsors. Elle magazine's Thai edition saved up every single baht on its own for this year's Bt10-million catwalk festival, and it was just as world-class as ever.
       "We're suffering", winced Elle ditor Kullawit Laosuksri, who saw several designers drop out at the last minute and had to scramble to replace perennial backers like Nokia and L'Oreal with new investors.
       They did well in the end, with Mercedes-Benz, Samsung, PM Centre and Laurier chipping in.
       The mini-week - October 15 to 18 - brought solid signs of professionalism to the area in front of Central World, even if there were no government funds forthcoming from the "Creative Economy" campaign. Only the "Designers' Room" show for emerging talents had state support, from the Commerce Ministry's Department of Export Promotion.
       Never mind: A lot of the creative clothes-makers were able to spin out fresh notions with a "chic local styles-come-global looks" approach that tapped Thai culture. And classical Thai music resonated on the runway throughout the four days.
       Nothing could beat the extravagant production with which Somechai Kaewtong of Kai celebrated 40 years in the business. His collections sprang from the classic to the avant-garde in a great show produced by Sombat Tirasaroj.
       It opened with bared-shoulder, cream-coloured mini-dresses bearing pop-art portraits of beloved actress Petchara Chaowarat, accompanied by the song "Yard Petch" from her 1965 movie "Ngern Ngern Ngern".
       Showing off his mastery of tailoring, Somchai presented elegant evening dresses draped, twisted, pleated and embroidered, in a remarkable parade of runway stars like Duangta Tungkamanee, Nualprang Treechid, ornanpa Krissadee, Rungnapa Kitiwat, Kara Polasit, Jitiima Wattanasen, Yellie Macintosh, Sinjai Plengpanich and Mai Charoenpura.
       And seven-months-pregnant Cindy Bishop was there too for the finale, wearing a loose, knee-length cream wedding gown.
       Chanachai Jareeyathana of 27 Friday shifted the scene to rustic Isaan in setting and music - with a little ska mixed in - for a selection of charming outfits made from checked pa khao ma and kid-pattered fabrics. For the men there were swim trunks and suits with short pants, and for the ladies, minidresses and maxi evening gowns.
       Chanita Prechavitayakul revisited the 1970s for her brand Senada, celebrating "Reality & Dream in My Mind" with her signature feminine appeal and the great old song "Fon San Fah". The waistlines were anything but low - the models could sit on their waists, pulled well up on the tummy.
       Taned Boonprasan of Olanor did some DJ sleight-of-hand too with the music for a collection inspired by flowers and leaves but set against an urban environment. Looking like patterns of garlands, Taned's silk and chiffon outfits utilised crochet, silkscreen and pleating.
       Veteran Pisit Natarvisad returned to the runway with timeless allure and neat cutting, modifying traditional Thai costumes in the draping. He had cocktail dresses and evening gowns made of sil, satin, chiffon, taffeta and lace.
       Nagara Sambandaraksa made great use of shape and all the colours of a peacock in his winged evening dresses, tunics, pants and even swimwear for men. Feathers from a peacock's neck became hooded blouses for women and jackets for men.
       Disaya Sornkraikittikool of Disaya took viewers into space with her "Celestial Warrior" collection of black, aqua and navy-blue costumes trimmed with sequins and glossy buttons. Rather than her usual pastels, she played with shocking pink and mustard yellow and invaded a galaxy in black ankle-length gladiator boots and leather gloves.
       Pimdao Sukhahut of Sretsis made a triumphant comeback to Elle Fashion Week with the "Metamorphosis" collection already on sale at its boutique and abroad. Think of the modern woman transforming herself from day to night like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
       With bull's-eye targets set out for the show, doors burst open at the sound of a gunshot and the models marched out in reversible dresses and jackets. Innovative materials and techniques in draping and frills and digital prints were on display.
       For Asava, Polpat Asavaparpha and Maruwut Buranasilpin heralded the "Wall Street Goddess" in a wonderful show about working women who look sleek in neat draping and lush, vivid hues.
       Vatit Itthi was more mature a year after its debut at Elle, Vatit Virashpanth and Ithi Metanee showing elegant costumes bristling with texture and the whole gamut of folding, twisting and hand drawing.
       Adisak Rojsiripan of Zenithorial paid tribute to fashion photographer Amat Nimitpak on his career silver anniversary, displaying the lensman's acclaimed shots of nude men on T-shirt-dresses and men's tees and trunks.
       Elle Fashion Week colsed with Mollika Ruangkritya's Kloset Red Carpet, employing a subway platform as the backdrop. The models held newspapers and cups of coffee, or strolled about clutching shopping bags, and Tangram, the vintage board game, inspired the silhouettes and cutting.

Silk retailer promotes proud tradition

2009-10-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

       Chatchai Puliwakin was 27 years old when he first came to Khon Kaen 30 years ago to work as purchasing manager for Thai Silk company, the producer of Jim Thompson silk products.
       From the same shop-house he began work at, the first of 30 Jim Thompson branches to be built over the years, Chatchai recalls how great changes have come to this Northeastern city.
       "Khon Kaen has expanded so much and there are now daily traffic jams, unheared of a few years ago," he says.
       "But for the silk business, we have seen a gradual drop in production. It is worrying that less Northeastern households are cultivating silkworms."
       The trend is alarming as silk cultivation is core to the Northeast culture, he adds.
       "Young people leave the farms to look for jobs in Bangkok and large cities, leaving the elderly to tend the farms," he says.
       "This has led to a shortfall in local silk crops. During the past few years, we have to rely more from producers abroad."
       To check the decline in production, Jim Thompson has embarked on a number of community schemes such as contract farming to promote silk cultivation.
       "These programmes can help farmers obtain additional income from silkworm cultivation," Chatchai says.
       Khon Kaen remains the main market for the silk trade.
       "Weavers from all over the Kingdom come here to obtain supplies. They come from as far as Surin, considered by many as the top weaving centre for Thai silk."
       In the modest shop-house, Chatchai tends to several merchants who have brought bales of silk to sell.
       Chatchai inspects the goods to verify their grade and makes payment accordingly.
       "What you see today with half a dozen sellers, is a sharp contrast to the long queues we attended to 30 years ago," he recalls.
       The shop was chosen for its location near the main bus terminal, just a few steps away.
       "It was chosen because it was a convenient spot for the traders when they hop off the bus. They can come straight to us without commuting any further, thus saving them time and money," he says.
       The silk company was founded by the legendary Jim Thompson, an OSS agent during World War II. He rose to fame when he disappeared in Malaysia's Cameron Highlands in 1967. His body was never found.
       "I never met Thompson. I joined the company 10 years after he vanished," says Chatchai.
       "But he deeply impressed me with his decisions such as coming to the Northeast."
       Jim Thompson was also one of the first entrepreneurs in Thailand to offer company shares to workers to induce better output and loyalty.
       To this day, many of his original weavers at Ban Krua hold the shares they were given in 1948.
       Chatchai says he also intends to hold on to his shares in the company even after he retires.
       Originally from Bangkok, Chatchai says he now prefers living in the Northeast where people are friendly and the place is still unpolluted.
       "I was born in Thon Buri and I still have a house in Klong Tan," he says. "But I find Bangkok crowded, dirty and noisy."
       "After staying here the past 30 years, it is hard to leave."

ELLE FASHION WEEK 2009 AUTUMN/WINTER AT CENTRAL WORLD

2009-10-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

       ELLE Fashion Week's final day will be remembered for the variety of designs and styles that define fashion's favourite season.
       RUNWAT TO REALWAY BY CENTRALWORLD AT ELLE FASHION HALL
       The final at ELLE Fashion Week 2009 opens with one of the favourite Br4itish high street chains whose opening in Thailand last year was considered fashion talk of the town, Topshop. The show is a runway version of the Fall/Winter 2009-2010 look book featuring the brand's characteristically 1980s collection of Balmain-marrying-glam rock. Key pieces are biker jacket, tunic jumper worn with leggings, fitted sequined cotton T-shirt, embellished cape, fold-up baggy jeans with strappy top and oversized cardigan-all in the season's dominate palette of black, white, grey, cobalt blue,neon yellow and fuschia.
       DESIGNERS' ROOM: NOW BY DEP
       The absence of Young Designers show this year fortunately does not mean the lack of young blood design aspirants. Thanks to the Department of Export Promotion's Designer's Room project, the government unit sponsors 6 brands in their Now category to stage a show at ELLE Fashion Week. The slot features Wonder Anatomie, Under Dog Fights Back, Innocence, Paul B. Painkiller and Ziff. The overall picutre is that these young rookies are on the process of crafting their own identity, perhaps with an exception of Painkiller who offered a series of menswear outfits with subtle and well-calculated palette while mixing the brand's unique, laid-back chic character with the global fashion trend in moderate proportion. Wonder Anatomie attempts to achieve a luxurious and individual collection with chiffon dresses, patchwork, chains and zipper. Under Dog Fights Back's Siam Square indie kids look would need a but more work to ensure the brand can differentiate itself from the myriad of others with similar style. Innocence serves up collection of excessive drapes in every single piece while Paul B's focus is the ankle-length a la Michael Jackson trousers with stripes and checks. Ziff comes up with a collection fo ruffled peplum skirt suits in dominant beige.
       ZENIHORIAL
       There're times when designer plays homage to a fashion personality in a show directly or indirectly. Alexander McQueen once played tribute to his supermodel friend Kate Moss by projecting her image as the background of a show after the model's cocaine scandal. Now, Zenithorial puts on a show that celebrates top fashion snapper Amat Nimitrpak's 25 years in fashion and you have prints of the photographer's works as the recurrent motifs on several items from tunic, tank to the brand's signature shirt dresses. And talking of shirt dresses, Zenithorial is never Zenithorial without those shirt dress and this time, this signature piece comes in favourite checks and stripes. Interestingly, the brand which hardly plays heed to international fashion's revolving trends happens to embrace a lot of dominant seasonal motifs from padded, pointy shoulders, cowl neck, asymmetrical neckline and skirt length to ruffles and bows.
       ASAVA
       Inspired by the fall of stock markets all over the world, Asava's Wallstreet Goddess collection pays respect to all working women and offers a series of outfits that reflect their change of lifestyle and flexibility. Pencil skirts and dresses continue to be the brand's main staples while the enhanced hip-which comes in draped, tulip-shaped numbers, reflects a more youthful direction. Trousers are mostly in jodhpur style while the tops are a nod to the global fascination with 1980s trend with padded, pointy shoulders and batwings dominating the runway, all in a subdued, wintry palette of black, grey,midnight blue, with an introduction of peach, pale lavender, emerald green and peach to brighten up the collection. Whether or not it's for the fall of the stock markets, Asava girls get a bit raw and edgy with strikingly glam rock details from cut-out and bangdage style and thigh-high boots. Luxurious materials like satin, silk and brocade are key materials while, like Asava's first ELLE Fashion Week collection, leather appears in a few numbers.
       KLOSET RED CARPET
       It's the case of vintage revisited for Kloset Red Carpet's finale show at ELLE Fashion Week. The runway was fashioned with a Metropolitan arch door and models strutted the catwalk in a collection inspired by vintage board game Tangram Puzzles. Strikingly Kloset in terms of form, with vintage dresses in capsuleshaped and A-line skirt as collection staples in a palette of midnight blue, navy, peach and salmon pink. Titled Reminiscence, this colllection turns its back on world trend and is buried in a world of Kloset's own. It's quite refreshing in a way to see a collection without leg-of-mutton sleeves or shoulder pads. Tiered batwing blouses with binding and cape blouses appear in various looks while decorative techniques such as cut-out, embroidery and draping makes the outfits both girlish and sophisticated.
       Geometric prints tone down the feminine feel that has dominated all Kloset collections and we have here some items created from different geometric fabrics sewn together. Acrylic and crystal plates adorn a number of items as well as forming the collection's key accessories, the tiara. The show, as well as, ELLE Fashion Week, was closed with a flapper numger that embraced in one all Klolet's Fall/Winter 2009-10 motifs-the sequined hemline, the tiered sleeves and patchwork of different fabrics. Surely this collection vows to be a hit amongst fans.

Adventurous biker outfits

2009-10-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

       The current golden boy of Thai cinema, Ananda Everingham, recently co-designed and modelled for the latest collection of CPS Chaps entitled "My Signature Outfit".
       The star revealed that the collection is an outcome of his creativity and that it mostly relates to his personal style, especially its tone of rock 'n' roll.
       "His passion for motorcycles plays an important role as the inspiration of his designs. So, the concept is based on 'Dirt Biker', which reflects men who are adventurous and often have highly itchy feet to take a journey on a motorbike. The style is quite casual, comfortable and also unintentionally charismatic rather than luxurious," added Chanchira Hongladarom, CPS Chaps's sales and marketing manager.
       For true fans of Ananda, or those who are simply looking for rough and rugged fashion items for their closets,"My Signature Outfit" is now available at CPS Chaps shops nationwide.

Garment-makers seek funding to turn focus on creative economy

2009-10-13T06:06:00.001-07:00

       The Thai Garment Manufacturers Association will ask the government for Bt300 million to support its three-year plan with eight activities, to ensure the industry is fully engaged in the creative economy.
       "The association wants to see garment-making breakthroughs from the supply chain through manufacturing," Yotsaton Kujkusol, vice president of the asso iation, told The Nation yesterday.
       "In particular, the creative garment business must cover original equipment manufacturing (OEM), original-bran manufacturing (OBM) and original-design manufacturing (ODM)," he said.
       The objective of the plan is for garment manufacturing to have sufficien creative manpower and be able develop value-added products in cooperation with related industries.
       The plan is also designed to position Thailand as an Asian texile and garment hub, given that the world community presicts that Asia will become the biggest manufacturing region.
       Garment-marking is one of the 15 targeted pilot industries under the government's Creative Economy scheme. Those industries are hoped to become the Kingdom's engine for sustainable economic growth.
       The garment industry has great potential to achieve creativ emanufacturing as it can respond immediately to the plan in terms of recruitment and income generation, he said.
       The plan puts a priority on encouraging people to hae creativity.
       Thailand should initially host an "international creative award" at the regional level,focusing on Asean and Asia.
       Second, a "creative tour" programme should be arranged to support human resources in the private and publice sectors for both creative and related personnel such as those in accounting. The plan will finetune those groups to have the same idea on creation.
       "We should allow them(both creative and related officers) to go on a trip to visit exhibitions and museums abroad to let them exchange ideas on what they see and think of,"Yotsaton said.
       A World Creative Conferendce should be arranged not only to provide more inspiration but also brainstorm ideas and transfer knowledge.
       Thailand should focus on research and development both in raw materials and localwisdom. For instance, natural fibres from plants such as bamboo and bananas should be developed further to differentiate Thai goods.
       The establishment of a creative centre in plants is a must practice to ensure OEM,OBM and ODM development. Experts should be hired to transfer both techniques and knowledge.
       The marketing channel should be directed at creating the right marketplace for the right products.
       New brand creation should be encouraged to gain market access. The association will emphasise a single brand and umbrella brand strategy. The umbrella brand calls for a concept store to foster collaboration with many related products.
       "The concept store will encourage entrepreneurs to export as a group of companies instead of a company,Yotsaton said.
       Thailand should organise activities that boost its image as a creative manufacturer and exporter. All manufacturers should cooperate closely to put together the plan.
       All of those projects should be continuously worked on, while the creative economy should be expanded into educational institutions to encourage people to use more imagination.

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER IRVING PENN DIES AT 92

2009-10-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

       Influential fashion photographer Irving Penn, known for his elegant, minimalist portraits, died Wednesday. He was 92.
       Penn was long associated with Vogue magazine, where he first began working in the 1940s and won renown for his calm, classical compositions.
       He died at home in New York, said a representative for Pace/MacGill Gallery, which represents Penn's work.
       Although he was most famous for photographs of glamorous models - including a black-and-white, nude Gisele Bundchen - he brought the same graceful simplicity and accuracy to pictures of Peruvian peasants or New Guinea tribesmen.
       "Instead of spontaneity, Mr Penn Provided the illusion of a seance, his gaze precisely describing the profile of a Balenciaga coat or of a Moroccan djellaba in a way that could almost mesmerize the viewer," The New York Times said in an obituary.
       "Nothing escaped the edges of his photographs unless he commanded it."
       His photographs regularly fetch tens of thousands of dollars under the hammer. An auction scheduled at Christie's in New York on Thursday was to feature some 15 prints by Penn.

HERMES ASKS "ANYONE FOR TENNIS?" WHILE KENZO HEADS FOR THE DESERT

2009-10-11T00:17:00.000-07:00

       Jean-Paul Gaultier turned the runway into a tennis court on Wednesday for his spring-summer 2010 collection for the luxury brand Hermes as the Paris ready-to-wear week drew to an end.
       Despite their sweatbands, his languid girls did not look as if they intended to even perspire in their elegant cream knife-pleated skirts, which came in all lengths, from short and flippy from a dropped waistline to ankle-brushing maxis fastened like kilts.
       Think Suzanne Lenglen, the graceful French tennis superstar of the 1920s, rather than today's muscular, grunting athletes. Models wore long-line jeackets, with sleeves dangling free, or had stripy cardigans knotted at their waists, and toted streamlined sports bags with racquets poking out.
       Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton also gave a sporty twist to his luxury-ed streetwear with cyclists' shorts in silver lame, micro-mini dresses over leggings cropped at the knee and fringed denim jackets in shades of orange. Tweedy suit jackets with big pockets and others with elasticated waists were paired with military-styled pants.
       His favourite accessory was the backpack, which came adorned with furry animal tails, or was even incorporated into a denim jacket.
       "We decided to do something real and look at the clothes people wear in the street and in urban landscapes, things like army clothes, utilitarian clothes, jeans, parkas and wind breakers," Jacobs says. "And then, of course, we heightened it to a place where it became entertaining for all, which is what fashion is all about."
       For his spring-summer collection, Kenzo's Antonio Marras imagined a trip to the Sahara. Models wafted around airy sarouels, mixing stripes and squares, or in a delicate mosaic print, in browns and blues on brilliant white, all fluttering ties and obi sashes. Military-styled khaki jackets with epaulettes and drawstring hems and trenchcoats with rough rope belts, looked practical for a sandstorm.
       His finale of sarouels and turbans in vibrant shades of turquoise, purple and magenta evoked the traditional costumes of nomadic tribes like the Touaregs.
       At Chloe, British designer Hannah McGibbon imagined today's nomadic woman roaming the world in comfortable trousers, shirt and rustic sandals, keeping out the wind with a cape or poncho.
       Jumpsuits and shorts with big pockets, coats with leather detailing, were staples in her relaxed wardrobe in shades of white, earth and khaki.

Designer Yamamoto goes bankrupt

2009-10-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

       Yohji Yamamoto Inc, a fashion house famous for its austere black designer clothes, filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday, a victim of slumping sales as Japanese women turn to cheaper casual outfits during a prolonged economic downturn.
       The company's debts total six billion yen ($67 million), exceeding its assets,but under Japan's corporate rehabilitation law the designer house will continue to operate at home and abroad."Founder and designer Yohji Yamamoto will continue to work," the company said.
       The bankruptcy filing reflects hard economic times in Japan. Normally fashion conscious Japanese women have turned to cheaper casual clothes amid the economic slump. In contrast to strug-gling high-end fashion houses like Yamamoto, demand for low-cost clothes is booming in Japan.
       Along with Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons,Yamamoto shook up the fashion world in the 1980s with his black and white minimalist dresses.
       When Yamamoto first showed his designs in Paris in 1981, he was met with stares of incomprehension. A decade later, they had become a uniform for the fashion community. Yamamoto is also known for his signature draping or simple cutting. The designer has also branched out into couture-style clothes for women and has collaborated with Japanese director Takeshi Kitano, designing costumes for his films.

NANOTECH TO GIVE THAI SILK IMPROVED QUALITIES

2009-10-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

       The project, which envisages giving the fabrics water-repellant, fire-retardant and anti-bacterial qualities, among others, is a collaborative effort between the National Nanotechnology Centre (Nanotec) and the Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand (Sacict).
       In official terms, it is a pilot project using nanotechnology to support local wisdom by adding value to traditional products. Nanotechnology involves the study and control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale.
       National Nanotechnology Centre director Sirirurg Songsivilai said the project was aimed at adding value to Thai silk and hand-woven cotton fabrics by coating them with nanoparticles to impart new qualities. These include an ability to repel water, retard fire and repel bacteria.
       The project is also cooperating with a private organisation, Thanapaisan, which has developed nanofilaments to achieve the encapsulation of fragrance as well as the anti-bacterial, water-repellent and fire-retardant qualities and combinations of these qualities, he said.
       Nanotec is now using nanoparticle technology to encapsulate fabrics in order to produce cloth with a rose, lemon or lavender fragrance.
       Sirirurg said the project sought not only to create value-added fabrics for the textile industry, but also for the furniture industry.
       There are also plans to develop a nanoresin coating technique to improve Thai silk by giving it "easy care" or "wrinkle-free" qualities.
       "Nanotec hopes to help Sacict to build up a network of support among different industries producing and selling local arts and crafts. It is able to apply new technologies to create techniques initiated by local wisdom for the sustainable development of Thailand," he said.
       Moreover, Nanotec plans to set up a pilot bi-component textile plant next year to explore production processes. The centre believes nanotechnology will not only add value to local products, but enhance the productivity of local communities and lift the quality of their fabrics.
       "We are not seeking to change the way of life for local people, but to use technology to provide and increase their quality of life, since Sacict will be able to expand their customer and market bases," Sirirurg said.
       Nanotec also plans in the near future to use nanotechnology to due fabrics by using natural colours, thereby increasing the special qualities of local fabrics such as cotton and silk.

