ML Dispanadda Diskul, the foundation’s chief executive, notes that the project is now in its third year and aims to create a workspace where Doi Tung’s partners and local craftsmen came collaborate and come up with a special collection.

This year, designer Polpat Asavaprapha, organiser Sombatsara Teerasaroch, Vogue’s editor in chief Kullawit Laosuksri, and actress Natapohn Tameeruks are working with the Doi Tung’s artists on their exclusive designs.

There are 30 special products that effectively communicate the key message to the target group of new generation urbanites. All revenue after expenses will be used to further support the project known as “Plant People” to enable independence in accordance with the Princess Mother’s resolution along with sustainable development.

Polpat Asavaprapha of Asava spoke on the inspiration behind the collection, explaining that the design collaboration between the ASV fashion brand and Doi Tung stemmed from the desire to incorporate the knowledge and beauty of unique and characteristic handcrafts with the brand’s modern and fun design. The special collection of unisex fashion items includes a jacket with vertical stripes made from woven bambooinfused cotton, short and long dresses, cotton and rayon dresses with silver thread, offshoulder tops, blouses, crew neck tshirts, trousers, denim jackets, and shirt, as well as handwoven bags and unisex hats.

Sombatsara designed a large rayoninfused cotton handwoven carpet. Titled “Flowers on the Hills”, it reflects the inspiration stemming from the perpetually changing spectacular views of Mae Fah Luang’s flower garden. The pattern and feeling of the moment are the main message in this artwork that depicts the wonderful vibe of Doi Tung’s garden.

Likewise, Kullawit created the City Bag, a tote made from natural cotton fibre and handwoven by Doi Tung’s craftsmen. It’s completed with authentic leatherwork that helps enhance and strengthen the element while black and purple add to the modern style. The tote is multifunctional with several internal pockets for convenience and can be worn in various ways for different lifestyles.

Natapohn concocted a handwoven clutch from the soft hempinfused cotton in natural dyes and complemented it with a handwoven handle and Japanese handmade washi paper notebook box set. The 4notebook box set took its inspiration from Doi Tung’s thread weaving tradition.

On November 24 it’s time for “Space Spiritual Soul” with Clokue, Honon, Flex Off aka Greig Smith, Frozensmusics aka Tum Monotone, and Cut The Crab at Live Cube, Death of Heather, Govinda Bhasya Khana Bierbood, Jinta and Abstraction XL at Thonglor Art Space and DJ Sangka Si and Toimi Tytti at 12×12 Bar.

The festival wraps with “Psych Trip” at Case Space Revolution on November 25 with Scout Land, Ototobi Zero, Rendezvous, Kagelow, and DJ Maftsai, and at De Commune with live visual Yellaban featuring Stylish Nonsense, Ugly Mountain, Desktop Error, Chladni Chandi, DJ Justin Mills and Acid Mothers Temple Official & The Melting Paraiso UFO.

Tickets are Bt2,500 and available at the door of all venues.

An enchanting evening

French-Thai classical singer Yves Baron, aka Le Tenor, performs live from Thursday to Sunday at Cascade, Amari Watergate Bangkok throughout November.

Enjoy smooth tunes in a laid back street cafe atmosphere with your favourite beverage in hand while snacking on baked goods, deli items, and delicious appetisers.

Admission is free from 7 to 10pm.

Game for a laugh

British comedian Carey Marx will be sharing the stage with South African comics Tsitsi Chiumya and Dustin Moore for a night of laughter at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit on November 17.

Winner of Best International Show at the New Zealand Comedy Festival and Leicester Comedy Festival Best Show nominee, Marx has established himself firmly as one of the top standup comedians from the British circuit. His comedy show is blends his dark humour with mischief and glee.

Chiumya will also be sharing the laughter with his  “awkwardly relatable stories.”

Early bird tickets are Bt500, Bt800, and Bt1,400 for VIP including freeflow drinks for two hours, meet & greet with the comedians, and the best seats in the house. The show starts at 8.

Get your tickets at http://www.TicketFlap.com/bkkcomedycareymarx.

Reflections on life

Spanish artist Joan Cornella is back in Bangkok for his second solo exhibition, “Happy Endings” showing at Woof Pack on Saladaeng Soi 1 until December 3.

Cornella brings his imagination to life through his art, a blend of cynicism and humour. This exhibition features more than 60 pieces, many of them never before shown. Books, tshirts, and canvas bags signed by the artist will also be on sale.

Wood Pack is open from 11am to 10pm and admission is Bt200.

For more information and updates, visit https://joancornella.net.

HER ROYAL Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana is inviting all women to “find their inner princess” with a set of Shiseido cosmetics on which she’s collaborated.

The Shiseido x Sirivannavari Princess Hanayaka Collection features beauty products for the woman who is vivacious and ravishingly beautiful – just like a storybook princess.

Princess Sirivannavari was on hand at Bangkok’s Siam Hotel last week when the Japanese unveiled the collection it created in conjunction with her fashion house, named simply Sirivannavari.

