FLOWERS ARE in full bloom at the house of Sretsis this spring and summer as its newly married creative director Pim Sukhahuta celebrates love.

Positive energy shines through in every Sretsis offering, which combines rose-tinted romanticism with feel-good fashion. The new collection ranges from 1940’s-inspired Americana beachwear to do-good girl-scout uniforms, all summer essentials in natural fabrics embroidered with flowers and the bees that happily propagate the blooms.

The collection was introduced recently in a floral fashion preview on trendy Thonglor.

The key looks are divided into five styles. The first, “Sending Good Vibe”, brings a vivacious joie de vivre to breezy styles that will have you beaming with happiness. Cherry bomb-printed viscose is used in a variety of summer staples with cherries, ladybugs, and four-leafed clovers disguised cleverly as polka dots.

Classic gingham is reintroduced with smocking, patch embroidery, and heart grommets and makes its appearance in selection of beach-ready styles from bikinis, sun suits, and cover-ups. The Sretsis signature – the embroidered tromp l’oiel ruffle collar – is reinterpreted with cherry pop accents showcased on button front dresses and summer knits. Girl scouts get a roll call with Sretsis mascots embroidered on a variety of patches sewn onto durable cotton twill and punchy patent leather.

“The Art of Travel” features eye-catching clothes that stretch from faux leather perfectos through billowing kimonos to proper trenches. Floral printed animal-friendly leather is mixed and matched in contrasting colour blocking for an effortless look perfect for any rock star stepping off the jet. The kimono robe is no longer only for the bedroom either. Here, the large-scale crepe de chine printed version is matched with print-on-print for an over-the-top ’60’s siren look. The always-classic trench is updated with the Sretsis twist – embroidered with a variety of flowers and the meanings behind each of them.

The third look “Language of Flowers” wears its heart on the sleeve with an uplifting collection of summer-ready dresses and separates in natural fibres. And as without bees there wouldn’t be flowers, the brand celebrates the hard workers by embroidering them on the clothes as well as the espadrilles slip-ons. Summer separates with bows and wrap details are matched with knee length skirts for an effortless yet polished look. Dresses in light cotton voile are decorated with the “language of flowers” motif and exclusively developed clover embroidered lace strip trimming.

“Flower Storm” offers a selection of delicate silk-chiffon dresses printed with hand-drawn floral motifs, with a selection of day-to-night numbers decorated with ruffles, ruches, and bows. Varying sized prints from tiny petals blowing in the wind to rosebushes in full bloom are digitally printed on silk-chiffon dresses. Romantic gowns with billowing bows and delicate gathers are utterly feminine and swathes of delicate chiffon are worn as headbands or neck scarves, transforming evening looks with their nonchalant touch.

The last look, “Just Like Honey”, presents accessories that mimic nature in a nonchalant approach to bigger, brighter and bolder baubles. A natural straw visor with a satin band and a detachable “Bee Lucky” silk organza veil mimics a beekeeper’s hat while keeping the luxury factor. Mismatching sequin-embroidered floral earrings with contrasting inscription earrings add a punch to romantic floral showstoppers.

COLOUR PLAYS an important role in our lives, often defining the mood we are in through the clothes we wear and making a statement about who we are – or at least aspire to be – in the hues we choose to decorate our personal space.

Leaders in home decoration choices Pantone last month named as the 2018 colour of the year ultraviolet, which it describes as a “dramatically provocative and thoughtful shade”.

“Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to ultraviolet. The colour is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energises the communities that gather there and inspire connection,” Pantone’s trend-watching team enthused, adding, “enigmatic purples have also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of ultraviolet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality”.

Pantone names “Ultra Violet” as colour of the year.

“The Pantone Colour of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute.

A few fashion designers appear to agree, albeit not entirely. Stella McCartney, for example, showcased the shade in her collection for spring and summer 2018 but also included in her palette jewel blue, sugar cane and orchid haze.

Looking ahead to what we should be wearing in 2018, the collection underlined the British designer’s commitment to “Skin-Free-Skin”, exploring classic tailoring and signature silhouettes through double breasted blazers and all in ones in black light wool and French moir made with sustainable viscose. Alter Nappa was cut into leopard patterns, appliqued onto sheer organza and allowed to float across the body in honey yellow, pale pink and black though here ultra violet failed to make the cut.

