NONGNART Chirakiti’s family fashion brand Noriko has made a bewitching return to the scene with its “The Colour of Tribes” line, recently unveiled at the EmQuartier.

Twenty-five outfits inspired by the northern hilltribes were modelled, all gorgeously created from lavish Southeast Asian fabrics.

For Nongnart, second generation in the family that’s run Noriko for 55 years, the show coincided with the opening of the new Noriko Showcase Gallery at the mall. The boutique melds Thai textiles with fabrics from nearby nations, bringing rural textiles to the city in a colourful collection suitable for mixing and matching.

“‘The Colour of Tribes’ highlights the beauty of Thai and tribal textiles from our neighbouring countries, such as Laos and Vietnam, all of which have interesting stories behind them,” she said.

“Each piece has its own unique pattern and colour, so they’re all highly individualistic. We use that quality to create fashion pieces for both everyday wear and special occasions.”

Founded by Nongnut Rojanasena as a tailoring service before expanding into ready-to-wear apparel in 1990, Noriko gained enough trust among consumers that it was recruited for several years running to make the national costumes for Miss Universe Thailand in the annual Miss Universe pageant.

Nongnart is the manager now, holder of a degree in design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Noriko has three branches in downtown Bangkok and two “daughter” brands – Riko and Nich.