The upper receives a classic knitted textile construction, reinforced by structural overlays, a branded heel tab and a three-stripe mark. The unique Point of Deflection System gives the P O D S 3.1 silhouette its name, combining supportive EVA in the forefoot with a comfortable Boost unit in the heel, finished with a durable rubber outsole.

The result is a refined evolution of the iconic Torsion technology that graced many of adidas’ most beloved ‘90s silhouettes, allowing free movement of the forefoot and heel, for a fluid, adaptive fit. The result is a proud progression of classic technology, contextualised into a clean, modern perspective.

This new collection is priced at Bt5,000 and available at adidas Originals Siam Center, adidas Brand Centre Central World and Carnival store. Online shoppers can visit http://shop.adidas.co.th/originals/podsystem.html.

A MAN who invariably says what he thinks and who is always open to new ideas and challenges, Polpat Asavaprapha, creative director and founder of Asava Group, is perhaps the best-known personality in Thailand’s fashion industry.

His brand is now marking its 10th anniversary and to celebrate, Polpat is collaborating with veteran director Pen-ek Rattanaruang on a short film that aims to inspire and reflect his love for the industry while also presenting his new collection of such signature designs as tailored suits, shirtdresses, cape dresses, and trench dresses.

Looking back over his beginnings, Polpat, who is affectionately known as “Moo Asava”, recalls how he started building his brand in a storage room with only four employees, himself included. Today, he employs more than 100 staff and has shops all over town. The group entities include the elegant and sleek chic Asava line, the lavishly youthful ASV, the stylishly functional Uniform by Asava, the dreamy bridal label White Asava, and a fine dining restaurant called Sava Dining.

“My schedule is so full that I’ve to turn down a few great opportunities to make sure my older dressmakers get enough sleep. I consider them family and I care for their well-being so much that I can’t do everything I want to do,” Polpat says.

“Our 10-year journey in building the brand is not long but the foundation is very important. There were times when we veered away from our core ideas but thankfully, we got quickly back on track.”

Asava represents the lifelong passion of the designer and has adapted effortlessly to suit its wearers’ characters and lifestyles with a timeless, sleek and minimalist style.

After earning his MBA from Claremont and his fashion design degree from Parsons School in New York, Polpat trained with a selection of well-known brands including Giorgio Armani, Maxmara and Marc Jacobs and this, he says, gave him a clear idea of how the women of Asava should look.

During the brand’s early days, he stressed the sophisticated styles and tasteful designs of the New York woman and introduced them to Bangkokian fashionistas.

“My inspirations at that time tended to revolve around life in the United States, where I lived for more than 10 years. I can honestly say it was the most enjoyable time of my life – it was like I was a child living in a theme park. But these days, geographical fashion is very unfashionable. We no longer create clothes like that. It is about being unique. As the result, with each collection of Asava, we try to convey a message of dedication and understanding of a psychologically urban lifestyle, and assist women to be confident and comfortable in their present well-rounded lives that encapsulate career, family, relationships, and personal luxury. We also aim to captures the inner value and the essence of each woman, whose intellect and thoughts are reflected through her opulent yet serene style,” he explains.

To embrace such thoughtful notes, Asava’s clothing boast a strongly timeless silhouette, classic cuts, highest-quality materials and attention to fine details. Asava’s signature can be seen in silhouettes like his one-shoulder and cape dress. The sense of femininity is accented through the use of a bustier silhouette paired with A-line skirt or high-waisted trousers embodying a masculine touch to create a sleek and sophisticated look. Draping is also a prominent technique. Influences of sportswear add a hint of boldness to bespoken finesse.

“We don’t want to be just a tailor. We want to reflect attitude and an intelligent lifestyle. I think the world has moved towards things that have no boundaries – a man can marry a man, or wear women’s clothes and vice versa. Beauty is very versatile. Those who buy our clothes are not models but real women who wake up in the morning, get the kids off to school, go to work, attend meetings, hurry back to the school to pick them up, then get changed for the gym or for an event. This is the real world and we would like to make these women happy with the fashion that is part of their lives. Actually this applies to both men and women. We live in a world where we all need to empower and to embrace ourselves. Fashion should work this way.”

And despite being criticised during his time as mentor on “The Face Men” television programme and for creating the looks for Miss Universe Thailand candidates; Aniporn Chalermburanawong, Chalita Suansane, and Mareeya Poonlertlarp, Polpat and Asava continue to stand apart for their creativity and open-mindedness.

We congratulate them on their 10th anniversary!

FASHION BRAND Vickteerut has dubbed its pre-autumn collection “The Wall and the Iris”, a reflection on the amazing sensational delicacy of the material used.

Backed by BMW Thailand, Niram Wattanasit and Vickteerut – led by its creative director Aurapraphan Sudhinaraset – recently hosted “Vickteerut Pre-Fall 2018 Collection and Flower Arrangement Workshop” at the Eden coffee shop on Bangkok’s Lanluang Road.

Aurapraphan took as the conception point the notion of a woman who grew up in a small countryside village and then moved to the big city – Paris.

Recalling childhood memories, she relives picturesque moments in her hometown, with its old stone walls and fresh green fields dotted with small flowers.

The clothes in the autumn collection are elegant and modern, reinterpreting French aesthetics in a contemporary way and bringing together contrasting elements old and new.

The line includes satin dresses, draped crepe gowns, and a knitted bodysuit with a polo collar paired with flared pleated trousers.

There’s a cropped bolero jacket decorated with sequins and flexible iron-on graphics, and double-breasted striped coats worn with a beret adorned with a floral brooch.

And there are single-sleeve balloon blouse in duchess satin and a strapless balloon dress.

The palette ranges from neutrals like white, beige and black to floral hues of blue, pink, purple and red.

On hand for the frocks and the flowers were several fashion icons and members of the Ultimate Joy Experience, who arrived in the latest BMW models.

The guests included Chalida Wijitwongtong, Chayanit Chansangavej, Jarinya Sirimongkolsakul, Oranicha Krinchai, Pimpisa Chirathivat, Chalisa Viravan, Kornkanok Yongsakul and Orawan Inkasit.

Aurapraphan told the fans that Vickteerut strives to present more than just beautifully designed and crafted clothes.

“We also want to portray the fun lifestyle that modern women lead. Thanks to BMW Thailand for special lifestyle experience of the brand. The collection depicts modern sophistication, the contemporary interpretation of French aesthetics and the old versus the new.

“Think of the cowl-neck, bias-cut dresses in crepe and satin that are draped unconventionally and the knitted polo-collar bodysuit worn with a pair of pleated trousers.

“We have a bolero jacket with flexible iron-ons and embroidery, a double-breasted coat dress in striped tailored fabric completed with a beret hat and flower iris pin, a single-sleeve balloon blouse worn with a back-slit pencil skirt, and a strapless sheath dress with balloon ruffles.”

AS IT CELEBRATES its fifth anniversary in Thailand, Three, the Japanese natural based skincare, threw open the doors of its brand-new store Rhythm and Retreat at CentralWorld recently and paraded its top five best-selling items.

Three products, both the skincare and cosmetics lines, continue to increase in popularity largely thanks to their innovative formula, relaxing aromas, and creative design packaging.

Central’s Edwin Yap Hawson and Pichai Chirathivat were on hand to welcome Yasuchi Ichibashi, chairman of Acro Inc to cut the ribbon and officially open the new store, which offers the same quality and service as the Three Aoyama Concept Store in Tokyo. Decorated like a carefully curated art gallery, the store has polite and helpful staff who don’t approach the customer the moment she walks in.

But the highlight is almost certainly the spa treatment service space, the Rhythm Retreat. It’s open to both men and women and uses only Three’s natural products. The holistic beauty treatment titled “Three Rhythm Inner Care” features cold- pressed 100-per-cent oil flax, reflecting the brand’s philosophy that true beauty lies in living with a positive, open attitude, respecting nature and recognising that the gifts from plants exceed human senses.

One of the key ingredients is the yellowish Japanese Tea Seed Oil, which is extracted from A plant only grown in Makinohara, Shizuoka. Its linoleic and olein acids help the skin retain moisture better.

As always, Three’s beauty rituals start off with its Balancing Cleansing Oil to sweep away the impurities and remove makeup and excess keratin, both of which trigger skin problems. It contains the key essential oils found in many of Three’s products – laurel leaf oil, frankincense oil, lavender oil, orange peel oil, wintergreen oil and Alpine rose extract.

The number two top selling product is the newly launched Ultimate Diaphanous Loose Powder which gives a lucent matte texture proving that the best way to conceal is by casting a glow over the area. The ultra-airy and delicate texture make it possible to effortlessly maintain the natural appearance. It also contains eight types of botanical oils and extracts, namely inca inchi, tea seed, argan, jojoba oil, evening primrose and rosehip oils, plus shea butter and beeswax finishing powder.

More than 150 guests and celebrities turned out for the event and were mesmerising by a special exhibition devoted to the uniqueness of Three’s products.

SWISS watch brand, Franck Muller manages to combine the disruptive and the admired in its Crazy Hours wristwatch, reborn to commemorate the 15th anniversary of its creation.

With an automatic movement, it features a jumping-hours module that allows the dial to show the time in the most unconventional way – the hour numerals are not displayed in order.

But the hour hand jumps to the next correct number on the hour, often snapping almost halfway across the dial to do so. The minute hand, however, follows the conventional 60-minute cycle, revolving around the dial.

Although the hour numerals seem randomly placed, there is a sequence to the “crazy” hours. Each subsequent number is placed at an approximately 120-degree arc away from the preceding number.

This technical feat shows a sense of youthfulness and fun. The watch’s blue or grey dial with sunburst finish on Models 7880 and 8880 are injected with shots of colour. The five-minute markers on the inner flange sport green, red, blue and black, which are in turn complemented by matching leather straps.

“Fifteen years ago, when we first launched the Crazy Hours watch, nobody understood what was going on,” laughs Nicholas Rudaz, director of Franck Muller Geneve. “It’s an emotional and fun watch. So, when you look at the time, you actually have to read the time.

“The creator, Muller, is extremely creative and talented. He was the first to put a tourbillon at the front of the watch, as well as a double-axis and triple-axis tourbillon – very inventive and unique. The creativity involved in making watches is fascinating and Frank Muller has always done things that nobody else can, year after year.”

Franck Muller, the firm founded in 1992, has more than 50 world firsts and patents to its credit. And it’s giving Thailand a limited edition of its own – a model from the Vanguard series introduced in late 2014. Only 29 of the watches are available.

The intricate detailing immediately dazzles the eye. The dial has been treated with an unusual tone of blue chosen to contrast the bronze case and the bronze-finish outline of the numerals, which, with the eye-catching hands, harmoniously complete the strong metallic appearance of the dial and imposing case.

The case acquires a patina over time, giving each piece its own unique personality as it ages. Although robust, the watch is comfortable to wear thanks to the tonneau shape of the case, which fits any wrist perfectly.

The Vanguard Bronze Limited Edition for Thailand is complete with a strap of matching blue calf leather on rubber, and a bronze buckle with a titanium emblem stamp.

For ladies, the Double Mystery collection boasts the “mystery” function that’s been a trademark at Franck Muller for two years now. The “mystery” is in the way the sparkling of diamonds in succession counts down the hours according to the rhythm of time. There are neither numerals nor hands, just a diamond-studded rotating plate surrounded by hour-markers of precious stones.

The firm has a patent on this exclusive mechanism and departs from the custom of having the minute-hand drive inside the hour-hand drive. It’s a constraint that makes it impossible to place the minute disc outside that of the hours. The Double Mystery contains gear train that overcomes this restriction and enables the inversion of the process.

The watch has an automatic winding mechanism with a 950-platinum rotor and a Calibre FM 2800 V movement. There are two rotating discs on the dial, revolving at different speeds, demonstrating total purity in the design.

The way the diamonds sparkle on the dial and the case is magical. There is nothing to break the harmony and elegant round case, made from a single block of solid gold or platinum.

And, in celebration of Mothers’ Day, Franck Muller has unveiled the Vanguard Lady Moon Phase, featuring a sun-stamped dial set with a moon phase at 6 o’clock and an elegantly curved case to complement it.

It’s a beautiful feminine design and is available in several pastel hues, the perfect gift for mums who love to have a stylish timepiece on their wrist.

Thai silk has become known the world over in recent years, yet despite all the development that has gone into making the traditional hand-woven textile a visual standout, its use in contemporary ready-to-wear outfits has largely been avoided, not least because of a perception that this delicate fabric is best worn only by the mature and the rich.

That could be about to change thanks to the work of four leading designers – Prapakas Angsusing of Hook’s by Prapakas, Ek Thongprasert, Platt Pladhi, and Theera Chantasawat – who recently showcased a range of interesting outfits in the “Thai Textile for Contemporary Ready-to-Wear” event at Siam Paragon.

The collections, comprising a total of 86 looks which using fabric woven by communities under the Roi Kaen Sarasin, Nakhon Chaiburin and the Royal Peacock brands, made their debut in May in the Spanish city of Valencia where they received rapturous applause.

Platt Pladhi incorporates gorgeous printed silk from Pak Thong Chai district in Nakhon Ratchasima in his designs.

And while the advice for handling Thai silk as gently as possible is as valid as ever the ways in which it can be worn are evolving. “Thai textiles must develop just as fashion constantly changes,” says Platt, who has travelled extensively throughout rural areas to observe the process of textile making as well as to share his knowledge with local weavers and work with them.

“Thai silk is our heritage. It belongs to all of us and should exist in and be part of our everyday lives,” he says of a collection that boasts not just refined cutting and elegant draping but a riot of colours that one would imagine would appear to clash yet manage to look harmoniously outstanding.

“For this collection, I’ve draw upon the colourful prints of silk awarded the Peacock Emblem that is produced in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Thong Chai district. The textiles reflect the contemporary lifestyle through the patterns and structures that are the unique features of my Realistic Situation brand,” he explains.

“My advice is to wear ‘print on print’ and never be afraid of the result. Dressing up should be fun and the colours cry out for mixing and matching.”

Ek Thongprasert regards the uniqueness of the patterns and colours in Thai textiles as their essence and says he regrets that they have yet to blend in with contemporary Thai society.

“The traditional Thai way of passing on knowledge and know-how somehow creates a thick wall that prevents innovations in terms of design,” he laments.

“However, over the past couple of years I have seen the new generation of local weavers going back home to continue the family business as well as the introduction of many government projects aimed at supporting collaboration between designers and local weavers. These factors have led to a swift and impactful development in the industry, allowing a re-introduction of local Thai textiles into the wardrobes of the people of today.”

Ek Thongprasert collection uses the latest “jean silk” innovation from the Thong Saren Silk Group.

His collection is inspired by the way in which contemporary culture is gradually replacing local traditions and he regards the introduction of Thai textiles in contemporary forms as a conversation between rural and urban customs. Using fabrics from the Nakhon Chai Burin group, he mixes and matches various patterns such as a new kind of denim silk produced by Gold Silk Saren, the pa sin teen daeng produced in Buri Ram province as well as the well-known mudmee silk, showing them off through contemporary sportswear.

Thai kick boxing or muay thai is the main theme of this Thailand 4.0 collection that boasts catchy Isaan greetings both screened and embroidered including “Pen-jang-dai” or “Sam-bai-dee-bor” (“how are you?”). The names of the province are incorporated in the designs and Ek adds, “I’ve also included the logo of Burirum United football club, as it’s part of our modern culture that youngsters can easily relate to.”

Theera too has risen to the challenge of revamping and reviving Thai textiles so they become more contemporary and relevant. His first task, he explains, was to change the preconception that Thai textiles are outdated and unfashionable while encouraging local producers to think more globally and to understand the fashion and lifestyle industry.

Last year, his brand T-Ra, with the support from the Ministry of Culture, worked closely with groups of local weavers to create a collection of new and contemporary products that went on to win rave reviews and caught the attention of the popular press.

His designs rely on simplicity, showcasing the draping techniques for which T-Ra is known and boasting hand-woven and naturally dyed fabrics from the Jutatip community in Khon Kaen province.

The fashion show ended with the flowing creations of Prapakas, who has always used Thai silk in the gowns sold under his Hook’s by Prapakas brand. Like his three peers, he feels all Thai designers should be honour-bound to make Thai silk relevant again. “We should try to see Thai silk as one type of fabric and material that has got its own characteristics like all other fabrics from all other countries and work from there, setting aside our biases as well as preconceptions that prevent so many of us from working with Thai silk and wearing Thai silk,” he says.

He also hopes to be able to impart the knowledge regarding colours, colour-pairings, and an understanding of trends to the local weavers so that they are able to design and produce textiles that answer the needs of a wide spectrum of clients.

The inspiration for Prapakas’s collection comes from his recent trips to the Northeast of Thailand and he translates this into gowns made from silk producers from the Roikhaen Sarasin group in Kalasin province. With long experience from designing for stage performances, he applies his unique skills in stitching, layering, and embroidery, bringing these many different fabrics that vary in terms of texture and thickness to gowns that are both elegant and thoroughly modern.

LEGENDARY designer and bibliophile Karl Lagerfeld made a pitch for immortality last week by setting his very Parisian Chanel haute couture show in front of the Academie Francaise.

The venerable institution, whose members are known as “the immortals”, was the backdrop of the spectacular set of the banks of the Seine that Lagerfeld had built inside the Grand Palais in the French capital.

Everything from the bouquinistes’ stands with their vintage Vogue magazines and books eulogising Chanel, to the Paris pavements and lampposts was recreated in staggeringly realistic detail.

All it lacked to pass for the real thing was the tourist tat and a few beggars.

Lagerfeld even roped in his godsons Hudson and Jameson Kroenig to play riverside booksellers with along with their father, the square-jawed American model Brad Kroenig. All, of course, were dressed in Chanel.

Lagerfeld told reporters later that he can see the Quai Voltaire and the academies that act as the guardians of French culture from his windows.

At 84, the Kaiser is now too old to be admitted into any of the august bodies housed below the gilded dome of Institut de France.

In fact he is nearly a decade over the age limit to be a sage, yet the German-born designer shows no signs of slowing with two haute couture shows in two days, the second for Fendi.

Despite appearing doddery on his feet recently, there was almost a spring in his step as he took the bow for a classily restrained autumn winter haute couture collection marked by slit dresses and sleeves.

“Karl is as fresh as a bridegroom,” Conde Nast maven Karina Dobrotvorskaya cooed on Instagram over her picture of him with his “bride”, the traditional finale of couture shows.

The pale green two-piece dress, inspired by the olive leaf motif worn by academicians, was worn by South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech, who also opened the last Chanel Cruise show.

The South Sudanese-British model Alek Wek, who has recently come out of retirement, was the first black model to be given that honour 14 years ago.

Like the Dior show the previous day, Lagerfeld went for a refined sobriety of sharply-cut black and grey slit dresses, worn over short thigh-riding miniskirts.

Many were lit up by flashes of crystals, feathers and glittery-edged embroidery, which pointed up the zipped slit arms.

With Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and South Korean heartthrob Han Hyo-joo in the front row with singers Lily Allen and Pharrell Williams, Lagerfeld often paired black with silver, giving nostalgic touches a metallic futuristic edge.

While much of the collection had a revved-up retro late 1940s feel with ankle boots and models’ hair styled in cockerel quiffs and some wearing fascinator hats. There were also Belle Epoque Victorian flourishes in satin and tulle dresses with glittery tweed capes and long fingerless gloves.

Fashion’s other great veteran, Giorgio Armani, who is a mere 83, began his 95-look show with a similar black, white and silver palette before unleashing a string of bubblegum pink gowns festooned with feathers and rosebuds.

As ever, sheath silhouettes dominated with the designer sending out a string of shimmering ivory-hued creations in the final third of his show for his Giorgio Armani Prive Couture line so adored by films star like Cate Blanchett.

Stephane Rolland, who dressed Beyonce for her latest video “Apeshit” shot in the Louvre museum, draped his models in a series of spectacular gowns and cowls which almost seemed custom-made for the US singer.

Haute couture shows – which only take place in Paris – are the creme de la creme of fashion.

Thousands of hours of work sometimes goes into the handmade dresses that can only be afforded by the richest women on the planet.

The label is accorded by the French industry ministry to acknowledge traditional craftsmanship in hand-sewn, custom-made garments using strict criteria.

Only 14 fashion houses currently boast the recognition, including Chanel, Christian Dior, Giambattista Valli, Givenchy, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Maison Margiela, Schiaparelli, Alexis Mabille and Stephane Rolland.

CHALLENGING familiar sartorial codes, designer Paul Smith once again underlined British style in his spring-summer 2019 collection shown at Paris Fashion Week.

Tailoring remains at the core of the Paul Smith world but where 500-gram tailoring cloth once prevailed, now the same shapes appear in lightweight 200-gram wool. Ease and function were celebrated with the looseness of silhouettes and the nuance of sportswear inspired by the designer’s own love of cycling. Pastels in bright and dreamy shades were mismatched in suits and on leather trousers and outerwear.

Women’s tailoring echoed the men’s in cut and cloth but showed a distinct identity in its fresh, strong attitude. Suits were broken into separates and hand-drawn prints danced across light but form-fitting dress shapes and skirts with structures striking a utilitarian theme. Checkerboard socks and intarsia knits delivered a touch of humour in signature Paul Smith style.

Having pioneered the use of photographic printing techniques in the early stages of his career, Smith revisited the process this season with a renewed precision and finesse. Archival photography by both the designer and his father appeared throughout the collection, most noticeably on outerwear for men and in a more painterly style on fluid dresses and coats for women.

In footwear, typically British designs were embraced and then exaggerated. The loafer and the Chelsea boot were given a twist in proportion and shape, often Goodyear welted. For women, there was a new lace-up ankle boot in snakeskin and handbags in a woven leather checkerboard.

Continuing the celebration of British design, the new Paul Smith collaboration with Cutler and Gross made its debut on the Paris catwalk, with iconic Cutler and Gross opticals given an health injection of Paul Smith colour.

Kenzo was the last to take the catwalk in Paris with its collections for men and women an invitation to celebrate summer ceremonies and rituals.

The men’s collection blended tailoring with sportwear through collarless double-breasted jackets with exaggerated reveres in cotton and linen with a light resin finish or in a rubberised cotton jacquard.

Coats were lightweight with deconstructed and soft shoulders or kimono-inspired in a slub cotton or nylon medallion print. Trousers and shorts were generous and bright, straight and chopped. Rose prints took on an acid check while vivid blues blended with neutral beige. The rubber jelly sandals alongside suede slipper moccasins revisited Kenzo’s men’s sonic sneaker.

The women’s collection focused on effortless deconstruction and the delicately disordered, matching classic fine fabrics such as flocked twill with georgette. Contrasting colours were matched too, with saturated acid yellow, cobalt, fuchsia meeting vivid prints of roses or checks.

Kenzo’s archive dot prints on layered twill brought extra scope to a traditional summer dress. Coats were embossed with python prints or in pink vinyl while cocoon bombers contrasted with strict tailored jackets. Voluminous nylon dresses boasted covered buttons in lilac and embroidery made its appearance on Victorian tops and overlaid dresses.

Two new styles in women’s accessories were inspired by different shaped carrier bags and colour blocked and embossed. Footwear boasted chunky platforms in checks along with delicate summer sandals with a contrast kitten heel rounding off the proportioned silhouettes.

FASHION’S DESIGNER of the moment Virgil Abloh channelled James Dean and the graffiti legend Dondi White at his Off-White Paris show Wednesday.

The American creator’s hype machine has pretty much hijacked the first three days of Paris men’s fashion week, with Kanye West’s former sidekick and muse also making his debut at the helm of Louis Vuitton on Thursday.

But first Abloh rolled out his own Off-White label’s spring summer collection, which he said was inspired by “those crazy summer New York City nights when it’s just as sticky hot at midnight as it was at noon”.

Raf Simons made a return with over-sized silk overcoats./EPA-EFE

With temperatures in Paris every bit as high, Abloh sent out a run of almost nostalgic youth culture looks, with references to the classic film “Rebel Without a Cause” and white T-shirts with tags in homage to the late New York artist White.

True to his streetwear roots, his tees were long and baggy and often cut to the elbow and beyond.

His love of branding even extended to the shoelaces, which had “shoelaces” written on them just in case there might be a doubt.

Several models sported neck and trouser chains made from climbing hooks, with recut and embroidered jeans apeing a DIY teenage bedroom vibe, which included leaving the security tags on shoes.

A model presents a creation by US designer Virgil Abloh from Off-White fashion house. /AFP

And Abloh loves to add the odd couture touch, this time with a pair of jeans with a kind of floral toile de Jouy pattern that would not be out of place on the wall of a French chateau.

Before his Off-White show he told the French daily Le Figaro that he had much to bring to Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brand.

“I simply think that Louis Vuitton is missing the products that me and my generation want to buy,” he said.

Raf Simons, the former Dior designer now at Calvin Klein, is the latest to be tempted by the exodus from New York.

He had not presented his own label in the French capital for three seasons and he showed Paris what it had been missing in a masterly late night show in a suburban warehouse where he reimaging New Wave and New Romantic London of the early 1980s.

US designer Virgil Abloh appears on the runway after the presentation of his Off-White Spring/Summer 2019 collection. EPA-EFE

“It feels good” to be back, he told reporters, adding that his collection was “DIY meets the opposite” with a post-punk aesthetic transported to the luxury heaven of couture.

He began with vivid oversized silk overcoats with studded backs with some of his models wearing leather mail shirts underneath, inspired by both the plastic rings of “six- and eight- packs of beer and by Paco Rabanne”, Simons said.

The theme continued with earrings made to look like drink can pull tops and sleeveless punky T-shirts adorned with iron rings and diamante details.

Simons followed that by a run of outsized glittering polo necks, with a couple of shrunken woollen jumpers for contrast, as well as silky neck scarves which Duran Duran would have killed for in their pomp.

WE ALL have bad hair days – days when our tresses look lost and lifeless whether from the searing sun or the pouring rain.

That’s because the hair fibre, the visible part of the hair, is subjected to all kinds of external aggressions and reacts accordingly. Fortunately, though, the living part is the hair bulb beneath the scalp. It is here in the scalp that the hair is born and grows and like all “babies” requires a lot of extra care of the scalp health.

French expert in beauty and skincare brand Sisley is coming to our rescue with its new ambitious brand called Hair Rituel that’s 100-per-cent dedicated to our locks.

Nicolas Chesnier, Sisley’s regional managing director for Asia Pacific, was in Thailand recently for the launch and reminded members of the press that the brand actually developed a hair care line back in 1976.

While this continues to do well on the market. the Sisley research team felt that more could be done and used their collective know-how to create six essential treatment products that form part of a complete sensorial beauty ritual. Intended for both women and men, even more sophisticated products are yet to come.

“Under the new concept ‘haircare is the new skincare’, this global approach underlines that the composition and functioning of skin cells and scalp cells are similar. And while the fibres have components that are also like the skin, they is primarily made up of keratin, which gives them resistance and elasticity. We have also observed that stress, fatigue, pollution and genetic ageing are as equally damaging to the beauty of the hair as the skin,” he explains.

“The more we worked on this high-end offering in the hair-care segment, the more we realised that we should introduce the products not as part of our other lines but as an entirely new brand. ‘Hair Rituel by Sisley’ acknowledges that you don’t need the same treatment for everyone –taking good care of the hair should be personalised. Some people will wash their hair more frequently, some use mask, some need serum, some don’t. This ritual is tailor-made. It’s a new brand because we have bigger ambitions to enter the new category for both men and women.

“With Rituel, we are maximising three criteria. First is the level of the result, for example, designing a serum that works against hair loss. Second, we want a product that has high tolerance and no side effects. Third is for the product to have high sensuality, meaning it’s a pleasure to use. By combining these three criteria, we are developing a good product. For the launch, we have six products and a few more will come later first year. We don’t want to release to many products but prefer to focus on quality instead,” he continues.

The ritual involves cleaning, regenerating, fortifying, and enhancing. The revitalising Volumising Shampoo with Camellia oil has toning properties and helps pump up the volume from roots to ends while the Revitalising Smoothing Shampoo with macadamia oil has coating properties and helps enrich active hair, nourishes it, and disciplines untameable strands with each wash.

Restructuring Conditioner with cotton proteins aims to prevent breakage, coating the hair to smooth its cuticle, and increase shine. The Regenerating Hair Care Mask with four botanical oils is a true emergency treatment that acts on both scalp and hair lengths. The Revitalizing Fortifying Serum directly with its concentration of minerals, vitamins, plant extracts, and proteins boosts energy in the scalp to fortify the hair. And the Precious Hair Care Oil ensures the hair is visibly shinier thanks to a unique mix of nutrient oils such as passion fruit, shea, cotton, and moringa.

But while the current focus on the hair, Sisley hasn’t forgotten its commitment to the skin, recently introducing the anti-ageing hydration booster Hydra-Global Serum and colour lip balms Phyto-Lip Delight in three new shades.

Its new serum emphasises three main actions, The first is to take water into the heart of the skin to regenerate optimal hydric reserves. This is achieved through such complementary active ingredients as blue agave yeast extract, which promotes the synthesis of hyaluronic acid in the dermis and replenishes the hydric layer. Carob bean extract meanwhile activates the synthesis and renewal of hyaluronic acid in the epidermis. The serum also circulates water to transport moisture through wild pansy extract and also allows the skin to retain water deep inside with protective Edelweiss extract, which boosts the impermeability of the corneous envelope.