Sun rising again for Asian firms

2009-10-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

       Asian textiles, once considered a fading industry, are now showing strong growth prospects thanks to technology and demand from expanding middle classes, a leading industry player says.
       Known in the past for back-alley shops churning out cheap material, many Asian firms are shedding their sweatshop image as they move to compete in the global market, said Paul Hulme, president of Huntsman Textile Effects (HTE).
       Stricter environmental standards required by Western countries are also prompting consolidation and innovation in the industry, said Hulme, whose firm is one of the world's top suppliers of textile dyes and chemicals.
       It moved its headquarters from Basel,Switzerland to Singapore in March to be closer to its Asian customer base.
       "These sweatshops and poor facilities - that is changing," said Hulme.
       "When I visit our customers, I'm impressed with the facilities in terms of the equipment, in terms of the housekeeping standards and the way they treat their employees," he said.
       "I would not pretend that sweatshops don't exist and I'm sure you can go to parts of India and China where that very much is the case.... But I think that image will change."
       A key driver for the industry's modernisation is Asia's growing middle class,whose clothing tastes are becoming more sophisticated.
       Hulme said the global textile dyes and chemicals market is worth US$16 billion, and Asia accounts for 45% of total consumption, much of it destined for export markets outside the region.
       One year after the global financial crisis exploded, Asian economies are rebounding faster than the West, boosting the textile industry's hopes.
       The Asian Development Bank recently upgraded its forecast for the region's 2009 economic growth to 3.9%. China is forecast to grow 8.2% this year and 8.9%in 2010.
       "Customer taste and demand is changing. For example, as you go into the provinces in China, spending power is increasing," said Hulme.
       "In this business, the future is in Asia.It's going to be driven from Asia, not from Europe and America," he said."You've got to be part of the region."
       China, Bangladesh and India are the world's top textile producers and are also major consumers. Pakistan and Southeast Asia are important and growing players as well.
       HTE is moving to further gain market share after sales totalled $1 billion in 2008.
       The company's patented products give fabrics used in clothing and industrial materials, such as car seats and garden parasols, special properties like sharper,deeper and more lasting colours.
       They can also make clothing resistant to ultra-violet rays and easier to wash,requiring less use of environmentally polluting detergents.
       "We supply the colours and also the special effects," said Rohit Aggarwal,global vice president for apparel and home textiles at HTE."Some are wrinklefree, some are very soft."
       Holding up a China-made T-shirt,Aggarwal said:"This one uses a chemical that allows the fabric to breathe. The sweat doesn't come out, but you still get fresh air going into your body."
       Apart from apparel, a major driver for the industry is demand for "technical textiles" or fabrics used in cars, mattress covers, bags, tents and parachutes,among others, Hulme said.
       Car fabrics that do not fade easily even in extreme heat enhance the vehicle's resale value, and there is rising demand for fire-resistant materials in the construction sector as well, he said.
       In the medical field, chemicals are incorporated in surgeons' gowns to repel blood and dirt, raising the hygiene level.
       HTE spends about 4% of its total annual sales for research and development, according to Hulme.
       Its dye production is carried out in facilities in India, Thailand, China, Switzerland and Mexico. Textile chemicals are produced from factories in Germany and China.
       As Asia's spending power rises,"people want to buy different products and that's going to lead to the development of a whole new market for technical textiles which didn't exist before," said Hulme.
       The market for technical textiles is likely to grow by 20% per year over the next decade, he said, urging Asian firms to ride the growth by moving up to higher value-added products.

HOW HAVAIANAS GOT A STRONG FOOTHOLD

2009-10-06T20:28:00.001-07:00

       Havaianas looks like a fairly basic holiday sandal: a rubber sole, two straps and a range of bright colours. But this simple Brazilian shoe has emerged as a global brand - and one that is likely to herald the arrival of many other emergent brands from the "new world", where entrepreneurs in countries such as China, India, Argentina and South Africa are developing plans for brands that they hope will rival names such as Nike and IBM.
       As the world gets smaller, thanks to the Internet and other communication innovations, consumers are always in search of great novelties. Consequently, it's only natural for us to look at Brazil, a country with formidable growth potential, a great culture and plenty of hungry entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in this new world. Given the size of the country, its economic and business potential, any good marketing professional should be curious about what is happening there. The Havaianas is case in point.
       At the beginning of the 20th century, Scotsman Robert Fraser arrived in Brazil and began manufacturing flip flops based on the traditional zori sandals brought to the country by Japanese immigrants. By 1958 he had developed the rubber version known as Havaianas - a name that he trademarked in 1962.
       The design of the shoe was basic and it was available only in a limited range of colours, but what it lacked in variety it more than made up in strength, durability, comfort and price. Within a year it was so popular with working Brazilians that Fraser's Alpargatas company was making more than 13,000 pairs every day; it was even part of the basket of staples that the Brazilian government used to calculate the increase in the cost of living. At the same time, tourists were packing the unique, colourful sandals, which they identified with their Brazilian holidays, into their suitcases and taking them home.
       However, sales slowed in the 1980s and in 1994 Alpargatas' management decided to reposition the brand as a fashion item. It added more colours and launched an advertising campaign showing celebrities wearing the shoes in an effort to appeal to middle-class buyers rather than being associated simply with working-class people. As the shoes were taken up by opinion leaders and stars such as Jennifer Aniston and surf champion Kelly Slater, it became socially acceptable to wear them in an ever-wider variety of circumstances. They even appeared on the runway during a John Paul Gaultier show and in the gift bags received by actors at the 2003 Oscars.
       The free publicity generated by international stars adopting Havaianas helped fuel the company's expansion into overseas markets. What had begun almost as a word-of-mouth expansion was given more structure and backed by aspirational advertising campaigns. Marketers were also very careful to adapt campaigns to the country. For example, when promoting the sandals to college students in the US, they maintained authenticity by not over-promoting the product, as this would have seen it lose its "cool" edge in this demographic. And in France the big export hit started during the 1998 Fifa World Cup but really took off when the French importer started to position the brand in the luxury market alongside leading designers such as Lacoste, Gaultier and John Galliano of Dior.
       However, at the centre of Havaianas' success was the formula used by most other successful new brands, wherever they are based: a dedicated, persistent and committed group of people created an innovative product that is genuinely meaningful for customers. They maintained a clear focus on that product and, thanks to the company's size, were also able to be more flexible than established competitors. Additionally, they worked to exploit their competitive formula in as many markets as possible and as fast as possible, making it harder for competitors to get a foothold.
       For a brand like Havaianas, the challenge will remain to be creative enough to bring exciting new products to the market while avoiding the complacency that sometimes follows success. Being relevant to consumers, being innovative and being better than the competition remains the old, the current and the future challenge of all companies around the world who want to survive and prosper, whether they originate in the old world or the new.

       Prof Dominique Turpin is IMD's director of the international seminar for top executives. IMD is a leading business school in Switzerland (www.imd.ch).

Italy's Geox puts best foot forward in Asia

2009-10-06T20:27:00.001-07:00

       Geox, the Italian footwear brand known internationally for shoes that "breathe",expects to double sales in Asia Pacific next year with the Thai operation a part of the growth.
       The business of Geox has grown very well in Asia when compared with other parts of the world, particularly the US,where the recession has curbed demand,said Mario Moretti Polegato, the president of Geox.
       In 2008, the company sold 20 million pairs of Geox shoes worldwide. Of the total,36.2% came from Italy,46% from the rest of Europe, while North America contributed 5.9% and the rest of the world 11.9%. Only 3% came from Asia.
       But the company expects Asia's share will rise to 5% this year and double in 2010. It intends to achieve its goal with the launch of new product lines, new marketing and store concepts. The company sees huge potential in Asia because the number of middle-income customers is expanding, along with improvements in quality of life and the size of Asia's population.
       "We entered the footwear market only 14 years ago but have become one of the leaders in this sector and rank second in the worldwide market. There is a huge market potential for our young Geox brand to expand in the future," Mr Polegato said.
       The success of Geox rests on the technology of the shoe that breathes but also Italian know-how, style and design.
       "The economic downturn will benefit Geox because in these tough times, customers will look for quality products with fashion and comfort content," he said, adding that the company had international patents that protected it in more than 100 countries.
       Mr Polegato said the company believed in the potential of Thailand, the first country Geox chose when it first entered Asia.
       Thai customers have good taste and Italian fashion brands are among their favourites item, he said, adding that the breathable shoes were also very suitable for Thailand's climate.
       AA Footwear Co Ltd is the distributor and producer of Geox in the Thai market.The Italian company has also hired a subsidiary of Saha Group, one of the country's largest footwear and consumer product manufacturers, to produce some Geox shoe models for export. Mr Polegato did not disclose the quantity ordered from Saha Group.
       "Though there are political problem,we are optimistic about Thailand, where the demand comes from both local people and tourists. Political problems take place in every country, even Italy. But we are confident we will continue our businesses," he said.
       The company plans to open 150 new Geox shops this year, down from 245 opened in 2008.
       Geox had net sales worldwide of 892.5 million last year. Its net sales were 482.9 million in the first half of this year and full-year sales are expected to be on par with last year because of the poor global economy.

Rising middle class revives Asian textiles

2009-10-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

       Asian textiles, once considered a fading industry, are now showing strong growth prospects thanks to technology and demand from expanding middle classes, a leading industry player said.
       Known in the past for back-alley shops churning out cheap material, many Asian firms are shedding their sweatshop image as they move to compete in the global market, said Paul Hulme, president of Huntsman Textile Effects(HTE).
       Stricter environmental standards required by Western countries are also prompting consolidation and innovation in the industry, said Hulme, whose firm is one of the world's top suppliers of textile dyes and chemicals. It moved its headquarters from Basel, Switzerland to Singapore in March to be closer to its Asian customer base.
       "These sweatshops and poor facilities - that is changing," Hulme said in an interview at the company's corporate offices overlooking Singapore's central business district.
       "When I visit our customers, I's impressed with the facilities in terms of the equipment, in terms of the housekeeping standards and the way they treat their employees," he said.
       "I would not pretend that sweat-shops don't exist and I'm sure you can go to parts of India and China where that very much is the case... But I think that image will change."
       A key driver for the industry's modernisation is Asia's growing middle class, whose clothing tastes are becoming more sophisticated.
       Hulme said the global textile dyes and chemicals market is worth US$16 billion(Bt136 billion), and Asia accounts for some 45 per cent of the total consumption, much of it destined for export markets outside the region.
       One year after the global financial crisis exploded, Asian economies are rebounding faster than the West, boosting the textile industry's hopes.
       "The market is changing, customer taste and demand is changing. For example, as you go into the provinces in China, the spending power is increasing," said Hulme.
       "In this business, the future is in Asia. It's going to be driven from Asia, not from Europe and America," said Hulme. "You've got to be part of the region."
       China, Bangladesh and India are the world's top textile producers and are also major consumers. Pakistan and Southeast Asia are important and growing players as well.
       Apart from apparel, a major driver for the industry is demand for "technical textiles" or fabrics used in cars, mattress covers, bags, tents and parachutes, among others, Hulme said.
       Car fabrics that do not fade easily even in extreme heat enhance the vehicle's resale value, and there is rising demand for fire-resistant materials in the construction sector as well, he said.
       In the medical field, chemicals are incorporated in surgeons' gowns to repel blood and dirt, raising the hygiene level.
       As Asia's spending power rises, "people want to buy different products and that's going to lead to the development of a whole new market for technical textiles which didn't exist before," said Hulme.

FOOTWEAR-MAKER GEOX EXPECTS ASIAN SALES CONTRIBUTION TO DOUBLE NEXT YEAR

2009-10-06T20:24:00.001-07:00

       Italian footwear-maker Geox expects Asian sales to double to 10 per cent of global turnover next year thanks to rapid growth in the region compared with markets like the US and Europe.
       Aldo Somaini, managing director, Geox Asia Pacific, said last week that the Asian market's contribution in terms of sales so far this year was 5 per cent.
       Geox last year sold more than 20 million pairs of shoes. It expects to maintain that number in 2009.
       Somaini said Geox was very confident that the contribution from Asia would double to 10 per cent next year because it believed that Asian consumers trust that the Geox brand will give them value for money. The company also plans to add stores in major shopping centres across the region.
       Geox shoes are ranked second in the Asian market in terms of sales.
       Company president Mario Moretti Polegato said last week that the Asia market so far this year showed better growth than the US and some European countries. The US had the highest sales drop.
       However, Polegato, who was recently ranked Italy's sixth-richest person by Forbes magazine, does not have a special marketing plan for emerging Asian markets, believing that sales in its major destinations will recover in line with the global economic situation. "We see an opportunity in Asian countries such as China. We have 120 shops in that country, and we also sell Geox in 7,000 shops there run by local partners. We expect to increase the number of shops in China," he said.
       Geox plans to increase the number of its shops by 150 locations around the world this year. It has so far opened 14 in Asia.
       Polegato said Thailand had been an important market for Geox since becoming the first country in Asia to introduce the brand 11 years ago. Thailand is also one of the two countries authorised by Geox to produce shoes for the domestic market. The other country is Japan.
       Jane Chongsatitwatana, assistant president, AA Footwear - the distributor of Geox in Thailand - said Geox's sales in the Thai market had increased by 3 per cent so far this year, over the same period last year. The company expects the number to climb to 10 per cent by year-end.

MIYAKE'S PLEATS PLEASE COLLECTION SPREADS THE WINTER CHEER

2009-10-06T20:23:00.001-07:00

       Issey Miyake has some honenstly vivid colours in his Pleats Please autumn-winter collection,which has arrived at the Siam Discovery Centre after after bouncing eyebrows around in Paris, London,New York and Milan.
       Club 21,the line's distributor,unveiled the collection last Friday with the focus on with hopes,dreams and the bravery to fly freely,as symbolised in hi5 choice of prints,shapes,textiles and techniques.
       Vivid orange,parking lime,bright yellow,shocking pink and ocean blue are dominant, though black, grey and beige maintained a classic presence.
       The designs are minimal,smart and chic.
       The "Colourfulness"line boasts the bold and overlapping shades of a speed racer and the vivid colours of a hang glider.Diagonal lines convey vibrancy,and natural gradations and a generous use of fabric make the series comfortable to wear.
       Caasual outfits in plain hues include knee-length pants and skirts,loose trousers,angle-jumped pants,sleeveless blouscs,tank tops,shirts,coats and jackets with hoods.
       The dresses get colourful graphic prints for extra elegance.All of this is given added impact thanks to unconventional techniques in the cutting and sewing,which are completed before the pressing rather than after.
       The possibilities for mixing and matching seem endless-shirts can even be worn upside down.A bright-yellow sleeveless blouse teams with a vivid orange skirt,a purple scarf with red stockkings.An ocean-blue blouse and matching trousers look great with multicoloured jackets.
       The pressing methodology and an unusual silhouette add volume to the series "Fluffy Pleats","Flying Discus"and ""Tulle Dance",all of which use lightweight cloth.
       Inspired by kites and bllons, Miyake prints them on the back of his dresses to carry the wearer aloft.
       His scarf is an artwork,with volume and multiple functions.It can tie over a tank top as a belt,wrap the head or double for jewellery.
       The bags range from balloon bags made of waterproof canvas to basket-like bags of small,two-tone polyester plates.

Indonesians told to celebrate batik "victory"

2009-10-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

       Indonesia's president is pressing the country's 234 million people to wear batik clothes to celebrate a triumph over neighbour Malaysia in a poisonous feud over cultural heritage.
       The UN cultural organisation Unesco is set this week to add Indonesia's method of making the cloth - through a laborious process of wax-dipping and dyeing to its list of the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage.
       President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed Indonesians to celebrate the day the decision becomes official,tomorrow, by donning their best shirts,dresses, blouses and sarongs made from the material.
       "I urge Indonesians wherever they are to wear batik on Oct 2," Mr Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara.
       Mr Yudhoyono said the country should have a "batik party" to let the world know that the artform comes from Indonesia.
       Many Indonesians say the use of batik techniques and motifs by Malaysians is outright plagiarism.

Sophisticated urban

2009-10-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

       World leading Swiss fashion brand Bally introduces its Autumn/Winter 2009 collection for both men and women under Brian Atwood, the brand's creative director.
       According to Atwood, the women's collection was inspired by Helmut Newton's iconic portraits of Charlotte Rampling and Bianca Jagger.
       "I am constantly mesmerised by his ability to create luxury out of simplicity. Taking this inspiration as a starting point, I wanted to create a collection that captures the excitement, energy and creativity of urban life," he said.
       The women's collection highlights a rich palette of colours and textures, with metallic accents. A delicate yet graphic floral print was created in devore. Both in black and a hand-painted burst of colour, this fabric then carries across the collection, including shoes, accessories and readyto-wear.
       A very graphic, slightly gothic lace has also been created in gold metal; heels, platforms,bags and jewellery featuring this gives the entire range an elegant edge. In addition, a few elements were plucked from different eras such as the Arabian influence of the '30s, and the tailored sophistication of the '80s.
       The star shoe of the collection is a classic T-bar Mary-Jane whose heel and platform both have lace patterned gilding and are available in a vast array of colours and materials. Ankle,knee-high and thigh-high stretch suede boots feature a 130mm gold lace 'cage' heel, and giltedged platform.
       For daywear, luxurious satchels in pleated nappa, laminated gold kid, natural and jewel coloured snakeskin, embellished with gold hardware, are chic and effortless. Clutches and minaudiere feature prominently, with cleverly designed interiors.
       The ready-to-wear range has a sophisticated and soft-flowing silhouette. Metallics are threaded throughout the collection to create a certain sparkle: long flowing marabou cardigans are laced together with chain; a patent leather lace jacket has a network of delicate chain holding it together; full draped jackets come in jewel tone wools and animal prints.
       Rich fabrics are gathered and elegantly draped to create a relaxed look. Soft leather turbans,low-cut driving gloves and patchwork lace tights give the looks a daring young finish that is simply urban.
       For men, Brian Atwood has created a collection to capture the tangible energy and creativity of city life."Originally I was concentrating on interpreting a classic tailored look, when I saw an amazing shot of Steve McQueen working on his motorcycle; instantly the collection came together - clean, modern and simply urban," he said.
       Green, grey and black are the statement palette of the collection. Although these are accented with hints of colour, the true core feature is texture. Shoes, bags, belts, jackets, trousers, even motorcycle helmets all are offered in a wide range of textures.
       The shoe collection is sleek, sharp, elegant and ultimately modern. For the main; classic Oxfords, monk strap loafers and Chelsea boots,all come in lustrous, warm colours, finished with stitching details. There are also classic combat boots with chunky zippers.
       The bag collection is simply sophisticated.Clean lines are supported by sumptuous textures,shearling, ostrich, washed python and blanket wool. Key shapes are the elongated document bag and the oversized satchel/shopper.
       The travel collection features purpose-built pieces: trolleys, 24- and 48-hour weekenders,computer cases, a men's shoe carrier, as well as small leather goods. This entire range has clean modern lines with multi-layered, highly-organised compartments including removable pouches to ensure everything is well protected, including laptops.
       The ready-to-wear features an eclectic mix of textures, materials and prints. Here the vest of a traditional 3-piece suit is replaced with finely knit jumpers or cardigans, often in an animal print.
       A hand-tailored jacket is paired with jeans originally inspired by motocross trousers. The traditional suit shirt is replaced with silks and cottons cut pajama style, and completed with a skinny leather tie.RT
       Shoes and bags come in a rich palette of colours and textures, with metallic accents.
       BALLY AUTUMN/WINTER 2009
       The new collection by Brian Atwood,the brand's creative director,captures the excitement,energy and creativity of urban life.

DEMURE IN DENIM

2009-10-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

If you're into jeans, enjoy splurging on new pairs of skinny, straight or bootcut at Levi's shops and Levi's corners in leading department stores and receive some special offers. From now until Oct 31, the American brand is giving away a t-shirt (worth B690) when you buy a pair of jeans and another Levi's product, or buy two pairs of selected denim and get a 25 per cent discount. For more details call Levi's Mega Store 02-613-1466.

Indonesians told to celebrate batik "victory"

2009-10-02T19:45:00.001-07:00

AILING ARMANI BOUNCES BACK WITH UPBEAT SPRING-SUMMER COLLECTION

2009-09-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

       Giorgio Armani presented a bright and upbeat spring-summer 2010 collection at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, an apt response to speculation over succession at his Milan fashion house after the designer's recent illness.
       The normally urban-influenced Armani went for a bright summer look with cheerful hounds-tooth prints and youthful short styles.
       The show opened with loose harem pants paired with cropped tailored jackets, clutches and ankle-strap sandals. The outfits set the tone for the collection, which featured lots of loose-fitting and comfortable peices paired with more structured looks - a bubble skirt and cropped jacket, or loose blousey tops and short pleated skirts.
       Everything was short, even evening wear, which included loose shorts, or sparkly shorts under slightly shorter dresses.
       Deep open V backs were ideal for showing off well-tanned backs, sometimes criss-crossed by strips of fabric.
       Janet Jackson, spending the week in Milan ahead of a charity dinner she is chairing next week, made an appearance a tthe second show,
       A well-tanned Armani, dressed completely in black, waved to the crowd after the show before disappearing backstage.
       "No purchases, no sales," the designer told reporters after the show, answering speculation about succession at the fashion house.
       Armani told Italian media in May that he had been battling hepatitis. Several missed public appearances in the spring and a gaunt appearance at the June menswear shows in Milan had raised concerns about his health. But he has recently said he is feeling well and is winning the battle with the disease.
       Armani, 75, has remained firmly in control of the fashion house he founded, despite speculation over eventual succession.

Co-founder of Gap Inc dies at 81

2009-09-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

       Donald Fisher, who co-founded Gap Inc with his wife Doris forty years ago, died on Sunday after a battle with cancer, the clothing retailer said. He was 81.
       The company that the Fishers began as a little denim store in San Francisco now operates more than 3,100 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom,Canada, France, Japan and Ireland, and it has been credited with inventing the specialty retail category.
       The Fishers opened their first store in San Francisco in 1969, and named it The Gap in reference to the generational differences between baby boomers and their parents.
       When it first opened, the Gap mainly sold Levi's jeans, tapes and records, and it flourished in 1970s as consumers snapped up its denim.
       In 1983, the Gap hired Millard Drexler as president, and he successfully overhauled the retailer's image from a seller of Levi's and other denim brands to one of the most popular private-label apparel brands in US history.
       But in the past decade the retailer
       has stumbled, hurt by aggressive expansion plans, rising competition and fashion missteps. Gap has been working in recent years to overhaul its operations, which now include the chains Donald Fisher Banana Republic,Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta.
       Most recently, the Gap chain launched a major denim campaign, offering jeans with better fits and higher-end styling in hopes of bringing back once-loyal customers who gravitated to more fashionable rivals.
       In 1995, Fisher stepped down as Gap's CEO, and in 2004, he quitted as chairman of the board. He continued to serve as chairman emeritus until his death.
       Fisher was widely recognised for his commitment to philanthropy and the San Francisco Bay community where he was born.
       He also served on the boards of trustees of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This past week the museum announced plans to permanently house the Fisher Collection, one of the world's leading private collections of contemporary art, upon completion of its expansion.
       San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome said Fisher was a "great San Franciscan,a loving husband and father, and a dear friend. His unwavering commitment to our city's arts and civic culture will be remembered for generations to come."
       Fisher is survived by his wife Doris,their three sons and 10 grandchildren.He is also survived by two brothers and their wives, Jim and Diane Fisher and Bob and Ann Fisher.