Stella McCartney adopts Ultra Violet for one of her designs.

Indeed, McCartney showed a definite preference for pecan and rosy nude, offering poplin dresses in organic cotton and deconstructed lightweight knitwear, with shadowing necklines and pairing the latter with Japanese jersey T-shirts in pure white.

More intense colours also came into play through knitted dresses in two-tone pink and denim blue moulin with oversized sleeves and a range of separates in magenta, bubble gum pink and fuschia red.

Coach opts for a boho look with pink and violet flowers.

American brand Coach meanwhile showed a definite preference for pink over ultra violet in its spring and summer 2018 collection, a downtown take on dressing up featuring rugged burnished leather and shearling, customised in an ode to graffiti artist Keith Haring’s New York City.

Nostalgic prairie touches and pretty pastel slip dresses covered with the faint trace of Haring’s signature squiggles emphasised the pink mood, while bags boasted floral hardware and Haring’s signature love hearts, also with blush shades as the stars.

Mulberry nods towards purple with its new bags for spring-summer 2017.

Iconic luxury British brand and champion of heritage blended with modern style, Mulberry delighted with a limited-edition capsule collection that underlined new signature styles, colours and leathers.

Creative director Johnny Coca brought back some of the brand’s most iconic bag silhouettes embroidered with an interpretation of the delicate flower that fills every branch and bough of a Mulberry tree in blossom. Fair enough, but wait, aren’t mulberry blossoms pink?

The new equestrian-influenced Amberley Satchel and the iconic Zipped Bayswater became the perfect canvases for the embroidered motif, alongside the Darley, which was made available in three sizes – a large pouch, zipped wallet and coin purse. All created in classic grain leather, the collection also included soft printed lambswool scarves, a slip-on sneaker and delicately crafted jewellery pieces, as well as a keyring that doubles as a bag accessory to add a touch of Mulberry charm to styles already owned and loved.

Mulberry icons the Bayswater and the Darley, along with the new Amberley silhouette were given a playful colour update featuring – wait for it – muted gold, warm lilac, rosewater, blush and dark blush and fresh tonal hues of blue.

For its part, Italian fashion house MaxMara was inspired by the colours of the French Riviera for its Resort 2018 collection, designing a sensible but chic wardrobe of sleek no-nonsense styles in deep ocean blue, sand, grey, white and shell pink.

Of course, many other brands have yet to launch their collections for spring and summer 2018 – those will most likely come next month. Will ultraviolet dominate the palette or will pink win the day?

MaxMara’s looks to the Riviera for its 2018 Resort collection. 

Pantone is betting on the former, saying on the runway or the streets, Ultra Violet is an enchanting purple that provides a theatrical linkage for both men’s and women’s styles. True to the coupled nature of ultraviolet, created by combining red and blue, ultraviolet lends itself to unique colour combinations in fashion and is easier to pair with all colours on the spectrum than one might think. With golds or other metallics, Ultra Violet becomes luxurious and dazzling; with greens or greys it evokes natural elegance.

THE last collection of clothing designer Azzedine Alaia will be shown in Paris next year, his couture house said on Monday.

The Tunisian-born designer, known as the King of Cling for the way his clothes hugged the body, died suddenly in November, reportedly of heart failure after falling down the stairs at his home in Paris.

Since then, rumours have swirled about the future of his label.

But the couture house said in a statement that it would continue, saying it would show the last ready-to-wear clothes and accessories he created in January and March.

Photo/AFP

“The multiple talents that make up the Alaia family – of which some have worked with him for more than 30 years – will stay with the house in this new era,” it said.

“This family will continue the vision and style of Mr Alaia, a timeless beauty that will take shape every day in his studios.”

The diminutive maverick, who ignored fashion-week convention by showing when and where he wanted, produced his first couture collection in six years in July, to rapturous reviews.

Supermodel Noami Campbell, his long-time friend and muse, who led that collection down the catwalk, cried at his graveside in Tunis.

The two were so close that Campbell called the designer “Papa”.

Alaia, 77, trained as a sculptor and went on to sculpt with needle and thread.

