Tag Archives: วัฒนธรรม

A look on the bright side

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SKINDEEP

THANISORN THAMLIKITKUL MD
Special to The Nation February 25, 2016 1:00 am

When it comes to looking youthful, skin that is |even-toned, radiant and free of spots, blemishes and discoloration is more important than battling |lines and wrinkles, the experts say.

When it comes to looking youthful, skin that is |even-toned, radiant and free of spots, blemishes and discoloration is more important than battling |lines and wrinkles, the experts say. A brighter and glowing complexion, they |tell us, is perceived as more youthful and attractive.

Their findings are based on a 2010 study in which images of middle-aged women were photoshopped into two sets: one set showing women with extremely uneven skin tones or hyperpigmentation and the other with women boasting an abundance of deep wrinkles. Both sets were shown to a group of people who were asked to rate the attractiveness and youthfulness of the women’s faces. The result was unanimous: the women with uneven skintone were less attractive and much older than their wrinkled compatriots.

What we can take away from this is that our brown spots age us more than wrinkles. These spots are signs of sun damage. Though usually harmless, they can make us look older than we really are.

However, thanks to advances in technology, getting rid of brown spots and obtaining brighter, fresher, spot-free skin is easier than ever before. Today, a treatment programme combining gentle exfoliation, non-invasive laser technology and the delivery of nutrients produces significant improvement in getting rid of brown spots and discoloration with minimal risk and no downtime.

The combination procedure appears to work because the gentle exfoliation removes dead skin cells, speeds epidermal cell turnover and reveals the new, lighter skin beneath.

The non-invasive laser light is absorbed by melanin causing the pigment to break up into particles which are small enough for the body’s own immune system to remove, helping to reduce pigmentation without collateral damage.

The procedure is finished with nutrient cocktails made of vitamins, antioxidant, amino acid, nucleic acid and hyaluronic acid delivered into the facial skin. Nutrients such as Vitamin C, E and antioxidants penetrate the skin to battle free radicals caused by sun damage while the hyaluronic acid rehydrates the skin for a brighter and fresher complexion, and can help protect skin cells against UV rays.

This triple combination procedure has proved to be promising. After the treatment, patients commonly described their skin as radiant and glowing.

Skin lightening treatment is one of the most sought- after procedures today. And the emergence of this new alternative creates more |options for women desperate |to have a brighter skin and a younger-looking face.

THANISORN THAMLIKITKUL MD is a member of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery and certified in dermatological laser surgery. Send your questions |for her to info@romrawin.com

Gothic fantasy and liquid gold

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FASHION

JENNIE MATTHEW
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
NEW YORK February 25, 2016 1:00 am

Lady Gaga stuns in Marc Jacobs NY fashion finale

LADY GAGA walked the runway for American design legend Marc Jacobs in a triumphant finale to New York Fashion Week following collections from Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.

Jacobs, the darling of the US fashion scene, prides himself on closing out the twice yearly Big Apple fashion bonanza by putting on extravagant spectaculars – and last Thursday was no exception.

It was a collection of Gothic fantasy filled with oversized outfits in which models sported incredible lace-up platform boots that added to their height as large clothes obscured their slender frames.

The pop diva took her place among professional models just days after donning a Jacobs costume in her flamboyant tribute performance to the late David Bowie at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday.

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She wore a pale green pussy bow blouse with a giant, oversized black coat with huge fur patches on the sleeves. Her blonde hair was crimped in rigid waves.

Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal was among those in the audience, which sat in a round leaving a giant circle as a catwalk. Ralph Lauren kicked off the last day before the autumn/winter 2016 womenswear shows move to Europe with a collection blending country gentleman and cowboy dandy styles, crowned by liquid gold evening wear.

British actress Sienna Miller was guest of honour, dressed in black, sitting next to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Lauren’s family for what is always one of the most popular shows of the week.

The 76-year-old self-taught designer, who has done so much to define contemporary American elegance, sent down the runway a tweedy, masculine look for daywear – a meditation on taupe, truffle and mocha.

He made extensive use of plaid and checks with signature suiting that included loose-cut pants, blazers and trench coats finished off with men’s ties at the throat.

The suiting was lightened when styled with delicate cashmere knits, pleated silk crepe pants and silk shirts.

To the chic countryside look he added quintessential American cowboy-style belts, boot-cut jeans and sturdy footwear.

Lauren’s evening wear had its roots in a Victorian-era elegance, with frothy high-lace collars and black velvet, and a Prussian pigment printed coat that looked like a Romantic-era smoking jacket.

There was a stunning black velvet evening dress finished with oversized pleated white cuffs and a white ruffle at the neck worn by supermodel Karlie Kloss.