MELTING POT MAKES LONDON A LEADER IN THE WORLD OF FASHION

2009-09-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

       Londer Fashion Week may be celebrating its 25th birthday this season with a display of Britishness, but the creativity of the city is largely down to the mix of foreign talent that gathers here.
       Half of the designers showing this season are from abroad, hailing from such places as India, Japan, Germany and Greece, brought together by one thing - they all studied here.
       London's fashion schools are among the best in the world, in particular Central St Martins College of Art and Design, which counts Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen among its alumni.
       The foreign talent creates an eclectic mix that ensures London remains the place to see the hottest new designers, from Christopher Kane and Mark Fast to Emilio de la Morena and Bora Aksu.
       At least 50 per cent of the designers - although they are considered to be London designers - they actually come other countries, says Simon Ward, co-executive director of the British Fashion Council.
       "And that's really part of what makes London. It starts with our fashion colleges, which act as a magnet for students from all around the world, because London is a very cosmopolitan city and it's an inspirational place creatively."
       Among London's leading lights this season, Wakako Kishimoto, one half of Eley Kishimoto, is from Japan, Marios Schwab is from Germany, Mary Katrantzou is from Greece, Mark Fast is from Canada and Bora Aksu is from Turkey.
       Likewise, Roksanda Ilincic is from Serbia, Ashish is from India, Eun Jeong is from Korea and Emilio de la Morena is from Spain.
       All of these designers studied at Central St Martins, along with other famous British names such as Matthew Williamson and Antonio Berardi, who both returned to London this season after spells in New York and Paris.
       Berardi epitomises the mix of London fashion. He was born in England but his parents are Sicilian, and he takes inspiration from both.
       "I think the Sicilian part is the very ultra-feminine part, and the British part is the part that is much more tailored and structured, and slightly more aggressive," he says. "But I think the two are the perfect combination for any woman."
       Central St Martins is celebrating its 20th birthday this year, but it has a long history, having been formed by a merger of the Central School of Arts and Crafts, which was founded in 1896, and St Martin's School of Art (1854)
       Its master's degree show was on the official schedule here in February, while Vogue described this summer's BA (Hons) graduate show as "the place to get ahead of the fashion game."
       Both the Royal College of Art and the London College of Fashion can also boast impressive alumni, and the latter on Monday added a new name to its lists following this year's Fashion Fringe award.
       Briton Jenny Holmes and Greece's Dimitris Theocharidis, who met at the London College of Fashion in 2002, won the prestigious prize for their collection under the brand Jena Theo.
       It brings with it vital publicity - the award was announced by Donatella Versace in a star-studded ceremony in London- and funding.
       Their collection was a confident display of trousers, full length and short dresses made of soft, ballooning fabrics in pale blue, grey and peach, reminiscent of old faded Polaroid pictures.

Iconic style transcending generations

2009-09-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

       Leading fashion house Emilio Pucci is presenting its celebrated "Pucci Girl Exhibition" for the first time in Thailand, featuring images of the brand's iconic styles loved by generations of women around the world. The exhibition is now on view every day at Gaysorn shopping centre at Ratchaprasong intersection.
       From silver screen goddess Marilyn Monroe and '60s international film star Sophia Loren to today's most influential leading ladies like Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez, and supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford, Emilio Pucci's style has adorned generations of the world's most highly visible women.
       The images on show consist of a colourful fusion of editorial shots from cutting-edge fashion magazines as well as archive reportage that reflects the brand's vibrant and flamboyant style.
       The core inspiration underpinning the form of the exhibition is the sinuous, geometric outlines of Pucci's iconic Vivara print motif. This captures the spirit of waves of colour in perpetual movement, a reflection of the Mediterranean Sea,from which Pucci drew his inspiration.
       An exhibition backdrop has been created representing "water" and "lightness", elements taken from Mediterranean locations.Transparent or sanded acrylics are used to im-The images on show reflect the brand's iconic styles loved by bue the realised design with a generations of women around the world.sense of lightness. The objective was to produce the most neutral background possible, without going down the obvious route of white minimalism. The overall result is an ethereal, quasi-transparent canvas that ideally complements and showcases the colour palette that Pucci celebrates.
       The Emilio Pucci brand shot into the fashion scene in the 1950s when the founder created a streamlined ski outfit for a friend who was photographed for Harper's Bazaar .The brand soon became synonymous with jet-set glamour, captivating a new generation of modern and active women. In the 1990s, Emilio's daughter, Laudomia Pucci, took over the business, and in April 2000, she formed an alliance between the Pucci family and French luxury group LVMH that continues until today. Peter Dundas is the brand new creative director.
       For the Pucci Fall/Winter 2009-2010 collection, Peter Dundas took his inspiration from the
       noble heritage of the Palio collection (1957), and juxtaposed it with the freedom and ease of today's vibe.
       Mini-dresses in prints that recall iconic pieces of the past have been reworked to seem washed and faded,then teamed with slouchy butter-soft suede pirate boots. Silk jersey dresses have been reinterpreted with matelasse appliques like fragments of prints with long silhouettes in bright colours held up by gourmette chains.
       The strong contrasts can also be seen with black, bottle green and aubergine-coloured dresses that fade into prints and are worn under coats of mohair-patched fur, leather and gold braiding.

Kenzo reveals new season collection

2009-09-24T22:58:00.001-07:00

       Fashion house Kenzo recently hosted a stunning autumn-winter 09/10 runway show at the World Fashion Trends event, held at Siam Paragon's Hall of Mirrors, to an audience of celebrities and exclusive guests.
       Russian icons - from Matryoshka dolls and Doctor Zhivago to ballet dancers - were the inspiration behind the work of Kenzo's Italianborn designer Antonio Marras.
       Bringing out the essence of Russian masculinity on a global runway, Marras's first men's collection is the result of subtle work that contrasts volume with material.

Jeans with character

2009-09-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

       Introducing yet another creative event last week was the global fashion brand, Diesel,in which Thai artists and celebrities alike were invited to express their artistic side on a pair of jeans.
       Entitled "Diesel Denim Tattoo", the event was hosted at Diesel's flagship store at Siam Discovery Centre. Artists Thaweesak "Lolay"Srithongdee and Nadda Thanathan were also present and conducted a workshop for guests,who were invited to reflect on their inner personalities and convey their imaginative designs on a pair of jeans by "tattooing" or painting them on.
       As part of the same event, passers-by who entered through the main entrance were greeted with an exciting installation inspired by Diesel's latest Autumn-Winter 2009 collection.

"GANDHI-CHIC" HITS INDIA'S RUNWAYS AS WESTERN FASHIONS INVADE

2009-09-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

       "Gandhi chic" - wearing hand-woven fabrics championed by India's independence leader - will be on fashion's cutting edge if the be on fashion's cutting edge if the Communist government and leading designers in West Bengal get their way.
       The eastern state, a region famous for its traditional weaves, hosted a fashion show last Saturday night to promote homespun fabrics, or khadi, made famous by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1930s.
       He wore them as a statement of national pride during his struggle against British rule and a new generation is hoping to revive them in a display of "Indian-ness" as Western styles make ever-deeper inroads here.
       "The show reflects a new trend. Indian youths are taking its as new fashion," said Tajas Gandhi, a well-known local designer who is not related to the Mahatma.
       Tajas, 32, who paraded his collection at Kolkata Fashion Week earlier this month, was a guest of honour at the event in a newly-constructed fairground near a five-star hotel in central Kolkata.
       The vibrant fabrics on display were a far cry from the modest, plain cloth worn by Mahatma Gandhi, but the principle of supporting village skills remains the same.
       Other leading Bengali designers such as Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who has dressed leading ladies in Bollywood, have been promoting homespun fabrics as a unique Indian look.
       "It's a show with an Indian soul. Hand-woven fabrics are set to hit the international market."
       For the state's Communist rulers, showcasing the fabrics is an important way of sustaining jobs.
       "The government is promoting 'Gandhi chic' to rejuvenate the hand-woven cotton and silk industry in the state, where unemployment is growing," said West Bengal small cottage industries minister Mamabendra Mukherjee as the show kicked off.
       Thousands of people thronged the venue to watch the show, which featured well-known film stars and actors in this city of nearly 14 million people.
       "It's not a revolution, but the show has swept the heart of the people," said Mohammed Salim, chairman of the government-run khadi and village industries commission, which organised the show.
       Most of the fabrics are woven on handlooms at villages in rural Bengal using wooden wheels.
       The glamour and glitz of the catwalk is a far cry from the existence of many of the weavens, who often live in abject poverty in villages, dependent on money lenders who give them loans and raw materials.
       Demand for hand-woven fabrics has suffered over the last few decades as synthetics swamped the market. But Bengali designers say new styles and bright shades are increasingly attracting young people.
       "We know weavers are in a sorry state. They don't get what they deserve. We are trying to improve their condition," added Salim.
       Wearing red-bordered white cotton saris, one of West Bengal's best-known film actresses Locket Chatterjee was one of the stars of the event as she strode down the catwalk.
       Other models displayed mixed Indo-Western designs, with red, green and black shades in handspun silk.
       "Designers have tried to give a new look to the hand-woven fabrics said designer Lima Dev.
       "We have tried to use the show to change that outlook," he said.

ALL TO LONDON AT HIS FEET

2009-09-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

       British designer Matthew Williamson made his hotly anticipated return to London Fashion Week on September 6, injecting some serious glamour into the event as it celebrated its 25th anniversary.
       His spring-summer 2010 collection was typically colourful, ranging from grey to florescent pink and enhanced by intricate beading, metallic fabrics and shards of mirrors that created a strong, sexy, sophisticated look.
       After years of showing in New York, the return of the Manchester-born designer caused huge excitement in London - even if it still isn't clear whether this heralds a new commitment to the city that made his name.
       "It's great that he's coming back to London," his friend Twiggy said ahead of the show. "I wish they would all come back to London - that's where they originated, that's where they trained."
       "I love him," the celebrated 1960s model said of Williamson. "He's gorgeous. I think his clothes are wonderful because they're so feminine, and I love his bright colours.
       "Often fashion shows are all black and grey and cream, and then you come to Matthew and it's like, 'Ooh!'"
       Williamso is one of a number of big designers back for the 25th anniversary celebrations, others being Antonio Berardi, Pringle of Scotland, Burberry Prorsum and Jonathan Saunders.
       Their presence was a major boost for the six-day event, which has in the past struggled to be heard among the fashion-week big guns of Paris, New York and Milan.
       The London week saw some magical shows, notably from Italian-born Kinder Aggugini, who built on years of designing for Versace, John Galliano and Calvin Klein to create a truly beautiful solo collection.
       But the attraction of having a designer like Williamson, who counts Sienna Miller, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss among his clients, was undeniable.
       And he didn't disappoint this month, kick-starting his show with a beaded metallic linen dress matched with a stone leather jacket, followed by a gold beaded jacket and high-waist, metallic shorts.
       The metallic theme dominated, with his crushed metallic skirts married with bodies adorned with shards of mirrors, and a crushed metallic parka over a silk chiffon shirt- bold outfits for strong women.
       And there were jewels everywhere, from black beaded hotpants paired with a brightly printed swimsuit to intricate green and stone-beaded cocktail dresses, and a soft grey leather jacket with gold beads on the shoulders.
       "I liked the way he moved forward from that sort of boho [bohemian] look to a much more body conscious, more sophisticated but still very sexy look," said Daily Telegraph fashion editor Hilary Alexander.
       "A lot of it was inspired by sea urchins, hence all that rather spiky embroidery. I thought the colour combinations were beautiful.
       "But this is what we want from Matthew, we want colour and excitement - and he never fails to deliver."
       Williamson was in London in 2007 for a one-off show featuring a surprise performance by pop star Prince to celebrate 10 years since he set up his design house there. But for the past seven years he's been a regular in New York.

CLOTHES FOR ALL SEASONS

2009-09-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

       New York Fashion Week thinks of spring - and every other time of year
       The styles shown over the eight days of New York Fashion Week were meant for next spring - not that you'd know it.
       The collections in previews that wrapped up last Thursday were more covered-up than usual. Leather, suede, long sleeves and black were all over the runways.
       There were nods to the season - leather was lightened up to be more luxurious and buttery than the rock-star looks in stores for autumn, often in caramels, yellow, silver or white.
       Proenza Schouler showed a leather mesh style, similar to the material golfers use for their gloves.
       But the clothes speak to the idea of seasonless dressing, which is all the buzz among retailers since the temperate-zone weather - and the economy - are so unpredictable.
       RALH LAUREN
       Basic means something else when you're Ralph Lauren. It means silver-sequined slashed jeans, organza "work-shirt" dresses and even a metallic blue-lame gown with all the trademark details of coveralls.
       Lauren, who embodies the classic American sportswear look, said he wanted to craft spring-season clothes that reflected America's "resilient spirit" - and its work ethic.
       The simplest looks on the catwalk, which was lined with the Lauren clan and Janet Jackson, were the floral dresses that featured sweet, delicate floral prints reminiscent of those farm wives wore in the 1930s.
       Denim was more dominant than usual, with silhouettes ranging from a tailored, suit-style jacket to rolled-ankle work jeans.
       The real highlights were the outfits that somehow seamlessly mixed the two worlds of luxury and the Everywoman, like a pink gauze gown with silver embroidery worn with an indigo-coloured striped jacket.
       ISAAC MIZRAHI
       Forget clothes for a minute: Isaac Mizrahi knows how to put on a show.
       With a rain spray, wind machine, spotlights and a staircase incorporated into his catwalk, Mizrahi even sent out one model in a golf cart wearing a black-sequin shorts suit - and a whitte top hat, of course.
       The eveningwear is what sparkled: A strapless black cocktail dress with a giant white rose on the bust line, and a fluted gown covered in black lace and tufts of tulle, both captured classic Mizrahi and his theme of a retro country club.
       Mizrahi also needs a fix of kookiness, though, and this go around he accomplished that with an iridescent lava-lamp-fringe coat. He always sends off his audience with a smile.
       PROENZA SCHOULER
       Feathers or tinsel? Take your pick from the Proenza Schouler runway.
       The design duo of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez had plenty to keep the fashion flock - including Leighton Meester and Courtney Love - buzzing. The first set of skirts and dresses had the jacket-tied-around-the-waist look with the silhouettes permanently fixed with zippers and buttoms on the backside.
       Skirts were often paired with navy tailored jackets with very sculptured shoulders, an evolution of a current trend.
       Next up were short shift dresses that alternated feathers and tinsel at the hemline. Some had a feather print to boot, others had a variety of prints that looked like tropical fish or reptiles in unexpected and brighter-than-normal colours for this label.
       Then came the lingerie-inspired cocktail dresses, some with bra tops and cut-out midriffs - another Fashion Week trend - and tiers of mini-ruffles as the skirt.
       ANNA SUI
       It took some guts to put band-majorette hats on the runway, but the glory in the faces of a clearly entertained audience must have made it worthwhile for Anna Sui.
       The bouncy, youthful dresses in the spring collection Sui presented were born from the designer's love of the 1967 movie "Doctor Dolittle". The Victorian circus was the most inspriational part of the film, she said, That came through in bow blouses, and cropped-pants and shorts suits, albeit shrunken ones.
       A handful of preppy, cable-knit, tennis-sweater looks didn't seem to quite fit the theme, but they were cute anyway.
       Anyone who follows Sui's look knows she is a bit of a '60s junkie - it came through this season in modshaped shift dresses and psychedelic colours, especially purples, yellows, greens and turquoise blue.
       Most of the outfits captured the optimistic vibe that Sui said she thinks the industry - and consumers - are ready for now.
       MARCHESA
       Marchesa turned out some real showstoppers, dresses tailor-made for the label's red-carpet fans.
       The greatest feat was a black-and-white duchess satin strapless grown folded like a fan in the front and with a fully laser-cut skirt.
       Designer Georgina Chapman said the late Anthony Minghella's production of "Madame Butterfly" served as her inspiration. "The music is so beautiful. I listened to it recently and though about now feminine and fragile it was, and that it was about love."
       The Asian aesthetic was carried throughout most of the collection, including an oyster-hued, hand-painted floral obi coat and an embroidered obi jacket, worn with black evening shorts. Chapman also played with some sheer fabrics, often in a nude tone, which ended up a game of strategic peek-a-boo.
       Unfortunately, if you're not in Oscar-nominated actress, there might not be many occasions to wear any of the dresses.

JIM THOMPSON CAMPAIGNS TO SAVE SILK FARMS

2009-09-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

       In a small village in Nong Sang district, middle aged women cultivate silkworms, once a prized industry in the Northeast.
       "Thirty years ago, almost every home in the Northeast weave silk. Today, there are only a few thousand households that are actively producing it," says Thongchai Popaibul, a purchasing manager for Thai Silk Company, the maker of Jim Thompson silk products.
       This proud culture is in danger of disappearing, he warned.
       "Most young men and women here go to the cities to find work, leaving the elderly to tend the farms," Thongchai said.
       "This trend is true of most provinces, including nearby Khon Kaen and Mukdahan."
       There is none of the hustle and bustle of big cities in Nong Sang, only the barking of small terriers and other toy dogs, some of the few visible imports from Bangkok.
       The farmers here cultivate rice, apparent by the vast fields of paddy that surround the small village.
       But there are also patches of mulberry, the essential food of skillsworms, proof the cottage industry still has legs.
       Thongchai, 48, is a veteran buyer of raw silk, which the company depends on for its Bt1-billion global business.
       In a push to secure more farmers to cultivate the traditional crop, the Jim Thompson Group supports contract-farming schemes to provide additional incomes for farmers.
       The programme enables increased earnings and serves as a safety net when price volatility disrupts the market.
       "Silk is one of the more profitable industries in Thailand. Farmers do not need to spend a huge sum of money on machinery and other expensive equipment," Thongchai said.
       There is also no need to bear the cost of high electricity bills. Much of the work is performed by manual labour.
       "All they need is minimum 2-rai plot of land and hard work to make sure the silkworms are properly fed," Thongchai said.
       Once the cocoons are ready, they are boileld for the silk or sold to the company to complete the process, which takes no more than 26 days.
       Sirirat Rattanakajorn, another executive of the silk company, said the industry needed protection.
       Dwindling supplies in recent years have forced the company to buy from foreign suppliers.
       "Our silk programme in the Northeast is part of our corporate-social-responsibility initiative to promote and revive the industry," she says.
       To ensure high-quality silk output, the firm assigns supervisors to visit the farms and assist the producers.
       In Khon Kaen, a 90-minute drive away, another manager, Chatchai Puliwakin, 57, buys bales of silk at the company's branch.
       "This may seem like a busy time for us, but its actually quite slow compared with the long queues we had 30 years ago."
       The shop, located across from the main bus terminal, was chosen so that farmers coming in could trade conveniently without having to commute long distances.
       The shop is known for its fairness in the purely cash business.
       Originally from Bangkok, Chatchai said he preferred life in Khon Kaen.
       "I was 27 when I came here. Its amazing how the years slip away so quickly," he said." "Khon Kaen was Jim Thompson's first upcountry branch. This is still the centre for silk traders. Even the best weaves from Surin come here for supplies."
       Today, the company is buiding a replica of silk communities in neigh-bouring Nakhon Ratchasima as part of a cultural park for tourists.
       "So much has changed in the last 15 years that most of the wooden homes of farmers are gone," Chatchai said.
       "We had to search for these old homes and transport them to Nakohn Ratchasima to be reassembled. Most farmers now live in brick houses."
       He said there was a need to preserve the romantic setting, in order to remind future generations of the rich heritage that was almost lost in our mad rush to modernise.

Technology helps shift fashion sales power base

2009-09-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

       The Internet and advances in technology are transforming fashion,making it easier for designers to create collections and less expensive for them to show and sell their work, experts say.
       Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a runway show at New York Fashion Week, some designers presented collections for spring and summer 2010 online, while others are expanding the reach of their brand by making it easier for shoppers to buy their clothes online.
       Designer Norma Kamali and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp's Rugby brand both have applications for Apple Inc's iPhone that allows shoppers to buy clothes from their phone.
       "This is the technology that's changing our lives," said Kamali, who displayed her spring and summer 2010 collection as well as exclusive lines for eBay Inc and walmart.com at the Apple store in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood.
       Kamali's iPhone application has a "Try Before You Buy" option, which allows clothes to be sent overnight to a customer,who provides her credit card information,so she can try them on at home before committing to buy.
       Menswear designer Miguel Antoinne and womenswear designer Marc Bouwer both put on virtual fashion shows, while models at Vivienne Tam's show carried gold "digital clutches"- a HewlettPackard Co netbook adorned with a Tam design.
       Mazdack Rassi, co-founder and creative director of Milk Studios, a hip downtown space that showed about 70 collections during New York Fashion Week,said he hopes to broaden the reach of Fashion Week and was considering projecting shows on the side of a building so people at a nearby park could watch.
       "It goes back to opening it up to the consumer," Rassi said during a panel discussion on the future of fashion.
       "That can only be done through technology."
       Democratic fashion
       With cable television and the Internet,designers know that their shows can be seen by many more people than just the buyers, editors and media who attend,and in some cases, they are designing accordingly.
       "Back in the day, shows were squarely aimed at editors and buyers," said Lazaro Hernandez, half of the duo behind the label Proenza Schouler.
       "Now, when you do a show, you think about the fact that everyone's going to see it on the Internet the next day. It's become much more democratic."
       That democracy goes both ways, according to Humberto Leon, co-founder of retailer Opening Ceremony.
       "The Internet has really challenged buyers because now information is everywhere ... it's really challenged buyers to buy well," Leon said, noting that e-mail has given Opening Ceremony better access to new designers.
       Designers, including those behind Proenza Schouler, are finding that technology can also help the actual design work by allowing artists to explore new ideas and processes.
       But Simon Collins, the dean of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design,said even though technology is helpful,there is still no substitute for talent and hard work.
       "Absolutely, there'll be people out there that have incredibly successful businesses that don't know the first thing about [draping and construction], just think it up, put it on the computer, fire it off to the factory and it works," Collins said."But they're the exception, not the rule."