She dedicated more than two years to planning, supervising and adding the final touches to the collection. On behalf of Sirivannavari, where she is creative director, she selected the colour schemes and textures and even designed the packaging, adapting drawings from her previous clothing lines to create elegant and graceful new looks.

The colours are the Princess’ favourites and appear on products that are not only beautiful but also easy to apply.

“Sirivannavari has always wanted to create beauty products that can fully answer the needs of women in Asia,” she said. “This is also what Shiseido wants as a premium makeup brand that understands the needs of Asian women well. That’s how our collaboration started. I’m delighted that we both share the same intentions, which is to create what will enable the beauty of women in Asia to glow from inside and out naturally.”

Princess Sirivannavari said she set out to create beauty products that were “compact and convenient to apply”.

“The colours had to be beautiful and highly flexible for various combinations of mix and match for different occasions, from a daytime natural look to nighttime glamour. And the texture must match different colour combinations.

“I worked with the graphics inspired by Sirivannavari collections to design the packaging. Drawings of rice ears, bees and lovebirds form the main designs. When combined with a Japanese touch, the lines become perfect for the packaging.”

Shiseido (Thailand) managing director Tatsuki Nagao said it was a great honour for the company to work with the Princess.

The collection is named “Princess Hanayaka”, he said, because it refers to “a woman who is vivacious and as ravishingly beautiful as a princess”.

There are four beauty products covering Natural Looks and Glam Looks.

The Eye Colour Palette has eight shades, including four “natural” shades in the golden-brown of rice ears and four “glam” tones called Silver Midnight Blue.

The Face Illuminator and Blush Palette has a grapefruit-colour blush to match the paler Wild Lily highlighter for work days, while a coral-tone blush pairs with a gold highlighter to brighten the cheeks for subtle, glamorous evening looks.

There are two lipsticks, one in crimson red and the other in nude brown, with a semi-matte texture and soft satin touch.

The case features the main designs given a neo-classical touch. Princess Sirivannavari also designed the gold-embossed “S” logo on the makeup palettes, the letter signifying both Sirivannavari and Shiseido.

Well-known makeup artists Puvasa Pornthamachat and Kamol Chatrasen showed attendees at the event how to get the best looks from the Princess Hanakaya Collection and shared their inspirations and tips.

– The Princess Hanayaka Collection is available at 40 Shiseido counters across Thailand, the Sirivannavari pop-up store at King Power Rang Nam and other |branches, and online through http://www.Central.co.th.

– The price range is Bt2,500 to Bt3,500.

It edged out “MeToo” and “whitewash” to top the list of 10 new and notable words that “reflect an ever-evolving culture and the preoccupations of those who use it”, Collins said.

The wider 10 words of the year include ones inspired by Brexit, environmental concerns and the 2018 football World Cup.

“Single-use” describes items “whose unchecked proliferation are blamed for damaging the environment and affecting the food chain”, said Collins.

It said public awareness of plastic adrift in the oceans had led to a global campaign to reduce the use of once-only items.

Another environment-related word on the list was plogging: a Scandinavian fitness craze that combines jogging with picking up litter.

“Vegan”, a person who refrains from using any animal products, has become an increasingly mainstream lifestyle choice in recent years and so gets on the list.

“This has been a year where awareness and often anger over a variety of issues has led to the rise of new words and the revitalisation and adaptation of old ones,” said Helen Newstead, Collins’ head of language content.

“It’s clear from this year’s words of the year list that changes to our language are dictated as much by public concern as they are by sport, politics, and playground fads.”

Fancy flossing with gammon?

“MeToo”, the movement seeking to expose and eradicate sexual harassment, makes the top 10.

Brexit, the 2016 word of the year, has inspired two new words on this year’s list: “backstop” and “gammon”.

“Backstop” is defined as a system that may be used if no other arrangement is made.

The derogatory use of the word “gammon” — a type of cured pork — has gained popularity as a term of abuse directed at the most reactionary pro-Brexit supporters, who are typically white, male and middle-aged.

“Whitewash” — casting a white actor as an ethnic minority character” — also makes the list.

There’s a new term for manipulating others, often romantic partners, by continually feeding them false information until they doubt their sanity: “gaslight”.

From the World Cup, “VAR”, an abbreviation of video assistant referee, makes the list.

The final word on the list is the “floss” dance craze.

“The words in this year’s list perhaps highlight a world at extremes — at one end, serious social and political concerns, and at the other, more light-hearted activities,” said Newstead.

The list will join the online version of the dictionary and be considered for inclusion in future print editions.

So it came as a surprise when the founder of Microsoft brandished a jar of human waste at a forum on the future of the toilet in Beijing on Tuesday.

The stunt was an effort to draw attention to a problem affecting developing countries around the world: not enough toilets.

“In places without sanitation you have got way more than that,” Gates said, pointing to the feces inside the clear canister resting on a table.

“And that’s what kids when they are out playing, they are being exposed to all the time, and that’s why we connect this not just with quality of life, but with disease and death and with malnutrition,” he told attendees.

The billionaire has used part of his considerable fortune to provide clean, comfortable sanitation facilities to the nearly half of the world’s population that suffers without.