A black velvet cocktail dress was made similarly exquisite – embellished with tightly pleated black leather ruffle sleeves and a collar that defied gravity and made the outfit look like sculpture.

Lauren broke new ground by finishing the show with a mikado evening dress, its billowing skirts in his trademark style, but giving off the overall effect of liquid, glistening gold.

It was Lauren’s first collection since stepping down last November as chief executive of his global empire, although the self-made billionaire remains chief creative officer.

Francisco Costa, the Brazilian creative director at Calvin Klein, used a sun-drenched Tribeca loft to showcase New York cool – the look that defines the label and pioneers contemporary, urban fashion.

“It’s the night before the morning after,” Costa said backstage, summing up the theme of the collection. It marked a return to tailored suiting for the brand, as well as novel use of fur for Calvin Klein.

Costa said he took brand innovation even further by “pushing it into crazy, very fun prints as well, which is all photographic, is all very new to us.”

Added to the ubiquitous black were checks in white, blue and black with a smattering of dusty pink.

Sharp suits were worn with low-cut V-neck slip blouses in silk and he followed a trend also seen on the catwalk at Vera Wang and Alexander Wang by using buckle and strap accessories. There were large fur collars, another key trend of the season, and leather panels cut into skirts to create movement.

Plaids were mixed and matched – with different check patterns used on the two sleeves of a dress, a third plaid on the front and yet another on the back. Fur coats were chunky with textured panels.

In a slight break with the usual Calvin Klein look, Costa incorporated oversized tribal-style pendant necklaces and sewed large jewels onto the front of silk dresses. The models wore sensible loafers.

There was also animal print in white and yellow, a tiger effect, as well as a leopard or dalmatian print style dress paired with a coat in a larger black and white animal print.

 

Every song a bird in flight

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CONCERT REVIEW

MANTA KLANGBOONKRONG
THE NATION February 25, 2016 1:00 am

Between whim and flawless musicanship, Diana Krall inbues well-known tunes with magic

DIANA KRALL’S SHOW |at Royal Paragon Hall last Friday night, her third visit to Bangkok and the first since 2005, was another sumptuous feast of jazz and pop for her Thai fans.

The best-selling Canadian singer-pianist, 51, rolled into town this time on her “Wallflower World Tour”, packing the venue at Siam Paragon. Accompanied by double bass, guitar, fiddle, keyboards and drums, she opened the evening with the 1920s jazz standard “Deed I Do”, giving it her patented treatment and drawing loud cheers.

Krall thanked the crowd in Thai and then switched to |English to say, “It’s a pleasure to be back here again.”

The only singer to have had eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard jazz chart, she’s won five Grammy Awards and eight Junos, her homeland’s equivalent. Add to those statistics nine gold, three platinum and seven multi-platinum albums and 15 million discs sold, and she’s clearly a formidable force in the industry.

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Krall gave Bangkok her full artillery of timeless hits. There were the well-known numbers “Let’s Fall in Love” and “Frim Fram Sauce” by Nat King Cole, “So Nice” by Sergio Mendes, “Simple Twist of Fate” and “Wallflower” by Bob Dylan, “Temptation” by Tom Waits, and “Angel Eyes”, a tune most associated with Frank Sinatra.

There was Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love”, which was a mega-hit for Krall, “If I Take You Home Tonight” by Paul McCartney and, perhaps with the recent death of Glenn Frey in mind, “Desperado” by the Eagles.

Effortlessly elegant, Krall’s stage presence is as soothing and enigmatic as her rare, slightly raspy contralto. Her genuine enthusiasm was inviting and intimate, making fans feel as though they were sitting in her living room.

The twists she adds to the songs she covers are always exhilarating – and usually unexpected. She’ll announce the title beforehand and the tune is immediately recognisable, but then she lets whim take flight, and listeners can only follow along with a smile all the melodious ups and downs of her interpretation. It makes for a great musical journey.

And that’s quite apart from Krall’s exceptional musicianship. Her piano sings along, whispers, rocks, shouts and weeps at her fingertips. In addition, the members of the band were obviously carefully chosen to enhance her masterly performance, bringing harmony to the whole.

Sound-wise, Paragon Hall proves to be a fine setting for concerts, able to handle the most delicate of passages. The stage set was simple but adequate, the lighting just enough to frame the music’s varying moods. Of course, with Diana Krall at the piano and microphone, nothing extravagant is needed. The woman would be just as captivating playing in an underground cave.

 

Kowtowing to Beijing?

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ART

CAROLINE HENSHAW
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
HONG KONG February 25, 2016 1:00 am
pic

A flagship gallery show raises fears for Hong Kong arts

HONG KONG got its first glimpse of the collection at the heart of its new flagship gallery, with an exhibition that has highlighted fears Beijing’s influence in the city is infecting the arts.