Digitising Thailand's cultural attractions

2009-09-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

       System aims to ease access to treasures and boost tourism, reports Sasiwimon Boonruang
       This will empower villagers to generate revenue
       Wandering through cultural attractions and museums will become more rewarding once you are able to view items and locations over the web to aid trip-planning.
       The Culture Ministry and Science and Technology Ministry have collaborated to digitise cultural and art content to enhance access to and preservation of cultural heritage resources.
       Ayutthaya is the first province in which the Culture Ministry has integrated historical information and presented it to visitors, in both still photographs and videos.
       Visitors can also look around the surrounding area via geographical information system (GIS) over the Internet, by computer or mobile phone. The website will be launched soon.
       At the Chao Sam Praya museum, in stead of receiving a conventional paper ticket, visitors will get a wristband with radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to identify the registered visitors.
       The RFID-embedded wristband also guides the visitors by presenting information on exhibits and proposing further interesting visitor destinations in the area.
       The province can keep a database of which tourist destinations these people have visited, as well as the route they used to get there.
       "This information will benefit the province as it will be able to provide information and promote destinations to the prospective visitors," said Virach Sornlertlamvanich, assistant executive director of National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec).
       For the Museum, RFID has been used to systematically manage the items in the museum so that the position of each visitor can be identified so as to keep track of what they have and have not yet seen, as well as to help prevent the loss of any items or exhibits.
       Culture Ministry deputy permanent secretary Somchai Seanglai said there are some 120,000 digital files of the cultural and art content which the ministry will transfer to video clips, with Nectec's help.
       The digital files have been developed and added to Google Maps of popular places in Ayutthaya province, such as Wat Yai Chaimongkol.
       "We will collect places of national and religious importance, along with descriptions of what styles of architecture they are, and the Buddha styles," Somchai said.
       Collecting information for the pilot project has taken three months.
       The Culture Ministry has added to the digital archives system information on Khon, the Thai classical dance.
       The software program, developed by Chulalongkorn University, has simulated the Khon costume to help shortcut the production process, as the designer and tailors can view the costume model before choosing materials, patterns and styles according to their requirements.
       This reduces the time and total cost of tailoring as they can reduce material waste.
       It is therefore anticipated that the software program will save the Fine Art Department a great deal of money.
       The museum management system supports the maintenance and borrowing system of the Khon costume, reducing deterioration and the risk of loss or theft.
       The digital archives system also promotes sustainable education and development of Khon.
       The Khon knowledge dissemination via computer network should ease educational access as the persons and experts involved with the performance can collect and develop it more efficiently, while the public and academics can use the same information for reference.
       While Ayutthaya Historical Park is the highlight of Ayutthaya, the living culture of Suphan Buri will be the next province to benefit from the digitisation of its arts and cultural content.
       Suphan Buri has the most complete mapping system in Thailand, as the province has already collected its data in a co-ordinates system, the deputy permanent secretary said, noting that the its premier visitor attractions include Wat Pra Noan and Wat Pai Rong Wua.
       The Culture Ministry will integrate cultural collections of digitised resources and improve access for the wider public.
       "This will also empower the villagers and small community groups to share their local wisdom and heritage, such as the design patterns of clothes, and from this they can generate revenue due to tourism, homestays and the sale of handicrafts," Somchai said.
       He added that this can help the communities to further develop businesses,for example in the visual arts, by giving artists an opportunity to showcase their works in an e-gallery or e-marketplace.
       "There will be information of the local performance such as Li-Kae , the musical folk drama and Lam-Tad , the performing art, with information and contact details of the bands," Somchai said, noting that the current target audience is Thai, although the ministry plans to translate the content into English and Chinese.
       Citing the Tourism Authority of Thailand, he said only 24 percent of foreign tourists visit the kingdom for cultural purposes, so this initiative intends to encourage greater numbers of cultural tourists to the country.
       He noted that the Route E-sarn (the Northeastern course) promotion, which features World Heritage locations such as Phu Phrabat Historical Park in Udon Thani, will be the next project for digital archive.
       In addition, the ministry will present the living culture of eight Northern provinces including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai,Lampang, Lamphun, Phayao, Phrae,Nan and Mae Hong Son and historical and religious places.
       "It takes time for the process of digitising data and most of the budget has gone towards the data collection," he said.
       Virach said Nectec has set up the infrastructure and web portal for communities to collect photographs, video files, captions and keywords for searching.
       "We have designed the system to allows users, data owners and communities to simply deliver the data based on the social networking pattern," he said.
       The community database is comparable with a live encyclopedia that promotes cultural traditions, local wisdom and tourism and also presents crucial information about the communities in both of quantitative and comparative styles.
       Nectec has also developed the "Fiesta on Mobile" application that provides information on Thai festivals and other cultural events to users via mobile phone.
       The application helps users to search for information in various modes, such as automatic search, search with picture and search with GPS.
       The application can also define the locations and help guide users to the events.
       This information service will cover all five regions of Thailand, with Ayutthaya being the pilot project which is now is at the data-testing stage.
       "There are lists of popular tourist attractions such as Wat Yai Chaimongkol and local museums, as Nectec has developed the application to show tourists the top-hit spots by ranking," said Virach.
       All this technology will be showcased at Nectec's Annual Conference and Exhibition during September 23-25 at Science Park in Phatum Thani.
       According to Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich, Science and Technology minister, the ultimate goal of the cooperative venture is to use science and technology capabilities as tools to enable people to easily access knowledge and information resources.
       It also strengthens the education,economic and social aspects of the country, she said.
       Culture minister Teera Slukpetch said the cultural content digitisation is a key strategy of the ministry in adding value to the cultural capital, as it has supported the creative economy and promoted cultural tourism at national and international level.
       The cultural information centre will collect the knowledge and wisdom of the rural communities and villages, and turn it into educational and economic resources.
       Based on the collaboration for cultural capital development, science and technology has been applied to public services such as libraries, civic halls,archeological sites, museums, historical parks, contemporary cultural arts, Thai performing arts and musical dance.

THE VARYING DEGREES OF TRIUMPH

2009-09-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

       You wouldn't think much could come of a girl who grew up in Suphan Buri, moved to Samut Prakan at age 15 and spent four decades toiling in a clothing factory, but Jittra Kotchadej's destiny is bigger than that.
       Jittra turned into a tenacious defender of workers' rights and, while she has plenty of admirers, she's earned a lot of enemies too.
       Rude and vicious comments abound on Internet forums, thanks primarily to her audacious decision to publicly criticise the practice at cinemas of standing up during the Royal Anthem.
       The 37-year-old also faces arrest for causing disruptions at Government House during a protest on behalf of dismissed co-workers.
       Jittra's long-time employer, Triumph International (Thailand), sacked her on July 29 last year and the Labour Court subsequently agreed it had the right to do so.
       She led the workers' union at the factory, whose parent company is best known for making women's undergarments.
       Her firing followed an appearance on television for an interview. She wore a T-shirt with a message that referred to rising for the anthem before movies are shown. It said, "Not standing up is not criminal, and thinking differently does not constitute a crime."
       In the same interview she also shared her views on abortion.
       Jittra was seen as having defamed Triumph, and, more to the point, at a time when the country was deeply divided between red and yellow ideologies.
       "I went through the worst time of my life during the trial," she says. "I had no chance to speak for myself, to tell others that the allegations weren't true.
       "At one point I considered running away. I just wanted to leave Thailand and find a new place to live. But then the truth hit me - that I didn't have the resources to spend my life overseas."
       Jittra believes her firing was a deliberate attempt to weaken the Triumph union.
       The company's decision was widely praised in online chat rooms, but Jittra's co-workers hailed her dedication to securing them more rights and benefits and staged a strike to get her reinstated.
       After 45 days, however, they returned to their jobs, fearful they might lose them. Jittra was nevertheless assured of a modest living as a consultant to the union.
       "They were in financial trouble because they had no income during the strike," Jittra says, "but they went back to work vowing to keep me in the union with their own money.
       "It was great to see thousands of people fighting for me. They understood that my dismissal was a blow against the union."
       In her advisory capacity, Jittra continues to attend protests. After Triumph let 1,959 workers go in June, the staff battled for re-employment.
       Under Jittra's guidance, the union received Midnight University's Charoen Wat-aksorn Medal this year in recognition of its "success".
       "We are strong," Jittra affirmed upon accepting the medal on August 23. "Nothing can bring us down."
       Four days later she led more than 300 workers to Government House with a petition asking Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to investigate what they called Triumph's "unfair" dismissal of many employees.
       When they were stopped from handing the petition directly to Abhisit, the workers shut down the road outside.
       Police responded, without warning, by blasting the protesters for nearly an hour with long-range sound-generating devices intended to disturb them and drive them off.
       Jittra and two other protest leaders were threatened with arrest for causing inconvenience.
       "It's unfair," she lamented. "We're asking for justice, but the authorities treat us like this."
       She's adamant that the union tries to avoid causing further problems in these politically unbalanced times, but because of the circumstances of her firing, Jittra has been caught up in the political wrangling.
       Triumph employees around the world staged simultaneous rallies on August 26 to seek better terms, but those in Thailand waited until the next day because there was a red-shirt protest in Bangkok on the 26th, and they didn't want to be seen as supporting the anti-government red movement.
       The political skirmishing here often requires such precautions, Jittra says.
       Does she find any appeal in the red cause? Jittra insists she's fighting only for workers' rights.
       "We are ready to work with either the reds or the yellows if they want to help us, as long as they don't try to drag us into politics."

WARREN BUFFETT'S PLUG FOR DALIAN SENDS STOCK SOARING

2009-09-19T21:57:00.002-07:00

       Billionaire Warren Buffett turned Dalian Dayang Trands into China's best-performing clothing stock after saying he wears the company's suits and praising it as "wonderful".
       Dayang, based in the northeastern city of Dalian, surged by the 10 per cent daily limit for a fourth day in Shanghai after Dayang posted a video on its website of Buffett congratulating the company and chairman Li Guilian on its 30th anniversary.
       The stock closed at 14.67 yuan (Bt72), its highest since January 2008.
       "I have to tell you that I now have nine suits all made in China. I threw away the rest of my suits," Bershire Hathway's chairman and CEo Buffett, 79, says in the video, adding that his business partner Charlie Munger and Microsoft Corp chairman Bill Gates also wear Dayang's outfits.
       Dayang is up 261 per cent this year, the most of 25 appael comapnies traded in Shanghai and SHenzhen.
       The company, with 2008 sales of 894.6 million yuan, and a market value of less than $350 million (Bt12 billion), does not have any "disclosable business relationship" with Buffett, it said.
       "Buffett has a lot of influence on the stock market and so when Dalian Dayang shows him wearing their suits, that has an impact," said Kong Jun, a Shanghai-based analyst at China Jianyin Investment Securities.
       Kong recommends investors buy Dalian Dayang's shares.
       Buffett assistant Carries Kizer confirmed Buffett recorded the video at Li's request.
       "It was something they asked him to do and he agreed," Kizer said in an e-mail.
       Dayang's spokesman could not be reached for comment.
       "It's been a long time since I got compliments on how I look but since I'm wearing Madam Li's suits, I get compliments all the time," he says.
       Buffett, the world's second-richest lman with an estimated fortune of $37 billion according to Forbes magazine, jokes inthe video that "maybe Bill and I could start a clothing store-and sell the compaby's suits, adding that "some day we might even be rich, who knows?"
       Gates is the world's richest man with wealth of $40 billion, according to Forbes.
       Li founded Dayang in September 1979 with 85 employees, according to its website.
       She now has around 6,800 workers and about 40 per cent of sales are derived from the US and Europe.
       "Imagine starting 30 years ago with a sewing machine and now turning out maybe 5 milliuon suits or something like that a year," Buffett says in the video.
       "It's a story that should inspire people in China and inspire people around the world."
       The company has 20 stores in 11 cities in China, according to its website.
       Ait is 250-square metre store in Beijing's Finance Street Shopping Centre, tailored suits range from 6,800 yuan at the cheapest to 21,000 yuan when made with Loro Piana cloth, said a saleswoman in the shop. Off-the-peg outfits cost about 8,000 yuan.
       Visitors the shop, which features plush armchairs, can order an entire wardrobe from suits to shirts, belts, leather accessories, shoes, ties and cufflinks. Customers buying suits at the top end of the price range may be looked after by Ivano Cattarin, who left Giorgio Armani to become Dayang's chief designer, the sales-woman said, declining to give her name.
       Chinese President Hu Jintao wore a Dayang suit when he met former US president George W Bush at the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in 2007, according to a bound volume in the store's waiting area.

Flowers, slightly trampled, but not undaunted

2009-09-19T21:57:00.001-07:00

       Designers at New York Fashion Week had a new tactic to woo back wary customers: flowers.after two days of rain-drizzled gloom for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week's fourth day. But that doesn't mean everything was roses - the floral patterns looked like flowers after the rain, a little worse for wear.
       Muted arrangements were blurred like they had been caught in a downpour. The sense was one of transition: Spring is coming, but not undaunted.
       Retailers should be satisfied with the pops of colour,something they want to draw customers into stores.Yet the colours aren't so bright they require sunglasses - designers are aware of the gloomy context, too.
       Diane von Furstenberg followed her successful formula of mixing high-fashion concepts with relatable pieces: This spring, the theme is queen of the desert.
       "Diane von Furstenberg can do no wrong," said stylist Mary Alice Stephenson."It's always a perfect mix of what editors want - over the top, gold embellishment - but there's also those little dresses that everyone wants."
       What will there be a clamour for? Perhaps the green macrame dress, or the gold bomber jacket. There's also the tie-waist, draped lavender tiger chiffon dress and her standby wrap dress, this time offered in an orange print.
       The sunset colours, including burnt yellow, orange and purple, as well as greens and blues, are in line with the dominant palette so far this Fashion Week, and the runway had the requisite not-too-perfect florals.

SPRINGING IN FOR 2010

2009-09-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

       Marc Jacobs moved fashion towards femininity at New York Fashion Week, even if the other designers who previewed spring collections aren't quite there yet.His show, with Madonna in the front row,didn't take a completely new direction from the emerging look of the season, which was already a little softer than autumn's warrior.Jacobs just pushed the needle a little farther with lots of ruffles, pearls and even bloomers.
       Elsewhere, it's been the bandage look that has been popular - at Herve Leger, of course,where it is the signature item - but also at Carolina Herrera, Alexander Wang, Lela Rose,Nicole Miller and in Victoria Beckham's new collection.
       Slashes and cut-outs came along with the bandages, adding a little sex appeal at Derek Lam, Rachel Roy and Zac Posen, among other runways. The slashes show some skin, but not so much that it couldn't be officeappropriate when placed on a shoulder or back.
       MARC JACOBS
       Marc Jacobs reminded style-watchers why he is called a bellwether with his very feminine clothes, which is probably what other designers will present two seasons from now.
       There were frou-frou ruffles and pearl embellishment, yet his muse was still a woman with an edge. Think of his customer as the cool, creative type who can find the best thing in a vintage store, or buy Jacobs' blushcoloured ruffled jersey dress that mimics it.
       Some of his looks went much farther than that - balloon genie pants and pleated bloomers come to mind - but those are for magazine spreads, not the real world. For store racks, he offered wearable jackets that had a hint of military influence and suits that could be the wave of the future, with a stream of ruffles down the jacket that continued on the skirt or trousers.
       ZAC POSEN
       Zac Posen did things differently. He switched from a night-time blowout show to a tranquil morning one, a big venue to a small one and - most importantly - he presented clothes you might see someone wearing.
       Posen had increasingly focused on dramatic, over-the-top clothes. Remember the whole Midwestern storm theme a few seasons back? Great looks if you happen to be an edgy multi-platinum rocker.
       His 2010 spring collection was a complete switching of gears, with adorable, see-through,candy-coloured raincoats setting the tone of an upbeat, youthful collection.
       Posen hit on the floral trend with a gladiolaprint gown with an open back, and a series of finale gowns with sequin flower appliques.He also used the trick of using cut-outs to create sexy silhouettes without showing too much skin.
       DONNAKARAN
       Nothing has moved on the Fashion Week runway quite the way Donna Karan's spring collection did.
       The silhouettes were slim, with Karan touting "body skirts" and "body dresses" that fit like second skins, but the light viscose jersey,linen and silk fabrics allowed them a vibe of easy elegance - and wearability. Colours included sky blue, a barely there blush and a lot of neutral skin tones.
       If there aren't enough places to wear her jersey wrap dresses - especially the blushcoloured, off-shoulder number that was a little reminiscent of old-school Halston there were everyday clothes, too. A wrapstyle skirt suit, for example, is something we should see more of.
       CAROLINA HERRERA
       Carolina Herrera showed transporting clothes with exotic rope and raffia details.
       There were many textured fabrics, offered in a natural colour palette that ranged from redwood brown to light stone.
       The occasional use of amber, rose and caramel were made to match the "waning light cast at the end of a summer's day",Herrera said in her notes.
       Her inspiration was baskets, she explained.That translated well into a strapless gown with a woven bodice and a quartz-coloured dress that looks like a checkerboard of organza.
       THAKOON PANICHGUL
       Thakoon Panichgul's spring styles rode the same ocean-inspired wave as quite a few other collections presented so far, although his take on things certainly had more attitude.
       His colours were mostly blues and greens,with a few flashes of pink and scuba-inspired silhouettes. What set him apart were mashups of prints and often edgy mixes of styles on a single garment.
       First lady Michelle Obama has worn the Thakoon label on many occasions, but it would be hard to imagine her wearing many things from this spring line.
       The cool fashion types in the audience?That's a different story.

When nature calls!

2009-09-19T21:55:00.001-07:00

       A meeting at any given fashion magazine to decide upon the trendiest must-haves of the moment.]Editor:Alright writers, in June we had 10 Best Hairstyles to Suit Your Face .In July it was Nine Hairstyles to Flatter Your Visage... Plus One More . And of course, we saved the best until August with You Don't Have to Hate Your Face With These 10 Hairstyles .Minion:We're still so creative after all these years!The Only Sane Person in the Room:Aren't those the same stories? I feel like I'm taking yaa that makes me baa !Minion:Gawwwd , you don't appreciate fashion. So we're going to knock the split ends off our readers with hairstyles for September?Editor:Well, that's what they would expect [evil smirk]. But let's give the fashion industry a trend they've never seen before! It's so maniacal, I'm scared to even say it! I'll give you a clue - animal print!The Only Sane Person in the Room:It's not a clue if you just told us what it is. And animal print has been in style since the 1980s.Editor:Like anybody remembers what happened in the 80s! Animal print is the trend of the moment, and you will write about it. Or I'll get a top-notch designer to carefully duplicate your skin's silky smooth texture and use that print on clothes and accessories.The Only Sane Person in the Room:Err, that actually sounds more like a compliment than a threat.Minion:Ooh, I can't wait to start writing this piece! It'll be so fun! I already have the opening sentence -"Animal print fashion is so in style right now."[End of meeting.]
       Animal print fashion is so in style right now. Blasted #@!!!$%!!. The tyrannical trend totalitarian trumps again. But there's no one we can blame for the longevity of animal print in the fashion world but ourselves.Unless someone can prove that leopards, cheetahs and zebras secretly control every move made by designers and consumers (note to self: create Wikipedia page dedicated to this blatant fallacy).
       While Sheikh Hot Kotture is actually a fan of animal print for both daring women and flamboyant daring men, it doesn't excuse the fact that no other pattern has enjoyed as much time in the fashion limelight.Perhaps we should blame the media? Oh, right,we are the media , I forgot!In that case, treat your other printed items like an unwanted child.Devote your love to animal patterns this season. The unanimous favourite,leopard print, is still alive and strong, but don't dismiss the funkiness of tiger, zebra, crocodile, snakeskin, and even cow designs - in the faux variety of course.
       It's easier to speculate whether there will be a coup when our beloved PM goes to New York from September 21-27 (stay tuned!), than it is to conjecture why in the world so many people can still get animal print wrong, since it's been in fashion forever.
       But maybe animal print keeps coming back to give people another chance to learn how to wear it correctly if they didn't get it right the first time. The most important thing isn't to transform your entire wardrobe into a melange of the African savannah, but to infuse animal prints based on your current style.
       If you're a conservative dresser, wear animal print accessories such as headbands, shoes, and purses. If you're a bit wilder, you can get away with an entire animal print shirt, blazer, dress or skirt. But one at a time, please. Sticking to traditional colours such as brown,black and white is the safest choice, while animal prints paired with neon hues will immediately take you from classy to trashy.
       Sheikh Hot Kotture would also advise women to avoid wearing animal printed corsets, mini dresses, or any clothing that could be deemed "too sexy". Animal print is already sexy in itself, and if you're wearing a tight, cleavage-baring dress with a high split up the side,other women might mistake you for being an insecure, attentionseeking coquette.
       It is true that animal print will make you stand out, and if you exercise caution you will definitely draw attention in a good way and look way hotter than your friends. And now it's easier than ever to do that because when something comes back "in fashion" you can get it cheap.
       Although animal print has been around for ages, you'll still be able to find traditional colour schemes, accessories with wild styles, and the occasional print that utilises shades not found in nature.
       So no more ravaging high-end stores paying ridiculous sums for a pattern that designers didn't even come up with themselves.However, props to the person who initially sat down with a leopard and traced his spots. Your bravery has ensured that the fashion industry will always have "animal print" as a fallback when they draw a piece of paper out of a hat to decide upon the next "trend".

FASHION SHOPS PLANNED FOR SKYTRAIN

2009-09-19T21:54:00.001-07:00

       ICC International, the trading and manufacturing arm of Saha Group, is interested in opening permanent shops for branded fashion products at Skytrain stations.
       "Similar to the Japanese, Bangkokians today have a rushed lifestyle and always require greater convenience," executive director Nonglak Techabunanek said yesterday.
       It would be the first time for ICC to tap the new sales channel of mass rapid transit, which carries heavy traffic of potential shoppers. The Skytrain retail outlets would cater very well to their changing urban lifestyle, she said.
       About 80-90 per cent of the company's sales are from department stores, and 10 per cent from other modern retail channels such as hypermarkets.
       The company also started a TV-shopping channel at the beginning of this year, but the sales contribution is still small.
       Community centres are another potential retail channel of interest to the company.
       "Our sales in the first eight months are flat compared to the same period last year. We also expect our full-year sales to be flat or enjoy slight growth to about Bt10.05 billion this year," she said.
       Surapong Laoha-unya, director and chief operating officer of Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), the operator of the Skytrain, said the transit system now attracts 400,000-500,000 passengers a day on average, which is up from about 380,000 last year.
       "Our passengers have increased significantly by 5-7 per cent year on year in the first eight months of this year. We expect our sales to reach nearly Bt4 billion this year, of which over 90 per cent will be from passenger tickets and the rest from the lease of retail and advertising space to vendors," he said.
       ICC International, in cooperation with BTS and VGI Global Media, will organise the "ICC Sky Shopping Rally" at three major stations - Siam, National Stadium and Ploenchit - from September 28-October 4.
       All major fashion brands manufactured and distributed by ICC - including BSC, Wacoal, Arrow, Guy Laroche, Getaway, Elle, Naturalizer, Speedo, Absorba and Enfant - will be available at the stations for the first time at a huge discount of 30-60 per cent.
       Marut Arthakaivalvatee, CEO of VGI Global Media (Thailand), said the company had been appointed by BTS to manage the marketing, shop areas and advertisements at its stations.
       Specialising in transit and in-store media, VGI Global Media expects its overall sales to grow 15-20 per cent this year to about Bt1.2 billion.
       "Our direction is to focus on our specialised format of digital-based semi-outdoor media," he said.

INDUSTRIES READY TO STAND IN DEFENCE AGAINST UP CHARGES

2009-09-16T19:26:00.002-07:00

       Three Thai industries-shrimp, garment and sugar-may face difficulties in exports to the US next year due to accusations of hiring child and migrant labour.
       Kessiri Siripakorn, minister (commercial) for the Office of Commercial Affairs in Washington DC, said the US Labour Department had issued an announcement against the industries.
       "Thai industries will have 90 days, until the middle of December, to clarify about the accusations. If they may be subjected to trade barriers," said Kessiri.
       She called for the government and related industries to discuss the matter and present clear evidence to defend their industries.
       Kessiri warned that under the Barack Obama administration, all industries must be aware of new non-tariff barriers,particularly ones focusing on labour and environment.
       Thai manufacturers would face greater difficulties in exporting if they do not promptly deal with rising non-tariff barriers, she said.
       Poj Aramwattananont, president of Thai Frozen Foods Association, said the US government report was untrue and the association had already presented evidence to the US Embassy in Bangkok.
       The association will also present evidence regarding the matter to Washington as the association has frequently worked in cooperation with Immigration Custom Enforcement for inspecting all factories and their suppliers to ensure they have not hired any child or migrant labour in the industry.
       So far, more than 1,000 factories have been investigated. The industry employs more than a million people. We are confident no child or migrant labour was hired in our industry, Poj said.
       To ensure that the shrimp and other industries will not face any obstacles resulting from the report, the association will soon meet the Foreign Ministry and related Thai government agencies to clarify the issue to the US government.
       Wallop Vitanakorn, secretarygeneral of the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, said the US report must have been the result of a misunderstanding.
       He said most garment exporters to the US must normally comply with high standards required by their importers, including labour issues.
       Export of garments to the US must follow a "code of conduct" which specifies that no migrant labour of child labour must be hired in the industry. Moreover, under the agreement between Thai garment manufacturers and American buyers, it states that employers must have a fair contract with labourers, including restricting maximum period of work to 60 hours a week, and set a fair payment and days off, as per the law.
       Wallop said American buyers also regularly send teams to inspect their factories every six months to ensure the producers had followed the code of conduct.
       He said it was impossible for garment exporters to break this tight rule. The association will soon cooperate with the Thai government and collect information to defend against this accusation.

       Under the Barack Obama administration, all industries must be aware of new nontariff barriers, particularly ones focusing on labour and environment.

Absolutely Versace!

2009-09-16T19:26:00.001-07:00

       Elegance still stands as the key for the latest collection of haute couture brand Gianni Versace Autumn/Winter 2009/10,as flaunted in front of celebrities and exclusive clients who attended the fashion show at its Bangkok flagship store at Siam Paragon last week.
       The delicate embroidery between the fabric and materials, such as metal threads or Nappa leather, formed the flamboyant and unique womenswear. Receiving the most attention was the unique, lacquered-fabric minidress presented by former Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova, as she strided, the dress appeared to shine as if it was decorated with ceramics.
       Inspired by The White Painting , an art piece from the late Robert Rauschenberg, from blazers to shawl collars, this season of Gianni
       Versace menswear was dominated with light grey and gunmetal grey colours, reminiscent of a cold and cloudy winter.
       The 20-minute fashion show was lit up with the upbeat sound of the latest music by the androgenic artist, Prince, who has given Versace designer Donatella Versace his permission to feature three of his new tunes for every runway show of this collection worldwide.

Tommy Hilfiger chief exec restaging brand

2009-09-16T19:25:00.001-07:00

       Tommy Hilfiger Corp has spent the last few years trying to undo the damage from its apparel brand going too mainstream, and is now presenting a "preppy" and "iconic American" brand.
       Less than 48 hours after opening a flagship Tommy Hilfiger store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, chief executive Fred Gehring told Reuters on Tuesday that establishing such a high-profile presence would have long-term benefits that outlast the immediate challenges of the weak economy.
       "Even if there's a double-dip, eventually there will be a recovery to something that will be the new normal. But in any scenario, New York City will be a key spot," said Gehring, who hails from the Netherlands and became CEO in 2006 following the brand's acquisition by Apax Partners, a London-based private equity firm.
       In its first days, Gehring said the new store - which sells everything from $29 T-shirts to suits costing more than $1,000 - is seeing a good response in all categories, especially the pieces from its higher-end collections.
       Still, the company is expanding at a more rapid pace abroad than in the United States, where it suffered years of sales declines after its logo-heavy designs and affordable prices made it a staple of urban streetwear but alienated many of its preppier customers.
       "After opening about 100 stores during the past year, the company has about 950 stores globally," Gehring said.
       He has adjusted the pace of expansion due to the economy, and now sees opening only 50 to 60 stores in the next year,with about a dozen of those in the United States.
       Last year Apax shelved plans to float the company on the Amsterdam stock exchange due to volatile market conditions. Nearly two years later, Gehring said an initial public offering remains the most likely exit scenario for the funds,which acquired Tommy Hilfiger for $1.6 billion.
       "I think the most likely scenario will be an IPO but it may well be that it's going to be two years away or so," Gehring said."When the market starts to stabilise and open up, I don't think we're going to be rushing out as one of the first ones."
       He said selling to a strategic buyer was not out of the question, but unlikely,given Tommy Hilfiger's size. He also said he was not aware of any discussions between potential suitors and the brand's owners, whom he described as very comfortable with their investment and not pressuring to discuss their exit.
       "It's very clearly not, at the moment,on the radar."

Scottish clothing manufacturer caught in Lockerbie bomber row

2009-09-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

       A manufacturer of Harris Tweed has dropped the word "Scottish" from its US marketing campaign amid fears of a consumer backlash over the release of the Lockerbie bomber, a report said yesterday.
       Harris Tweed Hebrides said it had rethough its campaign ahead of the launch of its fashion collection in New York next month after the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi by the Scottish government, which sparked fury in the US.
       "We are not going to promote ourselves as a Scottish company as we would previously have done," said Mark Hogarth, the company's creative director.
       "From everyone we spoke to in the US, the feeling came back that a serious mistake had been made in releasing Megrahi."
       "We have been getting a lot of feedback and we have had to de-Scottishfy the image of the brand. If he had not been relased we would not have altered anything," he said.
       Harris Tweed is specially handwoven wool by communites on islands off Scotland, a proud industry that dates back to the 1800s.
       Harris Tweed Hebrides supplies the fabric to more than 30 countries.
       The Daily Telegraph newspaper said other manufacturers have also expressed concern about a possible boycott of Scottish goods, including Walkers Shortbread.
       Megrahi, the only man convicted over the 1988 plane bombing, was released from prison in August on compassionate grounds because he is suffering terminal cancer.
       The Scottish government's decision and the hero's welcome Megrahi received when he returned to Libya sparked anger from the US administration and the American relatives of victims of the atrocity.

Tiger on the prowl

2009-09-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

       A pioneer in sporty footweear, Onitsuka Tiger is once again lighting up Bangkok's streets with its newest collection of smart sneakers featuring the classic stripe designs and a range of other fashion accessories guaranteed to please the new streetwise generation.
       The label was established back in 1949 by creative designer Kihachiro Onitsuka who came up with a selection of quirky basketball shoes as a way of comforting fellow Japanese in the years following World War II.
       Kihachiro's sneakers, designed to look like a tiger's head, were made with a special technique that was good for the health of the feet. His shoes really took off in the 1960s when Onitsuka Tiger became the favourite brand for athetes around the world.
       In 1977, Kihachiro set up a new company and produced a new range of canvas shoes under the Asics umbrella with the slogan "a sound mind in a sound body". Soon his shoes were sellign like hot cakes and the brand expanded to include major markets in America and Europe.
       Reincarnated in 2001, Asics Corporation of America decided to launch new sneakers and other fashion accessories under the Onitsuka Tiger label. Just like in the old days, the designs are simple, smart and stripy but come in livelier coulours such as are vivid green, red, yoellow and blue. For those who prefer calmer shades, there's also cream, white and black.
       Other grear includes t-shirts, handbags and jackets and you'll find it all at Central Chitlom Deparment Store. Call (02) 793 7900.

Polo goes after users of iPhone

2009-09-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

       Polo Ralph Lauren Corp,the fashion company behind the Polo and Club Monaco brands, said on Thursday its smaller Rugby brand was launching an iPhone application that lets users design their own shirts.
       Rugby is a collegiate-inspired brand that targets young adults and has a dozen stores in the United States.
       The action comes as brands ranging from computer maker Dell Inc to Starbucks Corp use networking sites to boost sales and communicate directly with the public.
       Rugby's application, available this week for Apple Inc iPhone and iPod touch devices, allows consumers to customise 19 products, including sweaters,shirts, and sweatshirts. And they can download photos of themselves in their creations.
       David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications and Ralph Lauren's son,said the action reflects what the company calls "merchantainment", a blend of merchandising and entertainment.
       "That has been very compelling for the customer, but really a natural evolution of what we've already done for 40 years," Lauren said.
       Wendy Liebmann, chief executive of consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail, said Polo Ralph Lauren's experimentation with technology has helped it evolve and expand its reach.
       "I think that's kept that brand, which is still pretty traditional in its design aesthetic, very relevant and kept new people coming in to it," Liebmann said.
       Polo, which already launched iPhone applications giving users a taste of its Ralph Lauren Collection runway shows,is not alone. Designer Norma Kamali is launching an iPhone application to coincide with her Spring 2010 runway show,taking place on Sept 17 at a Manhattan Apple store. Kamali's application will let users buy clothing via their phones.
       Lauren said consumers can get an online peek at its Ralph Lauren Spring 2010 show, after the show which is scheduled for next week.

Fashion aristocracy

2009-09-11T06:56:00.001-07:00

       More than just a centuries-old horse race, the Palio of Siena is a famous festival with colourful parades and lively celeEmilio Pucci rolled out a collection inspired by the Palio and the
       spectacular graphics of its 16th-century banners. Half a century
       later, Palio prints make a comeback on the Italian brand's FallWinter 2009 catwalk.
       Crowned as the Prince of Prints, the aristocratic designer became a fashion phenomenon in the 1950s when he began developing his signature prints in graphic and abstract designs,which swirled in a kaleidoscope of colour. Emilio Pucci also
       pioneered stretch fabrics to liberate women from corsets and
       rigid structured clothing.
       The Palio collection, as one of such noble heritage, becomes a foundation for the new designs by artistic director Peter Dundas.
       This season, the rebellious aristocratic Pucci girl throws on tunics and trousers, cashmere T-shirts and aged deerskin pants under a luscious fox fur thrown casually over her shoulders. She also dons fur-lined biker blousons or oversized silk smoking jackets in bold Palio prints, accessorised with chain-edged shoulder bags in distressed denim or matte python.
       Trousers pays tribute to the Capri pant, a staple of Pucci collections.After beginning his fashion career by creating streamlined skioutfits, Emilio Pucci opened a boutique in Capri notable for colourful resort clothing, including tight Capri pants. The new versions come in faded printed cotton canvas or as slinky cargo trousers in military green or as embroidered suede pants with horse motifs in scarabcoloured gems. Shorts in leather and cotton canvas also refer to the Palio silhouettes.
       Mini-dresses in prints that seem washed and faded to recall iconic pieces of the past are worn with slouchy suede pirate boots for daytime chic. Evening dresses feature patchworks and cut-outs of Pucci-patterned guipure lace and beading that reinterpret the graphic motifs and delicately play on the lines of the body.
       Over black, bottle green and aubergine dresses, barbarian coats of mohair-patched fur, leather and gold braiding keeps the Pucci chic and warm.

Lacoste for Ramathibodi

2009-09-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

       Buy an "I Love Lacoste limited edition"T-shirt and you will be doing your part for charity.Lacoste, a product distributed by ICC International Pcl, has been involved in charity projects since its first event in 2003, when it auctioned off Lacoste polo shirts decorated by guest artists.
       This was followed by the hugely popular Lacoste Polo Limited Edition with silver crocodile, polo shirts on the occasion of the 70th anniversary with the replica of the first Lacoste crocodile, and colourful Lacoste ponchos from France. Sales generated from all three campaigns contributed to the Cardiac Children's Foundation Under the Royal Patronage of HRH the late Princess Galyani Vadhana.
       There was an auction of Lacoste shoes for the Wheelchair Tennis Club of Thailand. Moreover, Lacoste gave a donation to the Ramathibodi Foundation for bone-marrow collecting equipment.
       This year, the Ramathibodi Foundation is constructing the new Somdech Phra Debaratana Building to support the increasing number of patients coming to Ramathibodi Hospital.
       The newly designed T-shirt "I Love Lacoste Limited Edition", and the Lacoste "Vintage" collection with a special dyeing process to make the colour of the crocodile logo the same as the shirt itself,come in several colours to choose from.
       Sales generated from these two limited editions will be donated to the Ramathibodi Foundation to help construction of the new building project.

Versace breaks into home furnishings, young trendy gear

2009-09-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

       Everest World, local importer and distributor of luxury apparel brand Versace, will launch two new product ranges - Versus and Versace Home - in Thailnad next year.
       The expansion of Versace's portfolio in the Kingdom is in line with the policy of Versace Italy, which recently appointed Gian Giacomo Ferraris as its new CEO, to manage Versace business around the world.
       Vorasom Pagtaranigon, brand manager of Everest World, said the new CEo was taking responsibility for significant changes at Versace, which was now striving to become a leading designer and producer of furniture and lifestyle products.
       The company wants to focus on creating clear product protfolios for the Versace brand, consisting of four major products. They are the Versace Collection, the brand for men's spparel and business uniforms; Versace Mainline, the brand for men's and women's casual, business and party apparel; Versua, a brand for young and trendy apparel; and Versace Home, a brand for home furnishing products and porcelains.
       Everest World is the exclusive importer and distributor of Versace's brands in Thailand.
       Vorasom said the Versace Collection and Versus would be launched locally at prices 15-25-per-cent cheaper than Versace Mainline products.
       "Next year, we'll redecorate our Versace flaship store in Siam Paragom and add the new Versace Home collections. We'll also open the first of our Versus 'shop in shop' outlets at Central Chidlom. Versus will be the first Versace brand with a retail outlet in a department store. We'll also open the Versace Collection at Central Chidlom next year," she said.
       Vorasom said her company planned to open flaship stores for both Versus and Versace Home products in the near future.
       "We [Everest World] will comply with the business strategies of Versace Italy, which are aimed at achieving a big return from the Versace brand all over the world. Market penetration from next year will be more perfect, with a supporting plan from Versace Italy," she said.
       The local launch of Versace's new brands will also extend the company's new-customer base.
       "Our 2010 business plan includes a marketing budget equal to 12 per cent of sales, to remind customers of the Versace brand through ad campaigns and continuous imports of new products," Vorasom said.
       She said Versace's performance in Thailand in the first four months of the year was unsatisfactory, because of political and global economic problems.
       Hoever, the company posted double-digit growth in the second four-month period and is expecting that growth to continue, with full-year sales reaching Bt80 million to Bt100 million.
       With good signs of economic recovery, the company has seen a greater number of shoppers buying Versace, both locals and tourists, Vosasom said.

THAI TEXTILES OF OLD AND NEW

2009-09-06T05:11:00.001-07:00

       The elegant interior of the Support Foundation shop at Hor Ratsadakorn Pipat Hall within the grounds of the Grand Palace had never seen so many beautiful shoppers at one time. But that was to be expected for the opening of the "Charm of Thai Textiles" exhibition. The exhibition brought together 30 leading Thai designers, including Kai, Tirapan, Pisit, Gina, Metta, Soda,Theatre, Fly Now, Asava, Greyhound, Issue, Senada Theory, Disaya, AB Normal, Chai, Vatit Itthi and Vick Teerut, who lent their talent to create 30 stunning ensembles from textiles, both cotton and silk, from the Support Foundation.
       Presiding at the opening of the exhibition was Thanpuying Jarungjit Teekara, HM the Queen's Deputy Private Secretary.
       The Support Foundation was established in 1976 by HM the Queen in order to help poor villagers in remote areas earn a supplementary income to their seasonal farming efforts, as well as to preserve the local art that was part of the traditional lifestyle for future generations. It also tied in with HM the King's philosophy of self-sufficiency.
       The Support Foundation shop provides an outlet for handicraft products made by Support members.
       This particular branch of the Support Foundation shop forms part of a complex that will soon house a museum gallery on Thai textiles from past to present.
       This shop also presents a unique line of products that incorporates modern design concepts under the guidance of Ploenchan Runprapan.There are two lines -"Classic Traditional" and "New Design".
       The latest collection,"Majestic Motive", draws its inspiration from the ceramic tiles that are used to decorate chapels, walls, stupas, bell towers and demons that stand guard within the Temple of the Emerald
       Buddha. These patterns - with such evocative Thai names as Lai Dok Prajam Yarm, Lai Takai, Lai Phum Khao Bin, Lai Krajang Ta Oy, Lai Krajang Patiyan, Lai Kam Pu and Lai Kaew Ching Duang - can be traced back to the first reign of the Rattanakosin Period.
       These patterns appear on both silk and cotton, which have been turned into various lifestyle products such as various home decor items,clothes, accessories, bags, stationery and souvenir items.
       After the opening ceremony guests enjoyed a fashion show by some of Thailand's top celebrities, including Tipanan Srifuengfung, Prae Sarasin, Jutawan Krairiksh, Yupapak Vajrabhaya, Piyavara Teekara,Kitivichaya Watcharothai, Unchisa Vacharaphol, Pilomrat Isvarphornchai,Pimpayap Srikarnchana, Chulalux Piyasombatkul, Pitchana Sa-Nguansat,Parama Raiva, Athidthan Noncie, Achiraya Prasutanond and Leila Soontornvinate.
       By the time the last guest trickled out of the shop, the shelves had to be replenished several times, particularly necklaces decorated with fabric flowers, as well as the T-shirts with silk appliques.

Styles for Muslims have promise

2009-09-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

       The lucrative Islamic clothing industry is being given a new push since few local operators understand the market environment, said Veerapol Srilert, director of the Bureau of Industrial Sector Development.
       The lack of financial support is also one of the main obstacles to promoting the industry.
       "A fashion show of Islamic clothing designed by fashion students is the only activity this year to promote industry awareness as the bureau faces budget constraints," said Mr Veeraphol.
       The show to exhibit fashionable clothing that conforms to Islamic rules will be held on Oct 12 at the Zen Event Gallery at CentralWorld. Up to 48 costumes for various functions designed by students of Kasem Bundit University,Srinakharinwirot University and Chanapatana International Design Institute will be on display.
       Realising local garment operators' potential to serve this much-overlooked market, Mr Veerapol said the value could also be added to other industries such as fabric and accessories.
       The bureau is hopeful of implementing more activities next year to promote the industry."With our 7-million-baht budget allocated for next year, the bureau is planning programmes to encourage and help local garment operators serving other export markets to tap into the Islamic clothing market."
       It will also build a network of Islamic clothing producers, as well as a designer network, as the basis to solidify the segment's establishment. The bureau plans to also finance research to establish fashion preferences and build a bodystructure database to help local producers better serve each distinctive market.
       Boon-arak Raksawong, a Srinakarinwirot University fashion design lecturer,said his experience in global trade shows allowed him to learn the likes of Arabic customers, who have high purchasing power in the Islamic clothing market.
       "They like fashion, especially the semicouture style where small embroidery work is applied to everyday wear. The style is very popular and Thailand has the strength [to produce it]," said Mr Boon-arak.
       "Most producers tend to overlook this market because they misunderstand Islamic clothing restrictions. But the market is well worth studying and trying."
       Mr Boon-arak suggested that government support plays an important role in helping producers reach this market.To date, the assistance has been limited,inconsistent and poorly managed.
       "If the government really wants to promote the Islamic clothing industry,a lot more work and budget are needed and they have to be organised more professionally," he said.

Polo Ralph Lauren in China expansion push

2009-08-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

       Polo Ralph Lauren Corp,designer of Chaps and Club Monaco clothing, plans to open as many as 15 stores annually in Hong Kong and China as US sales slow.
       "We are going to come at this business aggressively anyway but now its even more of a reason as the businesses in the US and Europe have flattened,"George Hrdina, president of Ralph Laurens Asian business, said in an interview in Hong Kong.
       Demand for luxury goods in China,the worlds most populous nation, remains unabated, according to a survey published last month by communications consultants Ruder Finn Asia.
       New York-based Ralph Lauren has been changing its strategy to operate more of its own shops as it seeks to compete with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA and Gucci owner PPR SA.
       "The Chinese market for luxury products is still growing very well," Shaun Rein, the Shanghai-based managing director of China Market Research Group,said in a phone interview yesterday."The consumers in China are still spending money, although some are hit by the financial crisis."
       "We're probably a little behind the other luxury retailers in entering this market," Hrdina said.
       "The company's new stores in China will probably be in Beijing, Shanghai and surrounding regions," he added.
       The clothier is taking back the Asian distribution rights for its Polo and Ralph Lauren brands from Dickson Concepts (International) Ltd on Jan 1. The move is part of the company's efforts to retool its image in Asia, moving away from selling products in department stores to focusing on setting up its own retail outlets.
       "So we will now control the product,the quality, the branding," Hrdina said,as the company seeks to change the perception of Polo and Ralph Lauren from casual sportswear labels to luxury brands.
       "The brand has also been hurt by piracy," he said.
       "I dont think they did a very good job at marketing positioning and store development for the Chinese market, and they also probably were hit fairly hard by piracy," China Market Research Group's Rein said."The problem for Polo, people don't know what's real and what isn't."
       "Luxury brands, facing ageing populations in Europe and North America are turning to Asia," Joe Wong, managing director for PPR SA's Gucci Group in Hong Kong, China and Macau, told an industry meeting on Aug 28.
       "Asia, particularly China, is possibly the solution," Wong said. China has a very big base of consumers and lots of up- and-coming young executives and middle class.
       Ralph Lauren ought to be cautious about growing too fast because they dont have the brand positioning, Rein said."While Chinese consumers are still buying luxury goods, they're looking for better value, they're starting to buy products like bags that can be used everyday rather than a shirt that can be worn once a month."