During the height of the Algerian war of independence, he moved to Paris, where he soon got a job with Christian Dior, only to be let go because he didn’t have the right immigration papers.

Despite the setback, he moved on to work with Guy Laroche and Thierry Mugler before going out on his own with his own wealthy clientele.

His label said a foundation was being created to safeguard his work, with regular exhibitions to be held in a space next to his studio in the Marais district of the French capital.

A retrospective of his work, “Azzedine Alaia, the Couturier”, will open at the Design Museum in London in May, when the brand will also open its first British boutique.

Prophere introduces an unexpected silhouette that is both disruptive in design and innovative in construction. The bold sculpted midsole reveals dynamic texture and an excessively thick three-Stripe mark branding creates the lacing system for the defiant style.

The raw-edge leather heel cage is complemented with a one-piece black, soft knit upper construction all while featuring technical innovations signature to the adidas Originals brand. Rebellious in design, Prophere defines a new standard in streetwear.

“With Prophere we wanted to take a different view of our archive and looked to the unapologetic aesthetic of the 90s, when the brand experimented with bold silhouettes. We took the provocative and uncompromising thinking of the era and reimagined it for today – a confident approach to branding and unexpected proportions of toolings were the inspiration for Prophere. With this silhouette, we connect the same energy of the nineties with the new generation,” said Nic Galway, adidas Originals senior vice president of global design.

The Prophere shoes are priced at Bt5,200 and available at selected adidas Originals stores, select retails and adidas.com/Prophere.

The new U collection will be available from January 26 at its stores and Uniqlo.com. Uniqlo U takes the LifeWear range further towards tomorrow by bringing new ideas to design, patterns, fabric development, and sewing techniques. The collection features brilliant hues inspired by nature in slightly oversized styling for effortlessly relaxed silhouettes.

Key collection colours are sky and sea blue and forest and grass green. Orange and red accents, stripes and borders, and other elements broaden flexibility. An exciting addition to the women’s line this season is an open collar shirt featuring thick stripes. A highlight of the men’s range is a multicolour border T-shirt in heavyweight cotton.

This season’s line incorporates coats that offer exceptional water resistance, windproofing, and breathability. The women’s blocktech short coat is both comfortable and stylish as townwear, employing a drawstring waist and a matte finish. The new men’s blocktech coat employs chambray twill fabric that is water repellent and windproofed, combining a clean silhouette with excellent all-weather protection.

The Autumn/Winter 2017 items made with 3D U-Knit three-dimensional weaving technique proved incredibly popular, employing Wholegarment technology to enhance fit and comfort. The new range enhances the look and feel by adopting high twist cotton fabric in two new women’s items; a 3D ribbed balloon sweater, with distinctive cuff and waist styling, and a 3D crew neck balloon dress, whose fit and flare silhouette enhances femininity.

Later in the season, Uniqlo plans to launch six new swimwear items that minimise seams to enhance comfort. They include a bandeau bikini with removable straps, a halter neck bikini for freer movement, and a bicolor bikini.

Find out more about the new collection at www.Uniqlo.com/UniqloU.

COSMETICS BRAND Eveandboy ended 2005 with a single retail outlet in northeastern Maha Sarakham province. Now it’s got 11 branches across the country, including a sizeable one at Siam Square in Bangkok, and two more are on the way.

Let’s have a round of applause for its founders, Hiran Tanmit, the “Boy” in Eveandboy and currently its managing director, and the “Eve” – his sister, Suthawal Trachu.

That’s what they got at a recent celebratory charity event in the capital. To show its appreciation for woman power, the multi-brand store invited all women to support their sisters through the social campaign “Eveandboy Pink Power” and raise funds to support female inmates of the Correctional Hospital Foundation.

Boy recalled growing up in their parents’ Isaan grocery store.

“I could see from the account sheets at my parents’ store that there was a big profit margin in the cosmetics category. I also observed the success of the multi-brand cosmetic stores in Europe, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong and wanted to be part of that success,” he said.

“So we adopted this as our business model, and it didn’t matter to us if we started in our hometown instead of Bangkok. In fact, I’m very proud that we did it that way.”

The first shop opened in Maha Sarakham in 2005 and the next appeared in Khon Kaen, near the university, an attractive location bustling with young people. Each of the 12 branches today stocks more than 1,000 brands, some with mass appeal, others more exclusive.

Among the keys to success at Eveandboy are the pricing strategy – the goods are lower than market price – and the fact that celebrities who don’t have shops of their own sell their sponsored beauty products there.

And there’s no denying that customers love getting free samples and free trial periods.

Boy said he’d paid attention while attending Thammasat University and travelling overseas to how open young people were always open to “new things”.

“In 2012 we opened an Eveandboy in Siam Square Soi 1. There were challenges, but I was never afraid of losing out – I just felt ready to grow.”

Marketing is very different in fiercely competitive Bangkok than it is upcountry, he said.

“In Maha Sarakham and Khon Kaen I can sell at slightly cheaper prices and arrange special deals with the suppliers. We can lower the profit margin and still earn enough to survive.

“In Bangkok I’m now partnered with many famous international brands, and I ask them for samples or small gifts to give away in promotions. Since almost 80 per cent of our customers are women ages 18 to 34, we have to come up with promotions that are different from what you find in the department stores.”

The chain also carries products not normally found in department stores, such as Pretty by Flormar from Italy and Moon Shot from South Korea.

Actors Sopidnapa “Jeab” Chumpani, Panisara “Opal” Pimpru, Ratha “Yayaying” Phong- am, Tanyaret “Tanya” Engtrakul and Pakorn “Dome” Lum all sell their skincare items and diet supplements through Eveandboy.

“The social media are truly important to Eveandboy,” says Boy. “These actors and actresses don’t have their own shops and they might have only one or two products – not enough to fill a beauty counter at a department store. They sell their goods online, especially on Instagram and Facebook, as well as on our site, Eveandboy.com and we have a lot of followers. Plus, everyone on our staff is young, so they’re all engaged in the social media.”

He knows, though, that the social networks can represent a double-edged sword. WhenRetailers have suffered severe backlash when sales or distribution were mishandled and customer complaints echoed endlessly around the Internet. Consumer opinions often go viral, both positive and negative.

Boy, though, is ready to learn as he goes. He pointed out that the family grocery store was a classroom – he did everything, from stockboy and cashier to accounting, deliveries and even designing a brochure and carry-bags.

“At one time at the Eveandboy in Khon Kaen, there was only me and the manager, but we managed to get through it. So, to me, every obstacle is a challenge and I’ve come to understand all the problems the team might encounter. I think I can handle every situation and help them fix what’s needed. Every day I still like to go to the stores and do this and that – even decorate the shelves.”

While the 12th and 13th Eve- andboy outlets are planned and there will be further physical expansion, upcountry the focus for the next three to five years will be on e-commerce.

“Our strength is that we have an established brand and stores, so we have more credibility than cosmetics distributors that are only online,” Boy said. “Customers know they can trust us to sell them genuine products online and deliver them in good condition.”

This year’s motif, “Festive Currents” depicts the Siamese Fighting Fish. Affectionately referred to as the “Jewel of the Orient”, the Siamese fighting fish is native to central Thailand and can be found in canals and rice paddies. However, due to pollution, habitat loss and other environmental changes, it is listed as vulnerable so Panpuri is partnering with the Fighting Fish Gallery in Bangkok to raise money for preservation efforts. Part of the proceeds from the Gift set, which contains Siamese Water Body Cream Wash and Body Lotion will go to the Gallery.

Tartan for the holidays

Comme des Garcons continues its “Re/Tartan Re/Energy” holiday campaign with the release of playful Dr Seuss T-shirts based on the Christmas classic, ‘The Grinch’. The brand has also partnered with Novesta to release an exclusive collection of items water-hosed in the label’s favourite tartan red plaid. The focal piece is Novesta’s Star Master shoe in an unforgettable check print with black leather caps, which is sure to make finding your shoes post-holiday party a breeze. The convivial capsule also includes shirts, travel-ready trunks and purses.

Perfume gets a ‘Major’ workover

Issey Miyake marks the passage to 2018 with the launch of a new version of the famous L’Eau d’Issey fragrance. Called “L’Eau d’Issey Majeure”, the scent opens with notes of bergamot enhanced with resh grapefruit wrapped in a crisp and salty sea wine. Towards the base of the fragrance, woody accords are softened with velvety cashmere notes.

Lucscious locks

Perfect hair is another important factor in grooming and organic, skincare brand Thann, has now introduced Nano Shiso Hair Mask to revitalise tired locks. The mask helps to strengthen dry and frizzy hair and acts as anti-oxidant while nourishing it with concentrated Ceramide 3 extract, wheat protein, jojoba oil and rice bran oil. Also new is Advance Protective Hair Serum, which protects hair from heat and chemical substances in hair styling products.

A show that sparkles

Jubilee Diamond plays host from tomorrow to Sunday to “The World of Carat 2017” at Athenee Hotel Bangkok. The event features all colours and sizes of imported carat diamonds from Belgium at special prices along with more than 10,000 pieces of premium diamond jewellery. The highlight is a masterful necklace boasting 100 D Colour quality diamonds and Triple Excellent (3EX) cut that can be modified and worn in five different styles. The expo runs from 10am to 8pm on all three days.

A BEAUTIFUL couple whose smooth and fluid movements on the dance floor are totally captivating inspired leading Thai designer Vatanika Patamasingh in the creation of her new resort 2018 collection.

“I have been surrounded by music and dance since I was young. Having seen my grandparents happily dancing together on the dance floor as if time was standing is still one of my favourite memories,” the designer tells XP.

Showcased recently at the luxury Park Hyatt hotel in downtown Bangkok, the Vatanika Resort 2018 collection reinterprets the brand’s signature looks, combining them with fascinating silhouettes that resemble the movements of a female body through strategically juxtaposed modern fabrics and materials, such as geometric mesh and neoprene. Silk satin, French lace and silk tassels serve to accentuate womanly curves while reinforcing the mix of modern and classic.

This collection also includes ready-to-wear looks that blend elegance with femininity, such as the black silk satin playsuit with a zipper slit and the casual flared trousers with a lace lining. Another highlight is the kimono duster that takes a new twist on conventional fabrics used for men’s trousers. With the striking contrast of an alluring feminine silhouette and masculine sleekness, this piece is another epitome of perfect contradiction.

The key colours in this Resort 2018 collection include black, white, champagne, scarlet and navy blue.

 It’s a giant stack of handbags with short films screening inside.

The much-loved Miu Miu bag introduced for spring-summer 2015 has been revamped for this autumn and winter and renamed the Miulady.

Crafted in fine madras leather and soft calfskin, the bag comes in a playfully iconoclastic palette of pop-art shades. Its flap closure is decorated with an oversized brass belt buckle – part Baroque, part Western styling – and hand-embellished with gemstones in equally vibrant hues.

The Miulady is nothing if not eclectic, embodying the independent spirit of an audacious young lady, only too happy to wear apparently jarring colour and texture juxtapositions, not to mention her jewellery on her purse.

She is wild at heart, a free spirit who revels in the luxury of not caring, joyfully mixing vintage finds with more contemporary pieces found in all four corners of the globe.

Now, as always, as much attention is paid to style as to function, to history as to modernity. The respect for traditional craftsmanship and locating of precious materials, both of which are integral to Miu Miu, are in evidence, as so too is an uplifting sense of unbridled femininity that is equally fundamental to the brand.

Diamonds break out of the mould as the miniature “Nantucket” appears in a whirl of sparkling radiance. At its birth in 1991, this Hermes watch model was fitted with a rectangular case featuring the “Anchor Chain” motif created by Henri d’Origny who had been asked to design a square shape.

Continuing the saga of an aesthetic rebellion, this “Tres Petit Modele” further accentuates the outline of the original design and celebrates diamonds for daily wear, dotted around as if the wind had scattered them across the watch. Nantucket thus becomes a relaxed piece of daytime jewellery. Crafted in steel, it is fitted with a choice of single tour alligator straps in smooth ember or matte toupe in Mykonos blue, cactus green, abysse blue, black variations.

For Hermes, time is also an object. They make everyday life their playground, and each instant a uniquely special moment.  Its inherent tension is translated by the house into a singular characteristic. Rather than measuring, ordering, and seeking to control it, Hermes dares to explore another time, designed to arouse emotions, open up interludes and create spaces for spontaneity and recreation.