The M+ Sigg show features 80 works by famous Chinese names including Yue Minjun – known for his paintings of laughing faces – and surrealist Zhang Xiaogang.

It is billed as the first ever chronological exhibition on the emergence of Chinese contemporary art and gives a taste of a much wider collection that will eventually go on show at Hong Kong’s new M+ gallery.

The massive 60,000 square-metre art venue, set to open in 2019, aims to rival Western contemporary heavyweights like London’s Tate Modern.

But the Hong Kong government-sponsored gallery has been criticised for failing to fully represent the local art scene and faces questions over its curatorial independence.

Some in the art community ask why it spent none of its HK1.7 billion (Bt7.82 billion) acquisition budget on creations that blossomed on Hong Kong’s streets during the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement of 2014.

Others question whether this week’s exhibition – on display at a smaller gallery as M+ awaits completion – has been pared back, pointing out its touring title, “Right is wrong”, has been dropped.

There have been queries over whether some more controversial works were excluded, and whether there was pressure to tone down the narrative of Beijing’s crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

M+ chief curator Doryun Chong defended the new exhibition, saying it is a “whole, full historical survey” of Chinese modern art – one that includes works by Beijing’s bete noir Ai Wei Wei.

He also insisted M+ has not been subject to political pressure, but admits the gallery takes a conservative approach to its collection and exhibitions.

“There might be certain institutions or curators who believe in the idea or the power of provocation, but I don’t believe in that,” Chong said.

The questions swirling around M+ come as concern grows in Hong Kong over interference from Beijing in the semi-autonomous city’s politics, education and the press.

Those fears have been exacerbated by the recent disappearances of five Hong Kong booksellers known for publishing titles critical of the Chinese government. Four are now under criminal investigation on the mainland.

Some connected to M+ say self-censorship is becoming a bigger problem in the city.

“In Hong Kong, we do feel like there is a big tightening of the public sphere over the past two or three years, whether it’s in publishing, in theatres, in exhibitions,” says Ada Wong, a local arts advocate and a member of the M+ museum committee.

“I think this administration in particular, they are very cautious as to what would upset Beijing,” adds Wong, referring to the government of Hong Kong’s chief executive Leung Chun-ying, seen as a staunch ally of China.

Wong says local artists have even begun to tone down their work for fear of upsetting the authorities.

“Self-censorship… it’s happening, it’s just still under the table,” she says. “The fear is here, and the tightening of control is definitely here.”

The harbour-front M+ gallery venue in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon remains a sprawling construction site 20 years after it was first dreamt up.

Political interference has been blamed for delays that have eaten up the project’s entire HK$21.6 billion government grant and prompted senior figures including M+’s executive director Lars Nittve to step down.

West Kowloon Cultural District Authority head Duncan Pescod admits the full complex – which will eventually also include a theatre and public parks – could take another 10-15 years to complete.

He says the authority is considering working with several developers at the same time to speed things up.

But despite concerns, there is still hope that M+ will draw attention to the city’s undernourished creative industries.

“For a long time Hong Kong has perhaps not been the most hospitable city for emerging artists,” says Pearl Lam, who runs a prominent private gallery, pointing to the high cost of living and rental space.

“M+ will be exceptionally important for Hong Kong when it opens.”

Hong Kong is already a burgeoning art hub, the world’s fourth-largest art market and hosts major international show Art Basel.

There has been a recent explosion of galleries, with major Western brands like White Cube and Galerie Perrotin opening offices in the past five years, and smaller local art studios setting up home in former industrial heartlands.

Still, advocates say the government must do more to support the next generation of local artists – and stop being so afraid of controversy.

“If you want to support the arts you have to start by nurturing the young,” says Wong. “Creativity can be disruptive and that’s what officials are worried about.”

The critical view

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STAGE REVIEW

PAWIT MAHASARINAND
SPECIAL TO THE NATION February 25, 2016 1:00 am
Mano Land

Mano Land

Ceci n'est pas la politique

Ceci n’est pas la politique

Hom Rong the Musical

Hom Rong the Musical

B-Floor theatre directors compete for honours from Thai Theatre Critics who also plan to honour veteran playwright Daraka Wongsiri

THE HISTORY of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) dates back 60 years and its Thailand centre, now in its fifth year of operation, remains the only national section in the Asean Economic Community. With the continuous kind support of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), the Thai critics will again hold their IATC Thailand Dance and Theatre Review 2015 there on March 22, where they’ll hand out Thailand’s only awards for contemporary dance and theatre.

After giving the audience and artists their overview and analysis on what happened on stage in 2015 and how it affected the development of contemporary dance and theatre in Thailand, the critics will single out exemplary works in 11 categories, covering plays, musicals and movement-based performances. But the highlight, of course, is the Lifetime Achievement award, for which the critics have unanimously selected Thailand’s most prolific playwright Daraka Wongsiri.

A graduate of Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Dramatic Arts, Daraka co-founded DASS Entertainment – the first two letters of her first name are that of the company’s – now known as Dreambox, in 1990 and has since worked as its resident dramatist.

She has penned more than 30 plays and musical books known for well-rounded characters, up-to-date situations, and underlying social commentary. Theatregoers still can recall – and theatre students are studying – such dramas as “Kulab si lueat” “(“The Crimson Rose”, 1988) and “Sutsai plai rung” (“Where the Rainbow Ends”, 1991) in addition to such satirical comedies as “Thuen theuk” (“Old Maids”, 1992), which was later followed by three sequels, and “Sam sao sam sam” (“Three Misbehaving Women”, 1996).

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Musical fans have been delighted by her adaptation of “Khu kam” (“A Doomed Couple”, 2003), “Mae Nak” (2009), “Pritsana” (2012), which won best musical book award, and last month’s “Mom”.

Critics are still mum about the winners in the other 11 categories, but have announced the finalists, including works by both commercial and independent companies and some of which you may not have heard.

Physical theatre company B-Floor was the year’s most productive and its works are spread across all categories in the nomination list with the exception of the musical. B-Floor has confirmed it won’t be staging one soon.

For example, and for the first time ever here and indeed a rare case anywhere, three directors from B-Floor are up against one another in the best direction award – Jarunun Phantachat for “Test of Endurance”, Dujdao Vadhanapakorn for “The Secret Keeper” and Teerawat Mulvilai for “Manoland”. The former two works are also nominated for best art direction category, in which another contender is a site-specific work “The Campus”.

In the best movement-based performance category, “The Secret Keeper” and “Manoland” are running against Pichet Klunchun Dance Company’s “The Gentlemen” whose cast is also contending the best performance by an ensemble award, up against “Manoland” and another B-Floor work “WW101”.

Three nominated performances by male artist are those of National Artist Suprawat Pattamasoot in “Hom Rong: The Musical”, Thongchai Phimanphansiri in “Whaam!: The Brief History of Unknown Astronaut” and Jaturachai Srichanwanpen in “3 Days in May”.

Their female counterparts are Jaturachai’s sole co-performer Parnrut Kritchanchai, Silpathorn artist Sineenadh Keitprapai in “S-21” and crooner Pijika Jittaputta in “Phaendin Khong Rao: The Musical”.

Nominees for best original scripts are “Ceci n’est pas la politique”, “Whaam!” and “3 Days in May”; for adaptation, “Norwegian Wood”, “Dogtooth” and “Malady of Death”; and for musical books, “Mangkon Salat Klet”, “The Lady of Siam” and “Wedding Day”.

In a year when we had a chance to watch a new musical almost every month, finalists for best musical award are Anatta Theatre Group’s “Mangkon Salat Klet”, Guts Entertainment’s Thai translation of “The Sound of Music” and Scenario’s “Wedding Day”.

And while B-Floor is not known for spoken drama, its “Ceci n’est pas la politique” was a breakthrough of sorts and has been nominated for best play, along with Splashing Theatre Company’s “Whaam!” and For WhaT Theatre’s “3 Days in May”.

Will B-Floor sweep the floor? We’ll soon find out.

PICK A WINNER

– The IATC Thailand Dance and Theatre Review 2015 is at 6pm on March 22 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.

– For more details, check http://www.Facebook.com/IATC.Thailand.

 

Secret in the short

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FILM

DONSARON KOVITVANITCHA
SPECIAL TO THE NATION
BERLIN February 25, 2016 1:00 am
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Pimpaka Towira gives the Berlin Film Festival a “Prelude” to her in-the-works feature “The General’s Secret”

THERE WERE VERY few films from Southeast Asia in any of the sections of this year’s Berlin International Film Festival though Thailand did get a look in with the screening of Pimpaka Towira’s “Prelude to the General” in the short film competition section.

Pimpaka is not new to the festival. Indeed her first feature film ‘One Night Husband” was selected for the Forum Section, while in 2011 her short film ‘Terribly Happy’ competed in the same Berlinale Shorts section.

“The film is a part of my next project, ‘The General’s Secret’,” says Pimpaka of her current feature film project, which in 2013 was selected by the Culture Ministry as part of the Thai pitch to the Cannes Film Festival.

“‘The General’s Secret’ tells the story of a young female journalist who learns about the general’s well-guarded secret from an old masseuse.

“The project is in the process of development. We are still looking for funding. ‘Prelude to the General’ is a part of this project and shows the two main protagonists in an illusory reality,” Pimpaka explains.

In “Prelude to the General”, the journalist warns the old masseuse to run away. Then we see the young woman wandering in a place that could be either fantasy or reality.

Beautifully lensed in 2.35 aspect ratio by cinematographer and short filmmaker Kong Pahurak, “Prelude to the General” has a different feel from Pimpaka’s previous works.

“I want to try another style of storytelling. For composition and framing, we want this film to be like illusory reality, like when we watch a painting that’s trying to look as real as possible.”

The winner of the Golden Bear for Berlinale Shorts this year was “Batrachian’s Ballad” by Leonos Teles from Portugal. “A Man Returned” by Mahdi Fleifel won the Silver Bear Jury Prize, and the Taiwanese short “Anchorage Prohibited” by Chiang Wei Liang picked up the Audi Short Film Award.

But despite not bringing back any prizes, Pimpaka was very happy with her showing at the festival as well as the feedback she got from the audience.

“The feedback was very warm. Many audience members came to talk with me about the filmmaking and content. Arte channel also interviewed me about the film. The audience is looking forward to seeing my feature film project come true”, Pimpaka says.

On the Web:

http://www.facebook.com/Extra-Virgin-Company-130580403646657

Japan lusting after our pretty boy James

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SOOPSIP

The Nation February 25, 2016 1:00 am
pic

Actor Jirayu “James” Tangsrisuk has started the Year of the Monkey with a bang by shedding the monkey on his back

ACTOR JIRAYU “JAMES” Tangsrisuk has started the Year of the Monkey with a bang by shedding the monkey on his back – not an addiction but the widespread belief that a guy who’s so good-looking couldn’t possibly act well (Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp being mere flukes).

James’ just-ended TV drama series “Padiwarada” turned out to be a hit and he earned high praise for his acting, finally shutting up the sceptics. Viewers could almost see his talent blossom before their eyes, confirming suspicions that there’s more to him than just boyish charm.

Meanwhile he’s also doing well with the half-hour travel show “Tabi Japan with James Jirayu”, airing on Channel 3 SD Sundays at 5pm. That came out of a two-month odyssey around the Land of the Rising Sun last year. The way he showcases the various destinations and interacts with the locals makes the show another winner for him, garnering even more recognition back home.

Meanwhile James has signed on with the record label Universal Music Japan – voice unheard, as it were. And his rising popularity in Japan is such that our embassy in Tokyo invited him to help promote the events it sponsors, such as “The Thai Fair” to be held in the capital’s Yoyogi Park on May 14 and 15. James will be there both days.

None of this has gone unnoticed by the Japanese media, of course, which are watching gape-mouthed as this foreign kid takes Tokyo by storm. He’s appearing at endless events around the country, plus a runway show in Paris last month for Japanese fashion designer Yoji Yamamoto. Last weekend he was a guest on a Japanese TV show featuring scenes shot at the Japan Expo in Bangkok.

It’s been a whirlwind of valuable new experiences and a turning point in his life, James tells GM magazine, adding that he greatly admires the Japanese for their punctuality and self-determination.

Somehow, though, he’s still found time to turn his lifelong interest in photography into a full-blown obsession. When he first got involved in show business he was struck by the way professional photographers work and started buying cameras. From his jobs as an actor and model, he’s learned all about composition, angles and lighting.

Now James can be seen taking pictures all the time, especially of people on street, and he spends hours at home touching up the shots and printing them. His latest amusement is collecting old cameras, the kind that work with film (ask your granddad), but he’s still buying digital models too. And where better to buy cameras than – in Japan! His favourite shop is called Map Camera in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.

There are no plans as yet for a James Jirayu photo exhibition, but you can always tune in to “Tabi Japan”, where he routinely shows off his favourite shots.

The best dressed in the region

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FASHION

THE NATION February 25, 2016 1:00 am
Asava

Asava

Issue

Issue

Kloset

Kloset

Milin

Milin

Painkiller

Painkiller

Senada

Senada

Bangkok Fashion Society members unveil their spring and summer collections with notions on dressing the entire Asean Economic Community

TEN THAI DESIGNERS set out last week to win over fashion fans in all corners of the newly formed Asean Economic Community while simultaneously strengthening Thailand’s position as a fashion hub with a showcase of outfits, separates and accessories for the coming spring and summer at a downtown mall.

The designers, all members of the Bangkok Fashion Society, took over the Greyhound Cafe at EmQuartier for an extravaganza on the theme “Bangkok Based Asean Best”.

Polpat Asavaprapa, the chief of BFS and founder of member label Asava, told XP he was confident that Thai brands would flourish in the AEC.

“We feel it is important to get in the front door and make sure our brands are known throughout Asean. We are working together to create a BFS fashion concept and style that will demonstrate the potential of Thai fashion design to the world and help us become the design leaders of the Asean region. For that, we need strong support from both the government and the Thai people. The value of the Thai design concept and the elaborate production, from selecting fabrics to controlling the quality of tailor-made garments, needs to be promoted continually,” he says.

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Member labels Asava, Vickteerut, Greyhound Original, Milin, Issue, Kloset, Painkiller, Playhound by Greyhound, Tutti & Tutti Frutti and Senada all took part in last week’s showings, which although broadly divided into three main styles, took nothing away from the individuality of each brand.

The clothes in the “Alive” category came with a strong sense of energy with colourful patterns and flower prints heralding the arrival of summer. “Yesterday” brought back happy memories of the past, with outfits sporting a retro feel while fashions in the “Strong” category focused on individuality with details and silhouettes different from other seasonal trends.

Designers drew heavily on both artworks and regional culture, serving up a rich palette of colours that were roughly divided into three categories. “Spring Garden” encompassed the soft pastel hues of yellow, blue and pink and the gentle green of freshly cut grass; “Summer Vibes” bowed to the heat of an April day in bright and bold purple, orange and blue; while “Opposite Attraction” played with contrasts, mixing black with white and warm tones with cool ones.

Miniskirts and shorts were out in full, all the better to showcase long tanned legs, and several of the minidresses sported a fun flare towards the hem that added a feminine look. Tops revealed bare shoulders, some cut with a boat-neck and others merely strapless, with jackets worn loosely over cropped tops revealing slim midriffs.

Aside from quality and value for money, the BFS brands are also well known for their distinctive details. And here again they didn’t disappoint with prints emphasising the island culture, nature and animals of the tropics along with tailor-made outfits with an elegant cut that revealed glimpses of skin. Sheer and transparent fabrics like lace, organza and chiffon, all ideal for the summer climate, were very much in evidence on the catwalk, paired with bolder materials covered in intense graphic designs.

For the men, the designers opted for a cool “Culture Camp” look, combining styles for work and leisure with a touch of the military for a laid-back feel.

Donning his designer hat, Polpat said the ladies should opt for a soft look for summer with careful cutting allowing them to reveal a little skin while remaining demure. Guys, he suggested, would do well to mix and match, combining a casual camping style with a sophisticated look, or matching it with sporty separates for a more relaxed demeanour.

Milin Yuwajarassakul, designer of Milin, played with her favourite black, white and grey, juxtaposing them with metallic gold and silver and pairing them with pastel pink, fuchsia, turquoise, lemon and violet for a multifaceted feminine look in her “Myth Universe” collection. Using an unexpected mix of high and low hemlines, Milin delivered a fresh take on classic shapes from mini and mid-calf dresses, evening dresses, tops and mini skirts to bohemian flared pants, introducing flat gladiator sandals to balance out the modern, futuristic look with a playful edge.

Kloset’s “Woman on the Moon” Collection, which was inspired by the work of artist Paul Gauguin, reinterpreted patterns, textures and palettes with deep colours like maroon and mustard combined with violet, green, beige and light blue. Traditional island prints got a modern makeover and a swallow also made an appearance, as a symbol to encourage those who have a dream to spread their wings.

Issue, meanwhile, focused on cultural diversity with a “Peranakan” collection inspired by the Chinese and Malayu heritage with mixed prints for the ladies and flowing coats for the men. Bhubawit “Roj” Kritpholnara, Issue’s founder and designer, paid tribute to Asian beauty through collage and resin work finely hand-stitched on dresses to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

Senada went whimsical for its “Into the Woods” collection working with two themes – the great outdoors and sophisticated indoors. The collection featured Senada’s usual splash of vintage charm, with ’60s and ’70s-inspired A-line silhouettes, knee length to floor length skirts, cute day dresses, elegant accordion pleat details, ruffles, peter pan lace collars, smocked cuffs and flowing circular skirts. Extravagant fabrics and techniques like tweed, lace trimmings, crochet and delicate flower embroideries were extensively incorporated with sheer and silky materials, adding a sensual edge to an otherwise sophisticated set.

Playhound brought summer vibes to its “Cut Outs” collection, mimicking the technique of artist Henri Matisse to give the clothes a fun feel. Silhouettes were comfortable and easy to mix and match with the separates featuring everything from a bomber jacket, jumpsuit, sweater and hoodie jacket to sports bikinis, cropped tops, mini dresses and bathrobes. The menswear was given surfer attitude with colourful bandanas, sweat pants, swimming trunks, Hawaiian shirts and plenty of denim.

Linen, cotton, light knits and rayon were the fabrics of choice and these were often given a sporty edge through the addition of mesh and jersey. Here again, the colour palette boasted vibrant reds, greens and blues tempered by pastel blue, pink and yellow.

For its part, sister brand Greyhound drew on David Hockney’s work for its collection “Summer Art”. An independent line of waves in one of Hockney’s signature pools was used as the main graphic to represent freedom and relaxation and overlaid with prints, embroidery and pleats.

 

The magic of Makha Bucha

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BUDDHISM IN THAILAND

Phatarawadee Phataranawik
The Nation February 22, 2016 1:00 am
Monks worship before the Buddha statue that was specially made for the recreation of Weruwan Forest. The figure is in same pose as the Lord Buddha when he delivered his final sermon. Nation/Anan Chantasoot

Monks worship before the Buddha statue that was specially made for the recreation of Weruwan Forest. The figure is in same pose as the Lord Buddha when he delivered his final sermon. Nation/Anan Chantasoot

The Culture Ministry’s Religious Affairs Department is sponsoring free merit-making cruises to nine temples along the Chao Phraya, with monks serving as guides. Photo courtesy of Culture Ministry’s Religious Affair Department

The Culture Ministry’s Religious Affairs Department is sponsoring free merit-making cruises to nine temples along the Chao Phraya, with monks serving as guides. Photo courtesy of Culture Ministry’s Religious Affair Department

Schoolchildren are encouraged to take part in the activities at Weruwan Buddhist Park in Sanam Luang. Photo courtesy of Culture Ministry’s Religious Affair Department

Schoolchildren are encouraged to take part in the activities at Weruwan Buddhist Park in Sanam Luang. Photo courtesy of Culture Ministry’s Religious Affair Department

The pavilion from last year’s Maka Bucha Day observance in Sanam Luang. Nation/Taweechai Chantawong

The pavilion from last year’s Maka Bucha Day observance in Sanam Luang. Nation/Taweechai Chantawong

Weruwan Forest, where lord Buddha preached his final sermon, has reappeared in Sanam Luang

Today, Makha Bucha Day, affords Buddhists a chance at reprieve. It’s an opportunity, however brief, to look beyond the bitter debate over the selection of Thailand’s next Supreme Patriarch, which this month saw monks clashing violently with soldiers.

The Culture Ministry’s Religious Affairs Department is urging devotees, and particularly schoolchildren, to actively seek to replenish their faith through prayer and involvement in Makha Bucha commemorations.

For the past week people have been visiting Weruwan Buddhist Park in Sanam Luang, a temporary recreation of the bamboo forest in India where the Lord Buddha preached to 1,250 monks on the day now observed annually as Makha Bucha. The park closes after tonight’s schedule of events.

The ministry planted thousands of gold and green bamboo trees around an air-conditional tent filled with displays on the teachings of the Buddha and eight of Thailand’s most venerated monks, including Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Luang Poo Wean, Panyananda Bhikkhu and Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the late Supreme Patriarch. The exhibition covers the Buddhist precepts, such as the admonition to refrain from all vice.

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In the early mornings there’s an almsgiving ceremony, followed by a sermon and a ritual circumambulation of the site. Each evening, nearly 100 monks chant beneath a statue of the seated Buddha, thumbs held to index fingers. According to legend, this was the pose he assumed while delivering his final sermon, the Ovadha Patimokha, to the faithful on this day more than 2,500 years ago, an event that occurred nine months after his enlightenment.

Religious Affairs director general Kitsayapong Siri said the polished brass Buddha statue was specially made for the recreation of Weruwan Forest. It’s 59 inches tall and 32 inches wide and sits in the same pose the Lord Buddha adopted that day.”

Thursday evening saw dozens of lay people dressed in white, mostly elderly, seated on mats in shared prayer. A pair of German tourists joined them, their hands raised toward the Buddha in a respectful wai.

“We were seeing the landmarks and came across this ceremony,” Andre Nanjoh said with Sarah Farran at his side. They hail from Bavaria. “Even though we don’t understand the language, a spiritual ceremony like this is fascinating. It really demonstrates the faith of Buddhists. An official invited us to join.”

Foreigners of course aren’t the only people lacking knowledge about the story behind Makha Bucha Day. Many Thai Buddhists are unaware of the meaning and message involved.

The Lord Buddha’s Ovada Patimokha sermon to 1,250 members of his enlightened audience has come to represent the clergy’s fundamental rite and is referred to as “the heart of Buddhism”. These were the monks he personally ordained – all having arrived to pay him homage on the full moon of the third lunar month, each on his own initiative, from different origins, without being summoned.