COLOUR, RIPS AND THE "BORROWED" LOOK DEFINE THE NEW STREETWEAR

2009-08-31T06:10:00.000-07:00

       Pre-washed jeans and a bright shirt or T-shirt: Street wear styles are colourful. Tops should have some flash and shirts canb e plaid, but no matter what ther has to be some colour.
       Designer Stefan Dietzelt observes a parade of trend-crazy people every day through the shop window of his streetwear clothing store in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg.
       "Th item that has sold really well is this short-sleeved shirt for men," he says, referring to a shirt with white watering cans on a red background.
       Red as in fresh, orange-red. It must have somethign to do with the hue, he adds.
       Other T-shirts hav large colourful shapes overlapping one another. The shades are frequently neon. Graphic print patterns also are in style.
       All are being combined with ragged jeans that "must look destroyed", says Karl-Heinz Mueller, director of Berlin's streetwear trade fair Bread and Butter.
       "And the more beat-up the material, the more expensive the jeans. The expensive brands have the destruction done by hand," he explains. This achieves an impression of authenticity.
       He describes the current street style as "masculine". Young men are selecting worn jeans combined with plaid shirts or T-shirts. An example can be found in the Forvert collection.
       Young women, meanwhile, are wearing jeans and shirts in "boyfriend style', says Mueller, who also runs a streetwear shop in central Berlin.
       This is when jeans look too big, as if they've been borrowed from a friend. As a counter trend, there also are leggings and tube jeans. A jersey dress, such as one found in the Dickies line, looks flattering with them.
       Marc Lohausen of the online streetwear store Frontline in Hanover has an answer to the "boyfriend look" trend: clothing for women intentionally cut not to fit properly.
       It's the way a woman would look if she just rolled out of bed and put on her boyfriend's pants and shirt befor heading out to get breakfast. The clothes are loose, wide and sit low on the hips. Nikita jeans are an example.
       The collection also demonstrates the colour tred: Bright, happy colours are the Nikita trademark. yellow, coral and light mint are listed in the collection's description.
       Worn with it are walking shoes in 1980s styles or ankle-high basketball shoes in hip-hop style, syas Lohausen. The colours can lso mimic those that were pouplar in the '80s: purple, yellow, light blue and pink.
       A lot of the shoes are in cotton or canvas and look a little square at first glance, as if they were somethign taken from an American college movie. But the spirit of the style is different because of the cool colours they have, syas Lohausen.
       They match the bright neon colours that highlight outfits that have been specially selected. There are light, sun-yellow jersey clothes, for example, from bench. Ther also are neon-grphic printed T-shirts and sky blue training jackets.
       "Very strong at the moment is something called Adicolor by Adidas Originals. These are basically training suits from the 1970s in neon yellow, green and light blue," syas Lohausen.
       With these, trend-conscious people have to get used to very old tailoring that has become new again.

AESTHETICS IN THE SOUTH

2009-08-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

       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."

FASHION FAIR IN FOCUS

2009-08-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

       Unlike the elaborate spectacle of a runway show, the Bangkok International Fashion Fair 2009 and the Bangkok International Leather Fair 2009 (BIFF & BIL) may not offer non-industry/business media any spicy material for publication; neither nipple slips nor dressed-to-kill front-row luminaries. However, such an international-calibre trade fair is nothing but meat and potatoes to the long-term development of any industry. And fashion is no exception. Held at Impact Challenger Hall, Muang Thong Thani, earlier this month, the event - organised by the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Export Promotion - incorporated a traditional form of brand booths, seminars, shows, workshops as well as various exhibitions that offered visitors an across-the-board spectrum of Thai fashion; both in terms of creative design, potential and business strategies for future direction.
       One role that all trade fairs need to fulfil is to bring manufacturers closer to buyers, which is particularly pivotal to budding brands that strive to survive through expanding their customer-base in both the domestic and international markets. The Designers' Room, mostly serves as a springboard for up-and-coming designers to test the market, a place deserving of close inspection to ensure that the section has functioned to its full capacity as the meeting point for designers and potential customers.
       Of the vast and diverse range of activities the fair offered, the Southern Culture & Fashion section came closest to reflecting the most interesting future direction of the local fashion design scene. Bringing trend, style and quality materials to highly skilled craftsmen in remote areas while bringing their own artistic touch back to top designers in the form of fabrics of exquisite prints, the programme successfully bridged the gap between contemporary fashion design and traditional craftsmanship - a promising direction for the future of the Thai fashion industry.
       THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS No sooner than the exclusive launch of their new collection had just premiered last month, the collective of hard-working designers, Bangkok Fashion Society, were busying themselves once again for BIFF & BIL 2009, where they participated in several programmes to represent the image of contemporary Thai fashion. But was their celebrated appearance and special sales campaign sufficient to ensure the aspired number of visitors during the four-day event? 'Muse' talked to designers of various generations about their participation in Thailand's biggest fashion trade fair.
       Looking back eight years ago when BIFF & BIL first unleashed a new zone to serve as a space for the next generation of designers, the Designers' Room has not only become a shortcut for young fashion entrepreneurs, but it is also now a centre of origin for all Bangkok fashion hot lists-to-be - one role you can say the Designers' Room has been filling successfully.
       "I also started from here," said T-ra Chantasawasdee of T-ra, who is among the first generation of designers to emerge from the Designers' Room and was again a representative there this year in its "Next" section.
       "It's like a stage where a spotlight is directed at us before we develop other elements of our fashion careers such as brand building and manufacturing for the export market. However, I think there still remains some ongoing problems that prohibit the fair from doing more for the Thai fashion scene."
       Propelling the local fashion industry is the goal of the government sector, which undoubtedly had this in mind when they initiated the fair. However, the problems the fair presents aren't due to the lack of potential of the designers or the limitations of production infrastructure as much as many might think. Instead, the organisation of the fair and the lack of strategy standards to provide visitors with accurate and useful information is more to blame.
       "I think the zoning, public relations approach and the format of the fair may not yet be clear and attractive enough," pointed Kloset Red Carpet's Nat Mangkang, who has become an international fashion fair regular thanks to Kloset's popularity overseas.
       It's undeniable that this year's Designers' Room received special attention compared to previous years, with all participating brands being divided into three groups: 20 in "New", designers who have just started their brand; 32 in "Now", the brand is firmly founded and developing; and 12 in "Next", brands with potential to expand to the international market. Joining these 60-plus brands were BFS members to give the event an added attraction.
       Despite incorporating participation from diverse players in the fashion industry, including the textile sector, BIFF & BIL somewhat received less attention than expected. "This is probably due to the current economic crisis and social problems as well as the location. This year's fair is quite quiet," said Prachaya Chaikeeree, a designer from Phil who participated in the "New" section. In addition, he further pointed out that many saw the fair as more of a market for picking up good, simliar to a factory outlet, rather than a fashion showcase, which it was intended to be.
       "Of course we have some good interaction from investors and buyers, but in general many people see it as a sales fair," he said.
       In agreement with Prachaya's remarks, Nat elaborated that more brands and better categorisation are essential in giving the fair a boost. "Big brands alone cannot attract the general public. And it's necessary to have a clear and strong image that encapsulate the essence of Thai fashion in order to trigger their interest."
       Problems aside, participating brands - both regulars and newcomers - could see a bright path ahead. "I think it's one channel for us, where we can meet new groups of customers who have no opportunities to visit our shops. This is where they can meet us," said Saitarn Karncharanwong of Papercuts and The Pencil Sharpener, a participant in the "Now" section. "Whether they come here for the sales or to really check out our collections, we still regard it as one important way to increase customer's awareness of our brand."
       But is simply boosting the level of brand awareness sufficient to propel the fair into becoming an international trade fair in the long run?
       "It's not that [Thailand] receives little attention from international buyers. Take Chatuchak Weekend Market, for example. A large number of international buyers visit there to find stuff to sell in their own shops," Nat explained.
       "And that's because Chatuchak is truly an all-in-one centre for goods. There needs to be a vast diversity of products to promote a buying atmosphere instead of being just an exhibition and fashion showcase."
       But in the end, everyone seems to agree that the potential of Thai designers and the number of quality brands in the Kingdom are sufficient enough to propel the Thai fashion scene to a better level, hopefully assisted by an extra shot in the arm from the government sector.
       "We also have the opportunity to participate in a fair in Paris, which is such great support from the government," said T-ra, who also revealed that the 12 brands in the "Next" section will participate at the Pret-A-Porter trade fair in a few weeks time - certainly a good attempt at pushing the Designers' Room to become a strong project that contributes to designers more than just a one-off appearance at BIFF & BIL.
       Despite the small number of visitors and low amount of orders placed, one thing all the designers agree on - even during this economic slump and political mess - is that they are confident of a better future for the Thai fashion industry so long as the government continues its ardent support.
       "Every fair has both good and bad points. But what we all gain is experience, which accumulates every year and enables us to move slowly forward as we intend to," T-ra concluded.

Fabrics of the future

2009-08-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

       While fashionistas look forward to the new design collections for each season, there are a number of talents who focus more on developing natural fabrics and even experimenting on new materials with the aim to produce the hitech textiles of the future.
       Have you ever wondered what kind of outfits you and the new generation will have a chance to put on in the near future?Do you wish to witness for yourself how technological developments can turn the world of textiles to a new light?
       Now running at Jim Thompson Art Centre, Soi Kasem San 2, off Rama I Road, is
       the "Futurotextiles: Surprising textiles, Design & Art" exhibition,which will take visitors on a journey beyond time to discover the future world of textiles.
       Presenting today's visionary fabrics that could turn into future reality, this travelling exhibition merges science,technology and art with all kind of tetiles. The objects, applications, and works are inspired by the wildest dreams and invent today our hopes for tomorrow.
       After the success of the exhibition in France, Turkey and Belgium during the past three years, the touring module presents a significant selection of these concrete visions of tomorrow's textiles which modify our relationship to the world, to our environment and ourselves.
       Visitors will discover the world of tex-tiles - to appropriate for themselves their incredible diversity, from fibre to weaving and mesh, to composites and non-woven textiles.
       Besides showing how today's textiles are becoming technical, innovative and intelligent, the touring module also provides visitors with an artistic, playful and poetic voyage with the creations of the greatest designers of recent years.
       The main themes include:Discovery of textiles showcases the new fibres, what the world of textiles means and what the fabrics of tomorrow will be.
       Hometex sees textiles in furniture and the creations of designers' integrating textiles and composite materials.
       Clothtex features interactive clothes and haute-couture designs with a futuristic accent.
       Mobiletex discovers the use of composite materials in the transport sector.
       Protex presents the textiles used in the area of protection - high-resistance to fire, heat and external damage.
       Buildtex displays architectural projects integrating textiles.
       Geotex shows textiles used in basements or in agriculture.
       Medtex is devoted to the uses of textiles in medicine such as prostheses and implants.
       Held in collaboration with the Embassy of France and Alliance Francaธise, the exhibition is open daily from 9am-5pm, until Oct 16. Admission is free of charge.RT
       For more information, call 02-219-2911 or email artcenter@jimthompsonhouse.com.

Prostitutes take to catwalk for one-night fashion show

2009-08-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

       Prostitutes became models for a night in Rio as they paraded the latest collection of their Daspu brand,founded four years ago to fight discrimination against their profession in Brazil.
       The voluptuous mannequins cheerfully exhibited the colourful wear during a nighttime catwalk of sorts, showing off the summer 2010 collection -"Farofa (fried manioc flour) caviar!"- inspired by bar and nightclub culture.
       They swaggered, hips jutting forward,on a red carpet laid in the middle of Tiradentes Square, in the heart of a decaying historic neighbourhood where about 300 prostitutes still work.
       "When my hooker girlfriends parade pretty and proud, they are speaking about themselves and become revolutionaries,"said Gabriela Leite,57, after the show.
       The former prostitute launched the Daspu label - a play of words on das putas (for the whores) and the posh Daslu department store in Sao Paulo.She also heads Davida, a nongovernmental group for Aids prevention and the protection of prostitutes' rights.
       The new collection, created in collaboration with designers from the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte,sought to show that prostitutes feast on farofa - a dish popular among the poorer classes - but also caviar, champagne and cachaca, a sugar cane liquor.
       The clothes sported inscriptions like "Daspu a la carte","Whore serving" or "Puta libre", a reference to the Cuba libre rum cocktail.
       This year, the fashion show closed an event organised by the city to "celebrate health and citizenship" that was supported by artists and circus dancers.
       Daspu was launched in 2005 as a way for prostitutes to gain regular income while also fighting preconceptions of people affected with Aids. Sales revenues are reinvested into initiatives combating sexually transmitted diseases.

Thai bikinis rule!

2009-08-26T20:33:00.001-07:00

       With the Miss Universe Contest 2009 all wrapped up, ICC International PCL can give themselves a pat on the back for their contribution to the success of the event. After all, they provided the BSC swimsuits for all the contestants during the sunshine days in the Bahamas.
       This is a source of pride for BSC, a local Thai company, whose swimsuits and bikinis have adorned the Miss Universe set for the past five years. This year, they sent almost 600 swimsuits for the 84 contestants. The design theme this year was "Natural and Environmental Conservation" with the colour theme being turquoise and coral, the hot colour trend for 2010, which also reflected the beauty of the Bahamas.
       Highlight of the swimsuit collection was the hand-embroidered coloured stones and coral beads to add to the luxury look.
       Two different designs were provided for the event: the Competition Suit in coral and the Fun Suit in turquoise.
       The competition suit was available in both one-piece and bikini. The bikini had a white embroidered top while the onepiece suit was coral with embroidered stones. Needless to say, all the contestants chose the bikini for the competition.
       The Fun Suit in turquoise was worn during activities and photo shoots.
       Apparently, the swimsuits were so attractive that even Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe pageant, asked to take one back with her as a memento of the event in the Bahamas.

Textile focus is on eco-friendly fibres

2009-08-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

       The future of the Thai textile industry is likely to lie in functional and eco-friendly textiles that fit with growing environmental awareness, said the Thailand Textile Institute.
       "If we take a look at past consumption trends, consumers tended to look at design. However, nowadays they look at the overall function of clothing and whether it helps protect the environment," said THTI executive-director Virat Tandaechanurat.
       "They [customers] want function,fashion and eco-textiles. Nowadays many people are crazy about the environment."
       Natural fibres for commercial use that the institute has developed are now ready to be introduced to the market.
       Under partial funding by the Office of Industrial Economics, the THTI has been researching functional textile for commercial purposes since last year.This year, two of the fibres - banana fibre and coconut charcoal in polyester fibre - won the Design Excellence Award 2009.
       Burnt coconut shells, when turned into activated carbon charcoal and mixed with polyester fibre, create a textile with 1% moisture absorption that can resist up to 80% of bacteria.
       Clothing made from coconut charcoal fibres would improve wearers' comfort and reduce odour from bacteria in garments such as socks.
       The innovative coconut charcoal in polyester fibre was developed in only six months through a collaboration between the THTI and researchers from educational institutions and manufacturers such as TTL Industries Plc, Salee Colour Plc and Sunflag (Thailand) Ltd.
       "Thailand has a lot of coconut shells lying around and people do not benefit from them. We can make use of the carbon function," said Mr Virat.
       The institute focuses on exploring materials that can replace widely used synthetic fibres made from chemical polyester.
       "The textile industry looks at benefits and functions as well, not only fashion.Therefore raw material will play a very significant role. In the future, people will be asking whether this shirt causes harm to the environment," he said.
       So-called functional textiles have special properties due to fibre and fabric technologies. For example, comfort, endurance and lack of odour are desirable in garments.
       "In children's clothing, for instance,people have been asking whether it is fireproof or not. Therefore, we, as manufacturers, need to prepare and study the market closely," said Mr Virat.
       SET-listed People's Garment recently introduced the CoolMode fabric label,initiated by the Thai Textile Institute to encourage operators toproduce environment-friendly fabrics.
       Thailand's pioneering of coconut charcoal in polyester fibre will encourage manufacturers to invest both in producing the fibre and clothing, he said.
       The fibre is environment-friendly,as activated carbon from the process can be used in other industries, and polyester can be used as bioplastics in the future.
       "This way, we will be using plants instead of petrochemicals," he said.
       The new fibre could also offer cost savings. Thailand produces little natural fibre but imports almost 400,000 tonnes of cotton and silk per year at a cost of almost 50 billion baht. Ninety percent of cotton used in the country is imported,he said.
       "Therefore if there are other fibres that can be used with them [cotton and silk], it will lower production costs," he said.
       Of the 17 factories in Thailand producing synthetic fibres,90% produce polyester.
       The THTI also plans to develop natural fibres from plants such as hemp or kanchong ."We have been in the right direction in our research over the past five years.We don't receive any money, but I consider it to boost the industry's competitiveness, since it will create product differentiation in the market," said Mr Virat.
       "In the fashion industry, differentiation and variety are the most important components, but we also have to have a quick response to customers, which comes from a strong supply chain. This is then integrated with creating products that answer consumers' demands."

THE SUBTLE SIDE OF THE SEAM

2009-08-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

       When the word "fashion" is uttered,most people jump immediately to thoughts of design elaborations, overthe-top couture,deconstruction garments or screaming, sharp-tongued individuals prancing around. But JBB*by Jirawat "Bote" Benchakarn revels on the more subtle side of fashion aesthetics. The 2-year-old menswear brand has been gradually establishing a solid reputation as a forerunner of poignant simplicity and detailed cuttings with a meticulous penchant for definitive styles. Without any hoopla or unnecessary hype, JBB* has made its name through word of mouth, which has reached far and beyond. Snuggled up a tiny corner of the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok, fashionistas,trendsetters, designers and musicians have fallen under JBB*'s understated charms and timeless designs that come with little twists. The brand has turned into a must-have for less showy men who appreciate clothes.
       With one man at the helm, JBB* offers basic items - shirts,pants, shorts, suits, jackets - to stylish men. Not taking cue from other menswear brands, Jirawat's designs are to be worn on a regular basis. At first glance, the clothes might come off as another formal, office inspired affair, but a closer inspection will reveal their intricate, precise finesse that is hard to come by these days. The modern classic designs are accompanied by comfort, fine materials and crisp patterns that call for point-topoint tailor-made construction from cutting, interlining, interfacing and stitching to hemming, right to the very last details. The sizing is also adjusted to fit regular Thai men.
       "I don't really have a brand philosophy. I just want to offer people what I like. I can only hope that others will like it to. It began out of frustration. I couldn't really find what I wanted in Thailand, so I could see that there was a gap, and I wanted to fill that. My clothes are plain and simple but never conservative,"said Jirawat.
       "No matter how out there you are in terms of fashion, you still want to have simple things in your closet. The simplicity that my brand conveys also allows wearers to be imaginative and to accessorise,appropriating the item as their own. Fashion-minded individuals would know how to match my clothes with other things while regular guys can also wear them and go about their usual business," he added.
       Jirawat "Bote" Benchakarn has a certain je ne sais quoi that puts people at ease. His genteel manners when coupled with his soft, polite tones are in contrast to his speech, which speeds up when he gets going.Jirawat can discuss his passion for fabric sourcing at
       length without boring an audience, for his enthusiasm and in-depth knowledge has been garnered first-hand.Jirawat's baby face and porcelain skin could knock a decade off his 31 years, and his attitude verges on being both a bright-eyed youth who wants cotton candy and a wise businessman who understands what it takes to endure -amost welcomed mix in the fashion industry. If judged solely by his crisp designed and prim work desk, it's almost automatic to assume his personality would be the same.
       "I guess I'm messy sometimes," he said."Take a look inside my tote! I'd like to think of myself as easy going, but people around me would beg to differ. They always say I'm meticulous with my stuff ... from eating to personal items. There's a contrast in the mix, I'd say."
       His attention to details is so deep-rooted that he refuses to use the same tailors and seamstresses for everything. Jirawat has located specialists for each type of clothing. Pant- and shirt-makers will only stick to pants and shirts,and suit or jacket masters will handle nothing else.
       "There are people who can do everything,but the people that I chose are craftsmen and craftswomen. Those who are experts with shirts usually don't do as well with pants. They're totally different arts. If they excel in one thing,they should stick to it. It wasn't easy finding them," said Jirawat.
       Surprisingly, Jirawat wasn't interested in fashion as a child. He said he had no sense of style, and didn't know what to wear. He became enamoured once he hit high school.
       "I have to say the fashion in Thailand in the '80s was rather sad, so there was nothing that captured my interest. I didn't really care. But when the '90s rolled around, and minimalist designers such as Helmut Lang or Prada got my attention, I became very interested and eager. I'd never seen anything like it before.The forms were so pure. I began to follow closely."
       When the times came for him to choose his college major, his family advised against a full-blown fashion designing degree since back then it wasn't so en vogue to take up fashion or design studies as it is now. So his seniors suggested to compromise and enroll in a fashion merchandising and marketing degree at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco.
       "During the first year, everyone had to do foundation courses which included designing and pattern-making. I wasn't so good at sewing,but I did quite well when it came to drawing.A professor somehow spotted something in my drawings, and asked me to switch my major to fashion design. He spent a semester convincing me, and at the end I told my parents about his persistence, and they became convinced too that I should switch,"he said.
       But it wasn't all rosy after he finally got to study what he wanted."I wasn't very good at pattern-making. That was my weakest point. I
       stayed later than classmates to catch up. I worked harder to compensate for my lack."
       The effort has definitely paid off. Until today, Jirawat said the handiwork skills he was taught in school helps him spot flaws and sharpened his eyes even if he doesn't do his own patterns. But a more immediate reward during his school days was receiving a year-long scholarship to study at the Chambre Syndicale De La Couture Paris School, where they specialise in couture crafts.
       "It was a great experience. The school stresses on technical aspects rather than being design driven. I learned so many skills from there. They teach you to do everything by hands. Even the pattern is not done on paper. They call it 'moulage'. It's using cloths to drape them on mannequins to make patterns. Of course, my head was spinning, but it was a good learning curve. When I went back to the US to finish my degree, I was among the top of the class when it came to pattern!"
       After graduation, Jirawant experienced emotional turmoil that left him confused. Instead of looking for a job abroad where the fashion industry would have been more thriving and aggressive, Jirawat chose to return home.
       "I was going through a lot of things. I didn't know how I felt, but I knew I had to come home. And back then the Amerian fashion industry was rather conservative and commercialised unlike now. There weren't people like Thakoon, Alexander Wang or Phillip Lim. I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that I could work from wherever I was, and I also could be happy anywhere in the world as long as I was happy inside. I still feel the same way."
       Upon his return, Jirawat took on made-to-order jobs from his social circles. He remembers being full of fresh ideas and having a tendency to deconstruct clothes for his buyers. The homegrown business went on for almost two years, and Jirawat began to feel like launching his own brand. But a lack of business stronghold prevented him from going ahead full steam. He considered furthering his education in business, but another opportunity beckoned. He learned that Club 21 was looking for an assistant buyer. He jumped at the chance and applied for the coveted position.
       "When I went for an interview, I told them honestly that my real aspiration was to have my own brand which they accepted, and they gave me a chance.It was a great job. I learned a lot from it. I learned the business side of things.It's the kind of job that you must be well rounded. You must be able to monitor and forecast trends as well as understand demands and buying statistics. I had fun."
       Jirawat spent three years at Club 21, and two years ago, he quit to pursue his dream. He simply set up a small outlet that required no one in the company but himself. Trusted tailors and seamstresses are retained and paid accordingly. The business now, he said, is going rather well with his customers, who understand the brand and its footholds. Asked if he faced any initial obstacles when first starting up, Jirawat paused to ponder.
       "I'd say it's still the same problem as in today. It's so hard to find skilled,trained workers. The really good ones either have passed away or are quite old. I've tried to analyse why Thais are lacking in this area. I guess it's because the art of tailoring is from the West, and it doesn't pay well here. They get paid per piece while their Western counterparts get paid for each hour they put into a creation. In order to make ends meet, a lot of workers cut out a lot of aspects of the process - the kind of aspects that pay attention to details and address complication. So you end up getting short-changed. The ones I'm working with now are great. It took me a while to locate them, but it's worth it."
       Jirawat also pays no heed to staging a fashion show. Not that he's taking a grand stand against the industry, but he feels that his clothes must be looked upon closely rather than from a distance. The international market will also have to wait as he won't venture overseas until he's sure-footed.
       "I don't have any big plans at the moment. I just want to expand my suiting line, and have more clothing categories in the shop. I'd like to see the sizing more standardised," he said.
       "I'm looking for more clarity."

