Heritage prints are updated with a graphic polish that reframes their usual associations. The key pattern, a classic tartan, is emblazoned across structured yet easy silhouettes from biker-inspired outerwear to a reinvented kilt. Ornate florals, meanwhile, embody modern-day femininity across masculine tailoring. Embroidered on layers of frothy tulle, they represent a youthful romance that is carefree and raucous.

The colour palette sees Mulberry’s classic British navies, oaks and oxblood reinvigorated with porcelain blue, scarlet and flashes of firefly yellow. Applied in alternate blocks, the colours also become a motif: contrasting seams are used to delineate the body and highlight the garment’s construction.

Three new bag silhouettes play with the signature Postman’s Lock hardware and emphasise its timeless versatility. The Darley Shoulder Bag is a chic chain-strap bag, the Belted Bayswater is a ladylike deconstruction of the original icon and the compact Belted Bayswater Satchel presents a youthful crossbody option.

The Iris continues as a key style for SS20 and joins a range of bag families that receive retro texture updates from quilting and printed leathers to stud applications. Matte Croc Print leather, a Mulberry signature, returns to bring a seductive touch to silhouettes from the latest Keeley and Millie to the much-loved Amberley and Bayswater.

The eyewear introduces eight frames across three families: unisex variations on the metallic pilot sunglasses, bright pops of colours across butterfly acetate shapes and retro square frames that play with scale.

“This collection is intrinsically Mulberry: graphic, dynamic and inspired by iconic British muses with a free spirit. It’s a collection of statement pieces that can align with the mood of any day or moment. The bags, shoes and jewellery are highlights of the silhouette, sometimes complementing, sometimes clashing, always emphasising,” said Johnny Coca, creative director.

The Ama are groups of Japanese female free divers, who, for over 2000 years have dived to the ocean floor to forage for seafood such as shrimp, urchins or even pearls for their communities. They train from an early age, taught by their predecessors who can dive well into their 70s. Due to breath training, Ama can stay underwater for significant amounts of time in one go. Over time their numbers have declined, and these intrepid fisherwomen can now only be found sporadically in pockets along the Japanese coastlines. Withstanding harsh and sometimes freezing temperatures, they have become known as the last mermaids.

The latest collections are a tapestry of elements combining traditionally marine-associated garments with modern and technical diving gear.

For women, neoprene suits in orange, violet and black are juxtaposed against crushed wet-look jersey tops and dresses. Skirts in mermaid jacquard linens are adorned with pearl buttons while nylon tops in vivid colours of corals have sleeves rolled up to the shoulder. Transparent suiting complements the prints of shrimp, mermaids and sea lilies. High-waisted trousers feature an assembly of embroideries, reminiscent of treasures amassed while diving. Woven ikats feature on either dress, tops for women or as panelling on shirts and trousers for men. Tailoring in liquid viscose, sun-bleached denim and ikat prints also straddle both collections.

For menswear, hardy rubberised outerwear appears in orange and violet while Hawaïan shirts abound with prints of sea lilies or urchins. Solarised cotton sweaters in indigo or dark greys walk alongside tailored jackets with shawl collars and rough edges. Jackets and coats in summer linens feature sailor collars and shorts are made of high-frequency laser-cut nylons. Suits are cropped and boxy and classic ‘K’ shirts feature net panels colour blocked in lilac and orange. Net prints appear in dégradé pigments on printed cotton.

Discover Kenzo SS20 collection now at Central Embassy, Central Chidlom, CentralWorld and Central Phuket Floresta.

But they were angry. And by the end of President Donald Trump’s speech, that conviviality, that decorum had been shredded.

Maybe they didn’t “hate” anyone, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said she does not. But boy oh boy. When Trump arrived to deliver his State of the Union address, the smiles faded. The faces went blank. Democrats glared. They smirked. They waved their hands in dismay.

Trump made his entrance wearing a dark suit and fire-engine-red tie. He fiddled with his jacket. He thrust his chin forward. His swirl of hair was mussed at the sides, as if he’d tried to smooth it down without the benefit of a mirror. He rode in on a cloud of self-satisfaction.

When he reached the lectern, he greeted the speaker, along with Vice President Mike Pence, by handing them advance copies of his speech. He did not shake Pelosi’s hand, which she had extended. She did not seem to care.

The women of the House Democratic caucus had pulled out their white suits for the speech. It’s never good for Trump when they pull out the suffrage white and move en masse like some righteous regiment of lady warriors. The clothing choice was ostensibly to mark the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave white women the right to vote. But the color was also emblematic of a white hot fury that is roiling the Democratic Party.

Pelosi had been wearing violet earlier in the day. A patriotic flag brooch had been pinned to her lapel. By evening, she, too, was in white. The flag was replaced by her Mace of the Republic pin, a symbol of the power of Congress. Of endurance. This president has been impeached. He is unbowed. But she remains a believer in this union, of checks and balances, despite the current state.

The Democratic fury was writ large. The president was barely five minutes into his speech and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., was already shaking his head with his face furrowed into an expression that was one part disgust and one part sorrow. Pelosi’s lips were already pursed; she would soon throw her hands up in exasperation. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., whose grief after the death of her husband former congressman John Dingell, D-Mich., had been mocked by the president, had her reading glasses perched atop her head. Her face was without affect and she was slowly and methodically blinking as if to keep daggers from jutting from her eyes.

And, of course, the Republicans in the chamber, along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., were bounding from their seats with thunderous applause like an exclamation point on the end of every sentence.

As always, the party differences are obvious with a single sweep of the television cameras across the chambers. There’s the president’s Cabinet – so many well-heeled, white men in dark suits. There are the Democrats – a klatch of women in white, black legislators in African stoles, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with her colorful headwrap swirling high. Our political polarization is made plain in hair styles, bolts of fabric and the Pantone color chart.

Some members of Congress were so furious that they decided to boycott the speech. For some this was nothing new, they’ve been in a state of low simmering anger ever since Trump was elected. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted that she would not attend because she was fed up: “I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution. None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it.”

Her colleague Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., skipped the speech, too. She also posted the announcement on Twitter, along with a portrait of herself standing with her arms crossed with the Capitol in the background. Gone was the wig that she has been wearing in public to hide her alopecia. She was confidently herself and making it clear that the personal is political and that in this moment politics threatens the well-being of many persons of color, many women, many immigrants, many, many, many.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, tweeted that he walked out of the address at about the halfway mark. “I’ve had enough,” he wrote. “It’s like watching professional wrestling. It’s all fake.” Actually, it was a bit like watching a game show with various members of the audience suddenly finding themselves the recipient of a grand prize. It was in-your-face television: A little black girl gets a scholarship to go to any school she chooses and stares up in shock and confusion. A uniformed soldier, home from a deployment overseas, walks into the first lady’s row to the surprise of his family. A gray-haired Rush Limbaugh, who recently announced that he has lung cancer, receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom right then and there. Melania Trump drapes the honor around his neck and he covers his face in gratitude.

There was no need to flash an applause sign. The audience’s role was clear.

The president finished his address. He took a moment to bask in the approval from his monochrome supporters. His critics’ gaze bore into him. The speaker stood – her pristine suit aglow, her mace brooch shining. White hot fury. She bit into her lower lip; she neatly organized her copy of the president’s speech. And then she ripped it up.

The Kooples woman colour of the season is an assertive red, and her silhouette is nipped-in and feminine, bringing feelings wild and bohemian, with dark prints and natural colours, presenting an edgy take on the summer of love. Elsewhere, her inner romantic comes with Victorian ruffles, voluptuous florals and sensual lace. In the Kooples Sport collection, there is a return to the familiar pop aesthetic of the 1990s in low-slung sweatpants, oversized hoodies and chunky white sneakers.

The Kooples man is captivated by the California music scene, coming alive in the buzz of a crowd at sunset. He wanders the stalls at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl Flea Market, soaking up surfer iconography, retro eagle prints and rock-inspired embroideries. The Kooples Sport line takes you into the world of basketball, with high-energy logos and flashes of neon.

Discover the Kooples SS20 men and women’s collection now at level 2 at Central Embassy.

Begun in 2016 as an expression of Miyake’s respect for Tanaka’s work, the collaboration initially used existing original works, faithfully replicated on materials suitable for each.

This is clothing that, true to Miyake’s central aim, highlights the wearer’s inherent liveliness.

This season’s motifs come from the Botanical Garden Series released in 1990, with various imaginative plants.

The designers at Issey Miyake have fashioned coats and dresses from pleated material and cotton to create shapes that make the wearer seem like they’re “wearing the wind”.

The fabric is used in abundance to convey the gentle, laid-back image of Tanaka’s plants, and the bold placement of the motifs results in a collection that creates a scene in which the wearers become flowers swaying in the wind.

Paying homage to Stan Smith, his face remains printed on the tongue of the right shoe, whilst the left is emblazoned with Stella’s portrait and signature. Refreshed with a new, light colour palette for Spring 2020, white and black stripes adorn the heel and playful hints of rainbow gradient show through the laser-cut stars that make up the classic three-stripe pattern.

Following the success of the first-ever vegan Stan Smith, launched by Stella McCartney in 2018, the second sneaker is classic yet versatile and comes with two sets of interchangeable laces; traditional white for a sleek, tonal look, reminiscent of the shoe’s tennis origins, and bright rainbow for a playful, summery appeal. Inspiration for the rainbow hues cues from the designer’s Spring 2020 collection, and speaks to the brands fun, inclusive mindset. Size ranged for both men and women, the new Stella Stan Smith is priced at Bt15,000 and will be available from tomorrow (December 20) at the EmQuartier.

Local fashion designer Atiqah Ismail made a splash in the international fashion scene when her designs were showcased during the Celebration of Silk’s Thai Silk International Fashion Week and the Grand Fashion Extravaganza Gala recently.

These events were part of the Celebration of Silk, which is a yearly international event organised in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand.

“I had designed a total of 15 sets of garments with a variety of Thai silks while the rest are made of other fabrics,” said Atiqah, the fashion designer and managing director of XOIA.

The Thai silks used were produced by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques.

XOIA displayed their modern-traditional designs during the Thai Silk International Fashion Week 2019, held from November 18 to 22 among 42 international designers and 30 Thai designers.

“Globally, fashion is a trillion-dollar industry with over five per cent annual industry growth,” said Atiqah. “The fashion industry has numerous spin-off potentials, job creation opportunities and demand for products and services such as fashion photography, fashion marketing and merchandising, graphic design, textiles and can create demand for local skill-sets such as tailors and seamstresses.

“With the increasing number of aspiring designers in Brunei, it is important to inspire and encourage each other as well as to create a conducive and nurturing environment that can make fashion a sustainable and feasible business in Brunei and for export products.”

The Grand Fashion Extravaganza was held on November 23 at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall officiated by the Prime Minister in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, and world ambassadors.

“This Celebration of Thai Silk: Thai Silk Road to the World is considered as one of the greatest activities in 2019 because it is not just honouring Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, but it also publicises the beauty of Thai silk,” said Prime Minister of Thailand General Prayut Chan-o-cha in his opening speech.

Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Wissanu Krea-ngam said that the continuous promotion and revitalisation of the production of Thai silks, which has reflected the Thai identity for many years, has made Thai silks well-known and widely accepted internationally. This has resulted in better careers and incomes for the local people.

The Celebration of Silk event has been held and organised every year since 2010 by the Thai Tourists Assistance Foundation in collaboration with members of the foreign Diplomatic Corps in Bangkok.

XOIA designed a custom dress for Brunei representative Hamidah Ismail, who showcased the dress at the Grand Fashion Extravaganza on a global stage witnessed by over 2,000 guests from around the world. Also present were world-renowned shoe designer Professor Datuk Jimmy Choo and Air Asia Chairman Dato’ Abdel Aziz bin Abu Bakar as well as business leaders, designers, celebrities, government officials, and diplomats.

“Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful and humbled for the trust and generous support from the Brunei Darussalam Embassy in Bangkok, it is indeed very encouraging,” said Atiqah. “Meeting successful designers from other parts of the world was absolutely inspiring and eye opening. This valuable experience has only pushed me to become a better designer.

“The end of this prestigious event is just the start of many opportunities, Insya Allah. The majority of the work and hustle comes after this in maintaining relationships I have established and following up with business leads acquired during these events.”

“This has been an amazing opportunity to learn more about the Thai culture and the significance of Thai silk in their culture as well as its representation of societal benevolence and pride,” highlighted Atiqah.

“Perhaps this event is something we can replicate to promote the tenunan or production of our kain songket and its unique designs and textures while stimulating interests from the current and younger generations as well as raising awareness internationally,” she added.

Atiqah also expressed her gratitude to those who have supported her both in Brunei and in Bangkok as well as those who travelled all the way from the sultanate to support her on this important milestone.

Foer, renowned for his best-selling book “Everything is Illuminated”, lent his words to a sustainable capsule within the collection titled “We are the Weather”. Named after his upcoming novel about the climate crisis, it features pieces emblazoned with statements like “we are entirely free to live differently” across men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, knitwear and accessories.

The palette is a fresh and revitalising step into spring that embodies the spirit of the wild, combining earthy hues like oat, cacao, ginger, stone, khaki and wolf grey with pulses of vivid colour like pink flamingo, violet, lilac, Bellini blue and lipstick red.

McCartney’s eco ethos and hope for a circular future remain at the forefront, with more than 60 per cent of the collection made from sustainable materials. A new development for the brand, traceable alpaca wool has been introduced, while organic cotton, sustainable viscose, Econyl regenerated nylon and recycled polyester continue to be used throughout.

Standout pieces in the “We are the Weather” capsule include a jumpsuit, utility dress, trousers and puffer coat decorated with the label’s artful sun print. With countercultural, cult appeal, the print features handwritten messages from Foer radiating from a graphic sun illustration.

Functionality and a strong utilitarian silhouette are a staple for McCartney and this season they are reimagined in bright new hues. Organic cotton denim jumpsuits are brought to life in yellow and light teal, and a lightweight workwear jacket and cargo trousers are beautified in soft, vivid shades of lilac. Heavily bleached cargo trousers with statement patch pockets are a fresh perspective on everyday denim.

Moments of powerful minimalism cut through the collection, adding clarity and modernity. A standout dress with an effortless silhouette splashes through in rich red, while a chic camel coat is a quintessential classic. Sophisticated cocktail dresses are defined by sculptural, curving lines trimmed in gold.

Sales Revenue from the fourth annual activities in 2019 will go towards development of rural communities.

The late Princess Srinagarindra of Thailand, the grandmother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, established the foundation. She once said:” We have to help people who need help to stand on their own”.

The DoiTung & Friends project has been around since 2016, said ML Dispanadda Diskul, chief executive officer of Mae Fah Luang Foundation. He was praised by friends in the art and fashion circle for taking charge of the project, including Kullawit Laosuksri of Vogue, and Sombat Thirasarot, an expert in fashion and style.

This year’s event also sees the participation of Vatanika Patamasingh, the owner of Vatanima clothes brand, and Kimberley Anne Woltemas Tiamsiri, a Thai/German actress and model.

Interested persons can visit the DoiTung and Friends Pop-Up store at Siam Paragon or shop online via Doi Tung Lifestyle IG. The collection will be available until December 1.

“This year, our collaboration project is truly special, as we’ve partnered with Medicom Toy Corporation, a giant toy company from Japan which produces the world-famous BE@RBRICK figures. We hope that this collaboration will be another step for us and for Thailand’s fashion industry. We hope that everyone will enjoy the beautiful items in the collection and take happiness home with them”, said director Krit Singhsachathet.

The highlight of this collection is a new limited edition BE@RBRICK character imported from Japan in 400-per-cent and 100-per-cent sizes. The bear is designed to sport cool clothes, wearing a white polo shirt with the brand’s bird logo, jeans, and sunglasses This bear will also appear on various items such as shirts, polo shirts, pullovers, caps, bags, shoes and phone cases for men, women and children.