The principles the Buddha set out for the priesthood remain unchanged, as Phra Prom Wachirayan, abbot of Wat Yannawa and one of the organisers of the park event, explained.

“The principles can be condensed into three major guidelines: to do good, to abstain from bad and purify the mind,” the abbot said. “Adopting these teachings in the modern day and in so complex a society leads to peace of mind. And if individuals are happy, society will be happy, as well as the country.”

There’s also the ministry’s free merit-making Chao Phraya River cruises, with monks serving as guides and teaching about the temples’ history, murals and significance. Running from 8.30am to 4.30pm today, the boats stop at nine riverside temples.

Wat Rajasingkhon is the first stop, with its compelling Ayutthaya Era architecture and a bronze statue of Luang Por Daeng dating to the early Rattanakosin Period.

Wat Worachanyawas fronting on Charoen Krung Road was built during the reign of King Rama I and is best known for its delicately carved monk’s pavilion. Wat Yannawa in Sathon district, another Ayutthaya-era structure, has a chedi and viharn forming the shape of a Chinese junk, as commissioned by King Rama III, to remind people what the fast-disappearing vessel looked like.

Wat Kalyanamitr in Thon Buri is a mix of traditional Thai and Chinese architecture and features a giant seated Buddha in the main hall.

Wat Arun is instantly recognisable with its Khmer spires, erected in Rama II’s time. Wat Rakhang Kositaram Woramahawihan is known as the Temple of the Bells. Wat Kahabordi has the Sagkham, a beautiful golden Buddha statue.

Wat Thewarajakulchorn boasts an enormous main chapel. Wat Rajathiwas Rajaworavihara, where King Rama IV was a monk, was erected by Rama V and his son Prince Narissaranuwattiwong.

The ceremonies wrap up at around 7 tonight with a candlelit merit-making walk.

 

Meet Opal Philaiwan, Thailand’s next gift to the world

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SOOPSIP

February 22, 2016 1:00 am
Opal is proud of her Isaan heritage. Photo/Facebook

Opal is proud of her Isaan heritage. Photo/Facebook

Samples of Opal’s modelling work can be found on Facebook.

Samples of Opal’s modelling work can be found on Facebook.

They used to make fun of Philaiwan “Opal” Phimphoolad’s grand ambition

Not bloody likely for a girl from Udon Thani with a dark complexion and a flat nose, they snickered.

You know where this story’s going, though. Opal, now 22 and a third-year law student at Thammasat University, is sharing the runways with the most famous of Thailand’s supermodels and is in demand among European photographers working in the Kingdom.

“I’ve always been self-conscious about my looks, which are typically Isaan – the low bridge on my nose and the square face – which don’t match the ideal in Thai feminine beauty, so I had no confidence at all,” says Opal.

But then one day at a promotional event in a Bangkok department store she met Rojjana “Yui” Phetkanha, who in her time was perhaps the most successful Thai model of them all – “our own Chanel Girl”, they called her. Yui was on the cover of international Vogue, for Heaven’s sake. And Yui came from Isaan too.

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“I was totally stunned when I first saw her,” Opal says. “My hair stood on end! She had the same facial features as me and she’d become a successful international model. So she sealed my inspiration to become a model. Without her I wouldn’t have come this far.”

Her dream reinvigorated, Opal entered a slew of “you-too-could-be-a-model” contests and even some beauty pageants – but most of the time got bounced out in the first round.

“It was really hard getting to this stage,” she admits. “I’m tall enough, but people kept saying I couldn’t be a model because I look ‘too rustic’. My worst experience was when a famous commentator scolded me onstage, saying I looked like a country katoey.” Other folks calling “termite face” didn’t help either, of course.

“But all the harsh criticism just drove me on and brought the best out of me. If I’d accepted what they said, I’d have tossed aside my dreams. But I stood my ground, refusing to let the harsh words ruin my self-respect. If I had let the criticism destroy my dreams, I wouldn’t be who I am now.

“I believe everyone has an inner strength and his or her own charm, some unique potential. We simply have to find a way to boost it. I just pushed myself harder to develop my skills and my modelling qualities.”

Opal says she was frequently advised to have cosmetic surgery on her face and take concoctions that claim to lighten the skin. “I just kept saying ‘no’. I want to show the world my unique facial features. I’m proud of my authentic look, which is getting rare in Thailand these days.”

She’s certainly come a long way from the days she went around hunched over so she wouldn’t loom over her school friends. Having managed to straighten out that towering 175cm frame, she’s got great posture and has the walk and the poses down pat.

“I’m still studying, so I have to juggle my time between my textbooks and my fitness regimen,” she says. With Yui in mind, Opal plans to distribute her portfolio around Europe in the hopes of working there and – who knows – maybe becoming the next “Face of Asia”.