EXPORTERS SEEK TAX CUTS FOR REST OF YEAR

2009-08-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

       The government has been urged to cut withholding and income taxes applying to exporters as an urgent measure to boost export growth in the remaining months of 2009.
       The call was made yesterday by exporters themselves, saying that proposed cuts to import duties may be ineffective in bolstering export growth in all sectors.
       Next week the Commerce Ministry is to propose a cut in import duties to the Cabinet, as a measure to promote export growth in the second half of the year. The measure was suggested earlier by 23 trade associations.
       However, Thai Garment Manufacturers Association secretary-general Wallop Vitanakorn said that import tariffs for his industry were already very low. Only 1-per-cent import duty is payable on yarn and 5 per cent on fabric. Import tariffs on machinery for the indystry are also only 1 per cent, he said.
       The Asean-China Free Trade Agreement will also abolish import taxes on textile and fabric imports next year.
       To ensure that the government's support measures will help all industrial sectors, the government should cut withholding taxes for all exporters from 3 per cent to 1 per cent instead of cutting import duties, he said.
       Although the Finance Ministry may lose some income, it should not face any legal difficulties in cutting withholding taxes to give the export sector temporary help for the remaining month of the year, Wallop said.
       He also called for the government to reduce company income taxes from 30 per cent to 25 or 28 per cent for exporters, because high tax collections were part of the burden being carried by exporters.
       Wallop said the government had already reduced income taxes for stocl-marketing investors. It should also consider cutting taxes for the export sector, which was a major engine driving Thailand's economic growth.
       In addition, to increase liquidity for small- and medium-sizes enterprises (SMEs), Wallop called for government-owned banks to relax the qualifications required for loan finance.
       For example, government banks should lower their collateral or mortgage security requirements from 80 to 100 per cent of total loan value to less than 50 per cent for SMEs.
       Thai Frozen Foods Association president Panisual Jamnanwej said that in this industry, import tariffs were major burden only for shrimp exporters.
       He suggested that the government should consider cutting import tariffs on shrimp feed because this was a major cost of production for shrimp exporters.
       To ensure smooth export growth, the government should stabilise the exhcange rate, as the baht's apprecition had caused difficulties for exporters' competitiveness, he said.
       A Commerce Ministry source said the Commerce and Finance Ministries had agreed that, instead of cutting taxes related to imports, they should seek new measures that could be implemented more rapidly.
       "The ministry has asked exporters from each tradle association to send their opinions, and on which products they want the government to cut import duties. Responses will be returned to the ministry this week for passing on for the Cabinet's approval, as an urgent measure to lower the burden on exporters," the source said.
       Previously, a proposal to cut related import tariffs to help exporters was rejected by the Finance Ministry as it involved legal changes.
       Nevertheless, the source said cuts to import tariffs should be implemented within a month of receiving Cabinet's approval. This would ensure that exports could return to positive growth next month or in October.
       This would help to avoid a drop in exports earlier projected at a contraction of 18 to 20 per cent, and would mean a drop of only 10 to 13 per cent for the entire year, the source said.

Designers, start your engines!

2009-08-23T22:54:00.002-07:00

       As most of the Western Hemisphere may know,Project Runway was absent as a cultural force for some time while the matter of its broadcast became the subject of a courtroom fight, which seemed to consume as much legal energy as in the case of Bush versus Gore. The dispute involved, among other things,lawsuits between NBC Universal, which owns Bravo, where Project Runway ran for five seasons, and the Weinstein Co, which produces the series. Weinstein had sold the show to Lifetime, NBC claimed it did so unlawfully, and executives from both companies displayed Bridezilla -level nastiness toward each other until the case was settled in April.
       Ultimately,Project Runway was permitted to move to Lifetime, and so it goes with a roster of 16 contestants,among them several of the standard archetypes without whom competitive reality television could not thrive.Though the setting has shifted from New York to Los Angeles, the look and feel of the show are essentially unchanged,with Heidi Klum and her Valkyrie manner still doing the hosting and Tim Gunn continuing to bring an Oxford don's comportment to his sartorial mentoring. It is season six, and I still don't know why he is advising people on how to make a halter seem less like a nappy when he looks as though he ought to be helping stalled doctoral candidates complete dissertations on Spenser.
       What's jarring is the marriage between the series and its new home.Project Runway isBarneys; Lifetime is Kohl's. The cable outfit that broadcasts Army Wives and Reba reruns maintains an ethos that says:"Viewer, I see your cellulite; I'm down with your fibromyalgia;I know your menopausal misery". Strikingly,however, while Project Runway has been decidedly non-ageist in the past, drawing from designers at different stages in their careers,the current season is loaded with the unwrinkled:nine of the 16 competitors are under 30, possibly a function of the fact that the casting is now conducted by Bunim-Murray, producers of The Real World .And yet there is no mistake that you're watching Lifetime when you encounter Qristyl, a
       41-year-old woman who designs plus-size
       clothing and makes no excuses."I don't call it plus-size," she tells us,"I call it plussexy." Qristyl is up against the likes of
       Ra'mon-Lawrence, who occupies the slot devoted to contestants whose parents must be transitioning to mood stabilisers full-time.Ra'mon-Lawrence,30, had gone to medical school to study neurosurgery but felt the world would be better served if he offered it more offthe-shoulder looks. Though he knew he would be great at neurosurgery, the passion just wasn't there.
       Self-doubt belongs to Johnny, a former crystal meth addict who has a breakdown trying to meet the first challenge, which in a concession to the Los Angeles setting involves designing something for the red carpet. Gunn has great compassion for Johnny's terror of failure and goes all therapeutic on him, asking, as if the answer weren't self-evident,"But are you being too hard on you?". When the buttoned-up Gunn tells him to "let it go, let it go", it is as though Ralph Bellamy were instructing someone to try Bikram Yoga.
       Every design competition on television seems to require the presence of a lad who doesn't want anyone making assumptions about his sexuality based on what some may consider effete interests. Here we have Logan, who looks as if he could be a hunky quarterback on Friday Night Lights , explaining that he is a strong pattern maker but implying that he doesn't spend his nights at home rewatching Sabrina and talking about Edith Head. As Logan bluntly puts it:"I'm definitely different from a normal fashion designer. I'm more of a guy's guy".
       And yet Project Runway remains a celebration of diversity, a homage to what New York's former mayor David N. Dinkins called the "gorgeous mosaic". There are three African-American contestants, along with those with Eastern European last names, Asian ones and Greek ones.Gordana, a designer from South Carolina who speaks with a heavy accent, relays in her introduction that she is from the former Yugoslavia,where had she stayed, she explains, she would have only known about corn and potatoes. The greatest and most innovative US fashion has never come from the Mayflower descended. It has come from those deeply invested in reinvention.Project Runway has absorbed the history lesson.

Kids go crazy

2009-08-23T22:54:00.001-07:00

       The latest thing on the fashion runway is the trendy, quirky clothes for kids from Rhapsody in the Gaysorn mall.
       The hoemgrown label established last year by Wannaporn Polshyanonda and her friends is achieving what it set out to do: create something brand new for toodlers.
       Showing a love of music and art, the design draw inspiration from rock tunes and graffiti, while some pieces keep it simple in stripes and polk dots.
       The cute and playful outfits arfe detailed but functional, utilising well-cut cotton and denim.
       Browse around the boutique and be amazed by the range of clothes for kids two to six year old. There are T-shirts, jeans, shorts, blouses, dresses and skirts. most in vivid pinks, blues, purples and reds, with more modest white and black tones as well.

       - A long-sleved T-shirt with stripes for Bt590 matches these short jeans priced at Bt 1,490.
       - This blue T-shirt with a piano motif costs B620.
       - A bowie T-shirt on offer for Bt670, with striped pants for Bt950.

       >> TODDLER TOGS
       Rhapsody is in the Myth section on the second floor of Gaysorn and open daily from 10 to 8. call (02) 656 1372.
       - This bright blue tartan shirt is available for Bt850.
       - Smart Purple jeans sell for Bt1,230.

AUDREY BEFORE CHANEL

2009-08-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

       Perhaps best known for her iconic role in "Amelie" French actess Audrey Tautou takes on another icon in "Coco avant Chanel" ("Coco Before Chanel"), a biographical drama tracing Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's rise from penniless seamstress and cabaret singer to haute couture legend.
       In the movie directed by Anne Fontaine, Tautou co-stars with Belgian actor Benoit Poelvoorde, who portrays wealthy playboy Etienne Balsan. While living as a kept woman on his country estate, she adapts his wardrobe and begins to show her trademark style of elegant simplicity. The corset-scorning, free-spirited Coco then embarks on a troubled romance with British indus trialist Boy Capel (American actor Alessandro Nivola).
       In this interview provided by film distributor United Home Entertainment, Tautou talks about the preparations she made to protray the steely and determined Coco.
       What attracted you most in Coco Chanel's personality? Were there mysterious aspects of it, things people may not be aware of?
       What attracted me most her strength. She lied about her youth-the fact that she was an orphan, a self-made person, how she grew up. She was so proud that she didn't want people to feel sorry for her. She wanted to be equal to others, and had a great desire to keep her past, her sufferings, to herself. I think that's what makes this character so mysterious and so powerful.
       The clothes are so important in this movie, they are almost characters in themselves.
       Yes, because she saw in clothes a way to obtain what she wanted for herself. She wanted freedom in her clothes. They are not accessories of decorations. Before, women were wearing decorations so that people could see that they were rich. Chanel was unique because she knew that elegance comes from inside. She was very clever, very modern, very attentive. So, she invented a new style for herself, She felt that the position and the condition of women couldn't remain the way it was. It was something very personal. She wanted to become somebody.
       Did you develop a taste for Chanel as a result of this project?
       I've always loved the Chanel style because the clothes are very feminine and very French. I was interested in the Chanel character, and with Anne Fontaine, we agreed to make a movie for people who are not crazy about fashion. That would have been too restrictive, and not interesting.
       It's a love story.
       Yes, because she is a very Romanesque heroine. Her life and her character are so unusual in that seh is more than what she did. Her personality was even stronger than anything she did.
       Can you talk about the two male leads in the film: Benoit Poelvoorde, who plays Balsan; and Alessandro Nivola, who plays Boy Capel?
       Benoit is really an excellent actor. I didn't know him personally but I had seen him in films. And Alessandro has an air of charm and mystery. The two men are very different, and it was very important for me to play next to them. Their characters were crucial men in the life of Chanel.
       She is sent away from Balsan's chateau a few times, but she always stayed. Is that because she had no choice, or because she had little pride?
       I think at first it's because she has no chioice, and also because she is very clever and cunning. She knows how to use Balsan. She knows he is the only way for her to discover this world. And she knows she can be someone.
       You've said you like to play strong women: did you feel she was a kindred spirit?
       I really admire her integrity, her cleverness, how she was very modern for a woman at this time. I don't know if I really look like her but I am not a person who compromises.
       And that is why you identified with Chanel?
       Yes, and I like her very much too because she managed in her way to free women.
       Did your view of Chanel change after this film? Do you think of her differently now?
       Yes, of course, Because I know her better, I am more sensitive towards her. I am very moved by her intelligence and humour.
       How did you prepare for the role?
       I read the books about her and I watched footage, but she was much older than the period we are concerned with. I wanted to see how she moved and the sparkle in her eyes. And I also looked at a lot of photos.
       How did you feel about the scene at the end, which was filmed in her apartment?
       It was scary because we were shooting on the mythical staircase with the mirrors, and it was the final scene of the movie. We had only one day to get it right so there was a lot of pressure. And there were lots of people from Chanel there too. So, I was very, very focused.
       Was it hard to leave the character when you finished the movie?
       No, it was a relief. I had to carry her toughness with me all along the way that was a heavy weight to carry. So I was happy to put it down.

WAR IN FASHION

2009-08-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

       Current battles barely register on designers radar, writes Samantha Critchell from New York

       The fashion legacy of World War I includes trench coats and shorter skirts. World War II popularised sportswear, strong shoulders and nipped waists. Vietnam inspired protestdriven army green and fatigues.Wartime has heralded strong periods of US style, yet the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq seem to be barely a blip on the radar of the fashion community.There's been an uptick in camouflage prints and, a few seasons back, a mini boom of the kind of epaulettes typical of military jackets - but those styles were around before the current conflicts, and they'll probably circle back again when they are resolved.
       These wars, which began in 2001 and 2003, respectively,"have not been impactful", at least not in obvious ways,says Kathleen Campbell, a fashion historian affiliated with the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota. That minimal effect might be because they are not global wars dominating the conversation in the same sense as the World Wars, nor have there been huge public protests even if they're considered unpopular by some.
       However, she adds, when history judges this period with a long-view perspective, an influence - possibly the use of scarves and/or layers like the ones used in those regions to protect against weather extremes might emerge."I think we're too close to analyse the effects now. It's much easier to see in retrospect."
       There was no such time lag, though, during World War II, which changed the way those in the US dressed forever.
       Because of rationing of materials, domestic manufacturers began using nylon and rayon as alternativen as to silk and wool, and the silhouettes became much leaner - requiring much less fabric.
       Style cues were no longer coming from occupied Paris, so US designers stepped up to develop their own casual, separates-driven sensibility. The public was eager to show off its patriotism, making brass buttons and bomber jackets trendy items.
       "You haven't seen the military details in fashion now the way you had previously seen them during wars or in the ironic ways they were worn by the counterculture during Vietnam," says Andrew Bolton, curator at Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York.
       Apart from an increase in tan-and-brown "desert"coloured camouflage, recent fashion trends do not make such nods to the armed forces.
       A practical way of dressing also typically emerges during wartime, while conspicuous consumption comes in times of peace, Bolton says. The last seven-plus years have brought both.
       There is a noticeable push of local, homegrown talent at the moment, Bolton notes, although that's probably more driven by the economy than by war."The recession has affected fashion, and the recession is allied to the war in some respects," he says.
       The industry's concern right now is to get people shopping again as consumer confidence fell in July yet again. That has meant a revival of some classics that offer a lot of wear and usage instead of super stylised items that don't give a lot of bang for the buck.(Interestingly, many of those versatile US classics have a hint of the '40s in them, especially Claire McCardell's nofuss, no-muss denim, ballet slippers and belted dresses.)
       Campbell thinks fashion might be missing an opportunity with its inward focus.
       "I have often thought in these past few years, if Yves Saint Laurent was still alive and designing, he'd take the beautiful Afghani layered looks and interpret them beautifully on the runway," she says."They wear a tunic over pants, a vest over tunic - it's really quite beautiful and I don't think anyone has really picked up on that."
       Bolton also has observed fewer overseas influences, especially Asian ones, as designers also mine the looks of old-school style icons,such as the late Jackie Kennedy or C.Z. Guest,as inspiration.
       Still, it's not in-your-face US patriotism, either.
       Tommy Hilfiger did his fair share of stars-and-stripes styles in the late 1990s and especially right after September 11,2001, but you don't see that in his collection now.
       "When the Iraq War started,we were expanding a lot in Europe and we decided to pull back on all the red, white and blue," Hilfiger explains."We didn't want to wave the flag in a strong way, for fear the international customer base would not be very positive on that."
       There's a way to spin true US fashion, with its strong roots in sportswear, without burdening it with a message other than USbased designers "know how to make some really cool clothes", he says.
       Hilfiger has incorporated military-style jackets and pants into recent lines, but it's purposefully done in a preppy tone, he says."I think the Americana will come back at some time, but it will be a different way."
       "When I started out in '69, it was a revolution in itself. We were all revolting against the establishment, and we used long hair, bell-bottoms and hippie clothes to make a statement against the establishment. We wanted peace and love, and we felt the politicians wanted commercialism and war," Hilfiger says.
       "Now fashion is not as much a political statement, it's just a fashion statement."

Artistic accessories

2009-08-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

       British designer Paul Smith has teamed up with British artist and Royal Academician Craigie Aitchison to produce a series of limited edition prints used in men's accessories for the Autumn-Winter 2009 collection.
       The collection will be launched in October to coincide with the Frieze Art Fair in London. It consists of four styles of men's tie, cufflinks and scarves featuring the bird, dog and boat drawings with which Craigie has become synonymous.
       Aitchison began his studies at the Slade School of Fine Art, London, in 1952. His work is characterised by the use of intense,pure colour to describe shape and form in extremely spare compositions. His subject matter is traditional, featuring religious themes, landscapes, portraits and still-lifes.
       In 1955 Aitchison was awarded the British Council Italian Government Scholarship for painting and travelled to Italy,where the clear light and natural 'Biblical'landscapes had a profound influence on his work. In 1978 he was elected an associate member and in 1988 a member of the Royal Academy of Art.
       His latest exhibition,"The Art of Craigie Aitchison", was held last year at the Paul Smith Space in Tokyo. In 2009, Aitchison received an honorary Doctorate of Arts degree from the University of Bath.
       Colour defines Craigie's paintings,along with a sensibility to perceive what is odd or unique in the co-monplace. An eclectic mix of flowers, vases, crucifixes, dead birds, landscapes and his beloved Bedlington terriers form his subject matter.
       There will also be a small exhibition of Craigie's prints at the Terminal 5 shop,Heathrow Airport from Octber 15-18 to coincide with the Frieze Art Fair. The art fair takes place every Oct-ber in Regents Park,London, and provides and environment where new and established artists can display their work to visitors from around the world.
       In Bangkok, you can find the Paul Smith /Craigie Aitchison acce-sories on the first floor of The Emporium shopping complex and Siam Paragon.

US clothiers' Q2 results beat forecasts

2009-08-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

       Phillips-Van Heusen Corp, Gymboree Corp and Hot Topic Inc posted better-than-expected quarterly results on Wednesday but gave disappointing outlooks, sending shares of the clothing manufacturer and retailers down in after-hours trade.
       But shares of Limited Brands Inc increases by 1% after the operator of the Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works chains forecast a full-year profit range that was better than analysts were expecting.
       At Limited Brands, adjusted earnings of 19 cents in the second quarter beat the 16 cents expected, on average, by Wall Street. Net income fell 27% to $74.3 million.
       Earlier on Wednesday, Perry Ellis Inter-national, known for its men's clothes,reported a narrower-than-expected loss and forecast full-year profit above Wall Street estimates, sending shares up 17%to $10.45.
       Phillips-Van Heusen, a manufacturer that owns the Calvin Klein brand, said its adjusted profit was 60 cents per share,above the 44 cents analysts expected,according to Reuters Estimates.
       The company cited cost cuts, tightened inventory and strength in its wholesale and retail sportswear businesses.
       Phillips-Van Heusen raised its earnings forecast for the full year to a range of $2.30 to $2.40 per share from a prior view of $2.05 to $2.30 per share.
       Still, the new range did not reflect an equal gain from the strong secondquarter performance, suggesting that the company was being somewhat con-servative in its projections, said Wedbush Morgan analyst Jeff Mintz.
       Phillips-Van Heusen's shares fell 1%to $34.85 after hours.
       At Hot Topic, which sells rock n' rollinspired apparel, accessories and music,a quarterly net loss per share was a penny better than expectations, while a third-quarter earnings outlook fell just below Wall Street's view. Shares fell 2.2%after hours.
       Wall Street Strategies analyst Brian Sozzi wrote that Hot Topic faced difficult comparisons with the prior year on margins and same-store sales in light of last year's launch of clothes tied to the successful "Twilight" series.
       At Gymboree, a 5% gain in total sales and a lower tax rate boosted net income in the second quarter, but a third-quarter earnings forecast range of 95 cents to $1.03 per share fell shy of an average analyst expectation of $1.05.
       The head of research firm Retail Metrics, Ken Perkins, said investors want to be shown signs of good news, given that retail stocks have been rising steadily since lows in March.
       "Management may still be cautious in guiding lower, but the investors are looking for more improvement in the guidance as well as finally showing some top line growth which most people still aren't doing," Perkins said.
       "It's hard to gauge whether companies are being overly cautious in their outlooks for the year," he said.
       "If you overpromise and underdeliver you get killed, but a lot of these stocks have run up so much. Investors are getting in ahead of the recovery. Now it's the 'show me' phase."

A way with waste

2009-08-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

       Fallen leaves and fruit skin have no use for city people, but a group of villagers in Khiriwong, Nakhon Si Thammarat, seem to have found a way with the waste which they use to produce natural dyes.
       Khiriwong village sits at the foot of Khao Luang mountain and is fed by a stream full of fish.
       These dyes, created with local ingenuity and used for colouring clothes, blouses and accessories, have earned Tambon Kamlon, of which the village is part, a name and have been accorded OTOP (one tambon, one product) rating.
       "We aim to make the most use of materials naturally available in our community," said Aree Khunthon, leader of a housewife group which has been producing natural dyes for 14 years.
       The orchards of Khiriwong yield mangosteen, durian, rambutan, garcinia (som khaek), longon, mango, parkia (sataw) and other plants depending on time of year, a factor helped by good weather and fresh air that, according to the Pollution Control Department, is among the cleanest measured in the country. The village sits at the foot of Khao Luang, the highest mountain in southern Thailand.
       But selling fruit alone wasn't enough to make a living, recalled Aree of the years before her group embarked on a programme to produce natural dyes to supplement their meagre income. Back then the average earning of a family was 10,000-30,000 baht earned between August and October, while it sat idled for the rest of the year.
       Following a series of natural disasters starting with flooding in 1975 and 1988 and drought in 1996, the villagers decided to switch to something that would allow them stable and sustained income, and where they wouldn't have to rely soely on the weather.
       Stalks of parkia pods, used for dyeing, on sale.
       After several rounds of debate and discussion, they settled on something that would make use of local ingenuity, using up to 80% of raw materials available locally and be environmentally friendly, explained Aree.
       For start-up capital, the village received 25,000 baht from the Komol Keemthong Foundation. "Instead of using plastic ropes to create patterns on cloth, we use bamboo sticks, which come handy when making small patterns such as flowers and leaves, and they can also be reused," she said.
       The cloth is put in a basin containing liquid dyes produced from natural materials.
       The dyes themselves are made by boiling the leaves or fruit in huge enamel basins for a whole day. Dead mangosteen leaves give off orange colour while fresh ones produce pink shade; bangal almond produces yellowish-green shade; parkia pods give off grey colour; parkia pods boiled with rambutan skins produce dark grey hue; core of jackfruit produces yellow colour; leaves of peka (Oroxylum indicum) olive green; and seeds of jiringa ( nieng) brown colour.
       Each piece of cloth is dyed at least three times to ensure colour does not run. The raw materials used to make the dyes are later dried to be used as cooking fuel.
       Currently there are 33 families joining the programme, each earning between 3,000 to 7,000 baht a month selling cotton shirts, blouses, pants, tablecloths, bed cover sheets, pillow cases, hats, key chains and bags.
       "We will keep experimenting trying to use natural materials to explore new dyes and create fresh designs," said Aree, "to ensure the products we make remain unique to our village."
       Garcinia is sour. Locals also use it as substitute for lemon for seasoning food, especially soups.
       Mangosteen is exported but its leaves are used for making dyes.
       Aree Khunthon scoops to show dye made from mangosteen leaves.

Outfits for every occasion

2009-08-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

       Although she earned her degree in hotel management from the US and continues her career in catering for Bangkok's top luxury hotels, having a relative dubbed as the forerunner for ladies gown designs in
       Thailand - Lamyong Bunyarataphan helped foster a passion for fashion in Panumas Chirathivat, and it has become her true calling.
       Located on the 23rd floor of Centara Grand Hotel,"Panumas" offers stylish and classic evening dresses for women who yearn to fill their
       wardrobe with elegant outfits that can apply to different occasions, from tea parties to glamorous
       gala dinners.
       "My aim is to offer pieces that are easy to mix and match," Panumas said."Like choosing the right shoes, bags and acce-
       sories that you can apply to both day and night occasions."
       Panumas' showroom also offers a corner for imported jewellery from France and Japan, as well as vintage designed accessories by Thai designer PRAVIT, to complete your outfit with elegant choices to match.

Uptown fashion for hip girls

2009-08-19T20:58:00.001-07:00

       MILIN'S 'LET THEM EAT CAKE'
       Inspired by Sofia Coppola's Oscarwinning award for best costume in Marie Antoinette , Milin - one of Bangkok's newest fashion houses - recently launched a chic and sexy womenswear collection.
       Named after the notorious quote of the late scandalous French queen, the runway of "Let Them Eat Cake" transformed the elements embodied by Kirsten Dunst who played Queen Marie Antoinette - into cool mini-dresses, one-shoulder dresses,form-fitting trouser suits and frilled tops you see all through the collections, according to designer Milin Yuvacharuskul and her team.
       Being a newcomer in the world of the Thai fashion business, Milin is set to play a vital role as a new alternative for hip uptown young women.
       "Lindsay Lohan would be the perfect representation of this collection," Milin insisted."We think of bold and dressy party girls who look rebellious and yet can be so sweet and innocent like no other girl."

CHIROFIT PLANS TO EXPAND INTO SINGAPORE, DUBAI

2009-08-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

       Chirofit Chiropractic Clinic plans to enter Singapore and Dubai next year by forming local partnerships.
       "This is my intention to expand the business overseas. We piloted Chirofit Chiropractic and Fitness four years ago in Thong Lor. This kind of medical science, which is aimed at balancing the body structure for the most effective functioning, is gradually getting recognised and the Singaporean investor is interested in operating this clinic in Singapore," managing director Montanat Rojjanasrirat said yesterday.
       The company and its local partners in Singapore and Dubai are conducting market surveys with the view to establishing chiropractic clinics possibly next year, when the world's economy is expected to stabilise.
       The cost for opening a clinic, for example in Singapore, is about Bt100 million, which would be shared with the local partner.
       Neither Dubai nor Singapore has any comprehensive chiropractic clinics.
       Montanat, a chiropractor who founded the clinic, also plans to grow his business within the country by setting up three clinics in major cities next year and a specialised chiropractic hospital in three to five years.
       Montanat currently has two locations in the Sukhumvit area. The Chirofit Chiropractic and Fitness in the Home Place Building on Soi Thong Lor was recently reduced to just a fitness centre, while the Chirofit Chiropractic Clinic in the Bangkok Mediplex Building on Soi Ekamai has become a fully integrated chiropractic clinic.
       The Ekamai clinic has just completed a Bt100-million second-phase expansion to 600 square metres from 250 square metres to provide space for specific diagnosis rooms, private massage rooms and a spacious area for therapeutic exercise.
       Before treatment, patients are submitted to a diagnosis for the balance of body structure, bone mineral density and muscle rigidity.
       The expansion made the Ekamai clinic the most complete chiropractic centre in the country.
       The number of clients there is expected to increase to 120-150 per month from 80-100 at present, helping the centre to achieve Bt80 million-Bt100 million in revenue this year.
       "The Ekamai clinic generated revenue of Bt30 million in the first half of this year, up 200 per cent from the same period last year. It indicates that people recognise such an alternative medical science more. So, I think it's a good time to expand the second phase at Ekamai and we have a chance to go overseas, as well," he added.

FOOTWEAR FROM CHINA, VN UNDER CLOSE WATCH

2009-08-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

       The Foreign Trade Department is closely monitoring footwear imports from China and Vietnam to protect against those countries using the Kingdom in order to circumvent anti-dumping duties in the European Union.
       Director-general Chutima Bunyapraphasara yesterday said the Commerce Ministry had been forced to launch stringent monitoring of products from those countries due to the growing number of circumvention cases in the Kingdom.
       In particular, China and Vietnam have exported shoes via Thailand to escape anti-dumping charges levied on them by the EU.
       The department reported that some countries facing high anti-dumping duties elsewhere were also seeking to get round the problem by re-exporting their products from Thailand.
       "The ministry will closely monitor imports of shoes from neighbouring countries wishing to reap the benefits of low export tariffs to the European Union.
       "This practice could create problems for Thai footwear exports, as the EU may impose anti-dumping duties on Thai shoes as well," she said.
       Shoe exports from China and Vietnam face EU anti-dumping duties of 16.5 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.
       To ensure Thai footwear exports do not face similar EU anti-dumping duties, the department will meet with shoe manufacturers and exporters to find a solution to the problem next Wednesday.
       The department the same day will conduct a seminar to promote better understanding on raw materials used in shoe manufacturing under EU rules of origin.
       According to the Department of Export Promotion, Thai footwear exports were worth US$405 million (Bt13.8 billion) in the first half of the year.
       The EU is Thailand's biggest export market, accounting for 42 per cent in value terms.
       The main kinds of footwear shipped are leather shoes and sneakers.
       Previously, $20 million of tow trucks exported from Thailand to the EU faced an anti-dumping duty of 46 per cent after the EU found that major components were manufactured in China and Vietnam.
       The problem has added to the difficulties faced by exporters. Since the tow-truck case, the EU has stringently inspected goods exported from Thailand over concern about duty circumvention.
       Germany has also called for the Thai government to closely monitor bicycle exports, again because of the danger of re-exporting products originating from China and Vietnam.
       Other products about which the EU has expressed great concern over circumventing are electrical appliances, garments and toys.

NY lawsuit vs book's author okayed

2009-08-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

       Ajury can decide whether the author of a best-selling book about the death of Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith defamed her lawyer by making allegations that may be too outlandish to be true, including that he pimped her to up to 50 men a year, a judge concluded on Wednesday.
       US District Judge Denny Chin found plenty of reasons to let a jury hear the facts behind a $60 million (2 billion baht) libel lawsuit brought by lawyer Howard K. Stern against Blonde Ambition author Rita Cosby, a veteran television news anchor and Inside Edition correspondent. The lawsuit was filed less than a month after the book was published in September 2007.
       The judge said the book's claim that Stern had a sexual relationship with Larry Birkhead, the father of Smith's daughter, was "nothing short of explosive. Perhaps too explosive."
       "In other words," he said,"printing a claim that Birkhead and Stern had sex would be a way to make it to the top of the bestseller list, and a reasonable jury could find that Cosby ignored the inherently improbable nature of the statement in her zeal to write a blockbuster book."
       Stern and Birkhead have denied any sexual relationship.
       The judge said there was "substantial evidence"to let a reasonable jury find Cosby acted with malice in stating in the book that Smith obtained a videotape of Birkhead and Stern having sex and regularly watched it in front of her nannies.
       He noted that Cosby travelled to the Bahamas after Stern filed the lawsuit to try to meet with the nannies and in a conversation with one of their representatives proposed paying the nannies to sign an affidavit supporting the statements attributed to them in the book, which was published by Hachette Book Group USA Inc.
       The judge, who dropped the publisher as a defendant, called Cosby's actions "extremely troubling" and said they "suggest that she was attempting to obstruct justice by tampering with witnesses".
       He said a reasonable jury could conclude that Cosby knew she had fabricated the information about Smith watching the videotape and "was desperate to come up with an after-the-fact verification of one of the more salacious and explosive allegations in the book".
       He also said a jury can decide whether there was malice in the book's statements that Smith thought Stern was involved in the death of her son and that many people in Smith's inner circle thought Stern was involved in her death. He tossed out eight of 19 other claims.
       Cosby lawyer Elizabeth A. McNamara said she was gratified the judge had dismissed some of the statements at issue in the case and was "fully confident" the jury would dismiss the
       others once it hears the evidence surrounding Stern's life with Smith.
       Stern, who began doing legal work for Smith in 1997, became romantically involved with her in 2000 but kept the relationship secret until 2006, according to evidence in the case.
       Stern attorney L. Lin Wood said his client was "very pleased"with the judge's decision to let a jury decide whether Cosby defamed him with claims that Smith thought he was involved in her son's death, that he had pimped her out and that he had engaged in sex with Birkhead."Those areas," Wood said,"were the heart and soul of our complaint."
       The judge also wrote that there was evidence that Cosby made up quotes. He said a jury could conclude that statements in the book that Smith knowingly acted as a prostitute with Stern as her pimp or that Stern drugged her and pimped her to as many as 50 men a year "are so inherently improbable that Cosby was reckless in including them in the book".
       "It will be up to a jury to determine whether this statement is as inherently improbable as it sounds," he said.
       Smith, the 1993 Playmate of the Year, had a successful career as a clothing model before landing her own reality TV show,The Anna Nicole Show . The Texas native was found unconscious in a Florida hotel room in 2007 and was declared dead of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. She was 39.
       Smith's son, Daniel, who was born in 1986,died of an apparent prescription drug overdose in the Bahamas just a few days after Smith gave birth to her daughter, Dannielynn, in 2006.
       Cosby, a journalist for more than 20 years, has worked as a correspondent and host for CBS,MSNBC and Fox News. She began covering Smith in 2006.

ICC helps Speedo build Asian sales

2009-08-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

       ICC International Plc, the fashion, cosmetics and swimwear distributor of the Saha Group, is expected to become a production hub for Speedo swimwear in Asia over the next two years.
       Speedo expects Asia to contribute its highest growth in the next five years,and recently set up a regional office in Hong Kong.
       ICC vice-president Chailert Manoonpol said the company was developing Asian sizes for Speedo, which before offered only international fits.
       Speedo will move 20% of its production capacity from Sri Lanka to Thailand next year. Saha Group's capacity will rise to between 1.4 million and 1.5 million Speedo suits per year,from 1.2 million. About 70% of the output will be exported to Europe and Asia. Speedo has three production bases in China, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
       "Thailand has good infrastructure and Saha Group provides better services and delivers products on time," Mr Chailert said.
       Apart from Speedo, ICC is taking its own BSC swimwear brand international. BSC has been an official swimwear sponsor for the Miss Universe pageant for five years, including the one to be held on Aug 23 in the Bahamas.
       "We have spent almost 100 million baht on sponsorship but got back more than that. The result is not only for swimwear but also for other products under the BSC brand," he said.
       Sponsorship marketing has brought BSC an international brand image. As well, the company has learned more about women's body shapes globally and can adapt products accordingly.
       "Through the Miss Universe contest,each year people in more than 84 countries see our products. We believe the BSC swimwear brand will be etched in consumers' memories," he said.
       To strengthen its global image, ICC has renamed the brand "BSC International" and is dealing with foreign partners to export BSC swimwear.
       Currently, BSC offers products in more than 10 categories from lingerie,to jeans, cosmetics, handbags, swimwear and food supplements.
       BSC cosmetics and lingerie are exported to Vietnam, the Philippines,Indonesia, Laos and Burma and will be available in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia soon.
       Currently, the market value of swimwear sold through department stores is estimated to be worth one billion baht. ICC sells four brands - BSC,Speedo, Streamline and Elle - with Speedo accounting for half of its sales.

PAUL SMITH HAS CRAIGIE AITCHISON ETCH A NECKTIE

2009-08-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

       Fashion designer Paul Smith is so fascinated with the colour ful paintings of British artist Craigie Aitchison that he's persuaded him to "come down from the walls" and help him turn them into men's accessories.
       Giving people a chance to wear Aitchison's art, their collaboration on a limited edition for autumn-winter 2009 features four styles of neckties, cufflinks and scarves with Aitchison's drawings of birds, dogs and boats.
       The items will go on sale in Octobe, coinciding with London's Frieze Art Fair, and Aitchison's original prints will be on view in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 from October 15 to 18.
       Then the accessories will be available at the Paul Smith boutiques in Bangkok's Emporium and Siam Pargon. Have a look at www.PaulSmith.co.uk.
       Calling himself a long-time "friend and admirer" of Aitchison, Smith says he particularly likes the colour and simplicity of his paintings.
       Aitchison, who honed his skills at London's Slade School of Fine Art in the 1950s, uses intense,
pure colours to form shapes in paintings that depict religious themes, landscapes, portraits and still-lifes.
       In 1955 he travelled to Italy on a schol-arship and soaked up "the clear light and natural
'Biblical' landscapes". Now a member of Britain's Royal Academy of Arts, he continues to present "what is unique or even odd in the commonplace".
       You can expect to see flowers, crucifixes, dead birds and his beloved and very-much-alive Belington terriers in many of his pieces.

THE MAN WITH DESIGNS ON A COUNTRY TOWN

2009-08-19T00:42:00.000-07:00

       The Marquis de Sade once lived in the French town of Lacoste,a hotbed of Protestantism, built ofcafe au lait -coloured stone and holding the heights across the Luberon River valley from the proud Catholic spires of Bonnieux. He was jailed and institutionalised after the residents of the town objected to his sexual and political views; his castle was sacked in 1789.
       Fashion designer Pierre Cardin,87, seems an odd inheritor. But after he bought the ruins of the castle nine years ago and established a summer music festival in the town,some of the 450 residents of Lacoste, which votes for the left, began to treat him like a hated nobleman, a representative of global capitalism. Nor did it help that he kept on buying properties, even at a fair price.
       Now he says he owns 42 buildings in this picture-postcard village, and he has no patience with the locals who think he is destroying the town. Instead, having sunk nearly 20 million into Lacoste, while employing 80 people in the summers, he thinks he has saved it.
       "I don't understand this hatred of newcomers," he said in an interview."The people hadn't done anything for their village, no sewers, no lights at night, nothing. The village hadn't changed since the '30s."
       Bruno Pitot,25, just landed a job in the kitchen of Mr Cardin's Cafe de Sade. Mr Cardin's presence "has its good sides and bad sides", he said judiciously."I think people are jealous. He's got a lot of money and he started buying all these houses. We're afraid he might close the village!"
       Still, Mr Pitot said he could not afford to live in Lacoste, given rising property values,and when his relatives died he might himself seek to sell his parents' house to Mr Cardin in order to pay the inheritance taxes.
       But what upsets many is Mr Cardin's advanced age."After all, he's 87, and we don't know what will happen after he's gone,"Mr Pitot said."I wish him a long life, of course. But Mr Cardin is someone who wants to go very fast; he only has a little time left.But there are people to remind him that one needs to respect the traditions of the village."
       After World War Two, Lacoste - which has nothing to do with the tennis player and his crocodile shirts - was nearly empty,with fewer than 30 people on the electoral roll. It was a base for the French resistance,and many of the 15th and 16th century structures were in ruins.
       In 1958, an American painter, Bernard Pfriem, went there and fell in love with the setting. He bought a house for very little money, then bought a few more and began to restore them. He was largely welcomed by the villagers.
       In 1970 he started the Lacoste School of the Arts, which later had connections with Sarah Lawrence College in New York. But in 2002, the entire complex of 31 buildings was taken over by the Savannah College of Art and Design, based in Georgia. The Lacoste campus has some 60 students for eight-week sessions and works year-round, bringing some life to the village in the harsh winter months,when the local population drops below 100.
       Mary Scarvalone is the director of the Lacoste campus, which has taken over at least two other buildings while doing careful restoration work."The school coexists nicely with the town," she said, and makes an effort to bring villagers in to campus activities, like life-drawing classes. It also has good relations with Mr Cardin, whose summer festival events cost only 10(490 baht) for students and anyone under 26.
       And everyone tries to keep good relations with Aristide, the trilingual beggar who is known to like a drink and is fond of shouting "I am not a transvestite!" at anyone who will listen. But there is a real undercurrent of anger, too. Colette Truphemus has lived in Lacoste for more than 40 years with her husband, a native."With Cardin and the school, we're not at home anymore," she said."Lacoste is not Lacoste anymore. The houses are too expensive, and young people can't afford to stay."
       The foreign tourists and Parisian visitors as well as the young, mostly American art students keep to themselves, she said, while distorting the town."We only see them at night when they wake us up," she said."It's a shame."
       Another man broke in."It infuriates me,"he said, while refusing to give his name."We didn't need Cardin to eat bread. There was always a bakery." He said he knew Pfriem and liked him."He was an American and a Lacostois, he was authentic."
       Mrs Truphemus has three grown children,all of whom live outside the village."To find work, you have to go outside," she said. But others said her son, Eric, a mason, had done some work in the village but had sometimes been outbid by others.
       An older lady walking by said simply:"It's changed a lot. This is not a Provencal village anymore. Take Rue Baisse," the spine of the town, which essentially runs from Cardin properties like ticket offices and galleries up to those of the Savannah Art College."There are a few iron sculptures, but it's all useless and never open."
       Finnbar MacEoin, an Irish writer, has lived there for three years and is a fierce Cardin defender."Cardin is doing this for them, not for himself," MacEoin said."He doesn't want to be the richest man in the cemetery!"
       Mr Cardin said:"Now it's better with the village. We had to wait eight years! I had hard moments, when I thought,'I'm going to give up, I don't need to do this.' I did this for Lacoste, not for me. I can't even live in all my houses!"
       Mr Cardin said the festival and his projects will go on after his death. But MacEoin has another notion. Offended by what he considers the anti-immigrant tenor of the village,he has written a play, called Camel-Lot , in which he imagines Mr Cardin bequeathing the town to an Algerian Muslim tribe, and Aristide becoming mayor.

MULTI-TALENTED, PRETTY - AND SINGLE

2009-08-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

       Sikanya Bhanubandh is one busy lady, juggling many different tasks. On the day we spoke, she had just finished an interview for Who magazine, was on her way to be interviewed on a UBC program called Fashion Focus , before attending an event where she used to work closely with the host, and finally attending a movie premier.
       Miss Sikanya, or Pau, is marketing director to the family-owned MaliBu Kao Tao Condo at Hua Hin. Set among 15 rai of palm-filled landscaped grounds, this is a residence with a character of its own.
       "It's a Thai-colonial style right at the beachfront," explained the 28-year-old.
       She is also brand director for the popular Kipling brand of bags, which are trendy,practical, high-quality-yet affordable."My mother Sirikarn was the one who imported this brand to Thailand, and I took over as my mother is now assisting my father more in the real estate side of the business,currently with the new hotel Renaissance Bangkok Hotel Ratchaprasong," she said.
       "My family is actually mostly involved in the real estate business. As I first stepped in to assist with the family business, I chose to help with what I like most."
       Thus, Miss Sikanya chose the MaliBu Kao Tao Condo at Hua Hin because it is a beautiful project that is not too big to handle. This also applies to Kipling, and plus it is a retail project.
       "I like beautiful things," she explained,looking radiantly beautiful herself, clad in all white, wearing a white tank top and long flowing skirt. Yes, white is her favourite colour. It's not a surprise that she was voted Most Eligible Bachelor Woman 2005 byThailand Tatler magazine.Another retail brand that her mother is the sole distributor of is Shanghai Tang.From a colourful and nostalgic art deco concept, it has evolved into a modern lifestyle vision of Chinese chic.
       "There is already a brand manager, but I still help out with the buying process and the marketing and PR," she explained.
       Last but not least, Miss Sikanya is a shareholder in several restaurants, including Pomodoro and Amici, both offering tasty Italian food. Another restaurant she has shares in is Boqueria at All Seasons Place, which serves European food, where famous chef Ian Chalermkittichai of the famed Kittichai restaurant in New York's SoHo district is the head chef.
       However, a lot of us are used to seeing her as the news anchor for Newsline , the English-language news programme on channel 11, which she had done for five consecutive years. Many have picked up on her British accent on Newsline - she was sent to school in the UK where she started at Roedean School in Brighton when she was only 11.
       Her television career started when she became an intern at Newsline during her senior year when she was a student at Syracuse University in New York while doing a double major in economics and psychology.
       "I've always been interested in psychology. Regarding economics, I feel that Asian students are good in science and math, so I took up economics in New York. Also, I've always liked art. During my A levels, art was one of the subjects I took besides math and economics. I did everything from oil painting to water colours.
       "At first I wasn't ready to get into the family business. I wanted to search for my own professional experience first."
       Now with the big change in career, were there any doubts from the people around her? She smiled before answering."When my mother first brought in Kipling 11 years ago, there was Kipling fever. There was a long line of people waiting to buy the bags. Some looked at me as a dara [movie star] because they saw me on TV a lot, be it as a news anchor on Newsline or whichever channel, and they doubted if I could run a business.
       "Some looked at me as a khun khu [rich little lady], and doubted whether I could do real work. Some saw me as a celebrity or a socialite. My mother did everything so well, so there was certainly high expectation from some people, which created stress for me. However, my mother never gave me any pressure whatsoever. I stepped in to help when I felt I was ready,and she has always been a wonderful supporter to me."
       Now she has more responsibility."I was my own boss working as a news anchor.I looked after myself. If anything turned out bad, it reflected upon me, which made people want to hire me or not want to hire me. Now I have to take care of approximately 100 staff. How well I perform also reflects on their well-being."