“When you think of things that are basic right up there with health and enough to eat, you think that having a reasonable toilet certainly belongs on that list,” Gates said.

Gates has previously used shock tactics to draw attention to his disease-battling efforts.

In 2009, he loosed mosquitoes at a Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference in California to make a point about the deadly sting of malaria — waiting a minute or so before assuring the audience the liberated insects were disease-free.

Gates was in Beijing on Tuesday for the “Reinvented Toilet Expo”, a forum hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation showcasing various cutting edge toilet technology in lieu of sewers, making them easier and cheaper to install the devices.

The world’s number two economy is in the midst of a drive to improve its notoriously malodorous bathrooms, a campaign President Xi Jinping has dubbed the “toilet revolution.”

“China has made great progress in improving health and sanitation for millions of people,” Gates said.

“China has an opportunity to launch a new category of innovated non-sewered sanitation solutions that will benefit millions of people worldwide.”

Six years ago, a doctor told Londoner Julie Creffield that she was too fat to run a marathon. She had none of it, and proved him wrong.

On Sunday, the 40-year-old mother of one took part in her fourth marathon – in New York “a dream come true,” she says.

The professional life coach began her running career began in 2010, when she took part in a short race and came last.

“When I got to the finish line, there was no finish line left, everybody had left and gone home,” she laughs, dressed in black |leggings and a pink hoodie, her blonde hair in a pony tail after a quick jog in Central Park.

She remembers feeling “very embarrassed and thinking maybe I shouldn’t be a runner, maybe I am not welcome in the running world.” So she decided to inspire other women of a similar shape.

“That’s when I started writing the blog,” called “Too Fat to Run,” she says.

The London Olympics later inspired her to run her first marathon.

“I’ve done maybe 30 half marathons and ultra marathons and triathlons… anything that kind of challenges me,” she says.

“For me it’s about inspiring women of all shapes and sizes to give it a go.

“I feel quite passionate about larger women running, because we weren’t very visible in the running world. When you think runner, you think tall, slim, fast, and lots of people want to run for lots of other reasons.”

Creffield, who says she does not know how much she weighs, wears a dress size 18 in Britain, which is a 16 in the United States.

It is in Central Park, where the autumn leaves are already turning yellow, that Creffield said she hoped to cross the finish line along with the more than 50,000 other runners taking part from around the world.

The average time to complete the New York marathon, which takes in the city’s five boroughs, is four hours, 35 minutes.

Last year’s winner, Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya, romped home in two hours, 10 minutes, 53 seconds.

Creffield calculates that it’ll take her between six and a half, and seven and a half hours. She’ll run as much as she can, and walk when she needs a breather.

People take up running for all kinds of reasons, she says, not only to lose weight or get in shape, but to counter depression, to socialise or even carve out a little me time.

Although she has been heckled and insulted for running, Creffield stops at nothing and is confident that little by little, attitudes are changing.

“I’ve had things thrown from car windows at me when I train. I got heckled a lot of the time. It tends to be either children or grown men. Sometimes people shout things they think are motivating, but they are not,” she says.

“Because you’re big, they think you’re new to running and they shout things like ‘it gets easier!’ and I’m like ‘no it doesn’t, I’ve been running for 15 years and this is my pace,’“ Creffield smiles.

“There are so many more things that define us as women than what we look like.”

Although some people want marathons reserved only for elite runners, a growing majority believe they should be open to as wide a pool of people as possible.

“Our mission at New York Road Runners is to help and inspire people through running, regardless of their age or ability. Everyone is welcome,” explains Chris Weiller, spokesman for the group that organises the marathon.

Developed and published by the Singapore-headquartered GoGame, Disney Epic Quest is the first Disney mobile game to debut in Southeast Asia.

The free-to-play game will be available on both Android and iOS devices and will launch across the region in 2019.

“At the heart of everything we do at Disney is great storytelling, and we draw upon the most beloved stories and characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars to create high-quality interactive game experiences for fans of all ages,” says Dan Dossa, general manager of Consumer Products Commercialisation for Walt Disney South Asia.

Disney Epic Quest is an action role-playing mobile game that brings together a line-up of characters from “Big Hero 6”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Incredibles”, “Wreck-It-Ralph” and “Mickey Mouse & Friends”. Disney Epic Quest also marks the debut of original costumes for Mickey, Donald and Goofy, created exclusively for the game.

The game is easy to play but hard to master. Casual players will enjoy the simple hack-and-slash nature of combat, while dedicated fans will enjoy that each Disney and Pixar character in the game has been thoughtfully designed to be as unique as their personalities in the movies.

The elaborate character designs, as well as the potential combinations of character classes, levels, gears, and skills means that there are plenty of opportunities for players to grow their individual Disney and Pixar characters, and customise their squad of characters. Players can also engage in multiplayer co-operative battles in at least two different game modes. Players can invite their friends to play together, or make use of the game’s matchmaking system to meet new friends for real-time play. Future plans also include a competitive player vs player (PvP) mode.

The game will be available in English, Bahasa Indonesia, Simplified Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese.