“To welcome the new fashion trends and collections from the 2018 Spring/Summer season that have created a buzz with influencers and fashionistas from Paris, New York, London, Milan and Tokyo, we have carefully curated what we consider the must-have items from international labels such as Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Celine, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Miu Miu, Valentino, as well as exclusive brands like Dior Homme, Roger Vivier and Collection of Style,” says Onthira Bharksuwana, deputy managing director.

“A modern brand that offers timeless designs, Collection of Style debuted in 2007 in London and will be opening its first store in Thailand very soon.”

Luxury French jewellers Van Cleef & Arpel join the event with an exhibition of classical timepieces, both vintage and newly designed. “The Poetry of Time” exhibition was first held at Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Geneva and has now travelled to The Emporium.

Roger Vivier, a leather and shoe expert from France, launches new slippers made exclusively for its Thailand boutique, with the slip ons coming in Black and Petrolio Green.”

Vogue fashion editor Jongkol Palarit, says she’s particularly excited about Prada’s face-printed collection, Raf Simons using Dennis Hopper and Sandra Brant prints on their denims, shirts and dresses, and the print designs on the short-sleeved shirts from Dior Homme.

Nature-infused prints are a fashion staple every summer, but this time they come with a twist. Nicolas Ghesquiere of Louis Vuitton and Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino, give floral prints a colourful makeover, as do Proenza Schouler, Miu Miu and Prada. Flowers appear too on the ’80s dresses from Celine, Emilio Pucci, Loewe, the classic Vara Bow from Salvatore Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana while Gucci opts for Java fish as the print for its collection of long dresses, and Louis Vuitton brings floral prints to every look. The ribbon trend is also popular, not only for earrings, headbands or bag straps, but this time also appearing on shoes from Jimmy Choo and Salvatore Ferragamo’s purses.

Plastic is in this season on coats and skirts and finds it way to bags like Fendi’s Mon Tresor, Diorclub’s sunglasses, Chanel’s boots and Burberry coats.

 A YOUNG couple in love, separated and yearning – a military officer and a farm girl at the end of World War II. The countryside itself seems blessed with romance. Flowers bloom everywhere. You can hear the sound of a horse running – and of a typewriter.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana had all these elements in a poem she wrote last year that became the inspiration for “Horse, Helen, and Henri”, her latest line of clothing for the Sirivannavari and S’Homme labels.

The spring-summer collection was unveiled last week, replete with ultra-feminine silhouettes, state-of-the-art embroidery and her signature graphic prints.

“The poem is the story of the love between a young military officer and a farm girl, and that turned out to be the beginning of this collection,” explained Princess Sirivannavari, the 31-year-old daughter of His Majesty the King and the creative director at both labels.

“I found it quite astonishing to translate this poem into a fashion collection. All the details in the collection can be found in the story shared in the poem, such as the horse and horse tack, the yellow of canola, ears of barley, sealing wax, poppy flowers and buzzing bees.”

Princess Sirivannavari became interested in the arts in general and clothing design in particular while she was a student. She studied fashion and textiles at Chulalongkorn University and L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris.

Her first collection, “Red Hobby”, was shown in 2004, and three years later she founded her own brand, Sirivannavari Bangkok. Its debut spring-summer line was shown at Paris Fashion Week 2008, at the invitation of famed French couturier Pierre Balmain. The royal stylist has since become a familiar face on the international fashion scene. She was among “the 20 Hottest Young Royals” compiled by Forbes in 2008.

To present her new collection, the runway at Siam Paragon’s Royal Paragon Hall was decked out with red poppy flowers, echoing the red lips of Helen, the heroine of her poem. The clacking of a typewriter signalled the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra to begin playing a score that Princess Sirivannavari composed for the occasion.

“The show consists of five and a half acts,” she said. “The music is neo-romantic with a modern twist and a touch of acoustic gui

tar. It narrates the story of the romance that develops between Henri and Helen. The sound of a typewriter signifies the correspondence typed by Helen.”

The love story opens in early spring, with fields of vibrant yellow canola in full bloom. Helen sees a horse running through the field carrying an unconscious young soldier, Henri. She tends to his wounds, and as he recovers, romance blossoms.

However, when Henri has fully recovered, a sense of duty compels him to rejoin the army. Before they exchange farewells, Helen gives him a painting of his horse, and Henri gives her his military tunic. He promises he will come back and spend the rest of his life with her.

As the relationship becomes long-distance, Henri writes her letters by hand, while she relies on a typewriter. As time goes by, they lose touch. After a year has passed, Helen has lost hope. Then one day she walks to the field where the poppy flowers are blooming as red as her lips and again hears the sound of a running horse.

Her heart begins to pound like a drum in nervous anticipation. Once she sees who is standing in front of her, she bursts into tears of joy. Henri has kept his promise.

The Sirivannavari and S’Homme spring-summer lines consist of 57 looks – 50 for women and seven for men.

The show commenced with a romantic white dress with ruffle details, an evening gown with poppy flowers and feather applique and crystals encrusted in the shape of a horseshoe, and a leather bustier with a hand-painted motif.

A more masculine look took the shape of a Napoleonic jacket with gold-thread embroidery in a pattern of ears of barley and bees. It was matched with high-waist slacks and a deconstructed jacket with raw edge details paired with pristine white jeans.

“The silhouettes and structures of this season are quite varied and complicated, from a mermaid dress and ball gown to deconstructed looks,” the Princess said. “In addition, I added some details and techniques to create new dimensions, such as a quilted pattern and pleating technique from Gerard Lognon’s workshop in Paris and our own maison’s embroidery craftsmanship.”

She established the Sirivannavari Atelier and Academy, an in-house workshop for couture embroidery.

As anticipated, graphic prints – so characteristic of the brand – remains a highlight. The Princess created the latest prints by visually translating her poem. There were two themes – the horses and tack, and the flowers, bees and ears of barley. The prints are also incorporated into the textile collection, such as a square scarf and a miniature rectangular version used for handbag handles.

The Bijoux Collection adheres to the same inspiration – horses and tack, barley and poppies – in jewellery settings. The brand’s new Fine Jewellery collection includes rings, necklaces and earrings.

To complete a look, there are leather goods, such as a beautiful bucket bag with an interwoven leather strap and adorned with gilded metal and flower, and a laser-cut tote featuring hand-painted graphics. The shoes are sexy in transparent materials, with the shoestrings resembling corset laces. There are flats, top boots and heels up to four inches high.

And there’s beachwear, too, meant to empower by instilling confidence. The swimwear has cut-outs and custom-made Swarovski crystals. An elegant cover-up robe would suit both men and women.

The S’Homme menswear collection combines the luxe of the modern urban gentlemen with the casualness of the countryside, reflecting Henri’s personality. The key pieces are the exquisitely embroidered Napoleonic tunic, a double-breasted jacket with red piping and matching trousers, a herringbone military jacket paired with white jeans, a woollen hoodie, and a white shirt with pleats at the back and cuffs.

The men’s shoes and accessories are outstanding, including Derby shoes, sneakers, jacket pins and neckties in the customary prints.

INSPIRATION IN VERSE

•   The spring-summer 2018 collection is available at the Sirivannavari Boutique on the first floor of Fashion Gallery 3 at Siam Paragon.
•  The 2017 poem by HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana:

Henri said

“Love drove me to renounce my pain. I promise to return.

“I will find you, marry you and love you with dignity and without shame.”

Helen said

“Gliding with each step, the earth sighs with each hoof-touch.

“His every move with purpose and grace.

“And I have found happiness in his presence.

“Through him I sense power, inner peace and resolve.”

Renowned Thai and foreign designers representing 29 brands will show their spring-summer collections alongside promising rookies, the future leaders of the Thai fashion industry.

Plans for the week were recently unveiled at a press conference on the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok Rotunda Lawn, where attendees also got a sneak preview of clothes from several Thai brands.

There were outfits from Issue, Vatanika, Fri27Nov, Rotsaniyom White Label, Asava, Nagara, Absolute Siam, the Wonder Room, Wee and Tube Gallery. Up-and-coming designers on view included students from Srinakarinwirot University’s College of Creative Industry, presenting as Fash SWU.

Arriving direct from London Fashion Week will be the latest collection from Palmer//Harding, the British brand co-founded by Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding.

Palmer//Harding is currently one of the most-watched brands in the industry and Thailand will be the first to see the new collection after the London debut.

“Throughout the past 11 years, we have been very well received by our partners in both the domestic and international fashion industry, as well as annually gaining more designers and interested parties who value the BIFW,” said Chanisa Kaewruen, senior deputy managing director at Siam Piwat.

“This reflects our intention to truly encourage and internationally promote a great image for Thai designer brands. Organising this year’s event is an important step in strengthening the Thai fashion industry.”

There will be four days of runway shows in Parc Paragon beginning on Thursday (March 22). The first of the 11 shows will be Palmer//Harding, known for its garment style, pattern cutting and unpredictability.

Atrium 1 on G Floor at Siam Center will meanwhile host the forum “In Conversation with Palmer//Harding” featuring the founders, Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding.

Another early show at Parc Paragon will be “FOS” (“Fashion of the South”) by RMUTSV Srivijaya, who taps into the region’s unique local culture. Then it’s Fash SWU from Srinakarinwirot University, a display by students at the Chanapatana International Design Institute, Valentier by Donnawat Perkchinnaworn, and new-blood designers such as Kanapot Aunsorn.

Fashion guru Apiwat Yodpraphan will hold court and discuss coming trends in “First Come, First Served” at Siam Center, students from Kasetsart University will present “Fashion Business Kasetsart”, and Bangkok University will offer “Ultimate Showcase”.

Keep updated and watch all the shows in real time at http://www.SiamParagon.co.th/bifw2018 and http://www.Facebook.com/siamparagonshopping.

Learn more at (02) 610 8000.

The history of the lady’s wristwatch was recently unveiled by the last family-owned, independent Geneva based watch manufacture, Patek Philippe, in a viewing that celebrated the beauty of feminine timepieces.

The private viewing, dubbed “The Mechanical Art for Ladies” was held at House No. 1 in Bang Rak district with an intimate high tea session.

Deepa Chatrath, general manager of the brand in South East Asia, shared the brand’s origins and long standing history with its female clientele.

Highlights included the Ladies First Minute Repeater Ref 7000R-001 as well as recent launches including the Annual Calendar Ref 4947G with an opaline dial finished to resemble shantung silk. The watches took the spotlight alongside traditional fabric installations curated by renowned historian, Paothong Thongchua, who shared his expertise on how the creation process of Thai textiles mirrored Patek Philippe’s mechanical art of watchmaking.

Patek Philippe’s long-standing commitment to producing exceptional timepieces for ladies started in 1839, and one of its first customers was Mrs Goscinska, who ordered three timepieces.

Over the years, the brand continued to demonstrate its creativity and willingness to offer unique watches to its female clients. In 1868, when the avant-garde Countess Koscowicz of Hungary declined to follow the prevailing female habit of wearing a watch as a brooch or pendant, Patek Philippe developed one to be worn on the wrist – a trend that would eventually take off.

In 1916, Patek Philippe made a horological breakthough by producing a chiming mechanism on a wristwatch – a five-minute repeater in platinum.

“Anything we design has to be of the utmost beauty so that you will want to wear it for many years. We achieve this by devoting our full attention to the smallest details,” says Patek Philippe President, Thierry Stern.

This philosophy is translated by the creations department headed by Sandrine Stern, who ensures that each piece is designed around an in-house movement before other elements are considered, from diamonds to mini cabochon indexes or individual stars on a moonphase, resulting in a distinctly feminine dial or case.

Patek Philippe ladies timepieces continues to be a symbol of the manufacture’s tradition in the art of fine watch making today, from the classic design of the Bauhaus inspired Calatrava, the modern femininity of Twenty-4, the casual elegance of the Aquanaut and Nautilus. to the array of mechanical complications like the Perpetual Calendar.

Highlighted pieces included the Ref 7130, the feminine version of the World Time Watch designed with the jet-setting woman in mind. It boasts a split seconds chronograph with column-wheel control and an elegant rose gold case with 226 diamonds. Also shown was the 2017 reference of Patek Philippe’s Ladies First Perpetual Calendar with a silvery opaline dial, white gold bezel set with 68 diamonds as well as two hand-stitched Alligator strap options for the ladies in charcoal grey or turquoise green.

The Calatrava is a classic creation with a cream-coloured dial and the moon and stars depicted with gold-dust symbols.

Thai fashionistas will be thrilled with the new collection of fashion icon’s Vivienne Westwood Anglomania brand, for which she was inspired by her trip to a Thailand beach.

But be warned: it was not the pristine white sands and azure seas that sparked her creativity but the pollution and destruction of the oceans and the plastic waste covering the sand.

The main print used in the collection is called “Grateful” and has been directly lifted from a washed-up plastic shopping bag found on the shore line of a Thai beach. The rose print, with the ironic words “thank you”, both in English and Thai. overlap repeatedly on cotton jersey and satin, creating the look of being engulfed in carrier bags and other plastic debris.

The print is also stamped in black across the Hope Gypsy blouse deconstructed corset, the ruffled Golden skirt and billowing Gabelle shirt dress, creating the look of indelible stains from an oil slick. Finally, the print is used across a matelot stripe jersey, referencing Brigitte Bardot, often portrayed as the shipwrecked goddess, and across pyjama stripe jersey – as if you’ve been shipwrecked at night.

Another key print in the collection is the Cold Dye Check, used across Calico suiting and emanating from the sun-bleached beams and remnants from the hull of a ship washed-up on the shore.

As part of the journey towards sustainable fashion, the new Anglomania collection uses organic jersey and hemp.

Organic cotton jersey farming is the only farming system by under which cotton is produced entirely free of chemical pesticides, avoiding the risks that such chemicals pose to human health and the environment.

Hemp, meanwhile, is one of the strongest natural fibres on Earth, three times the strength of cotton, giving it unparalleled durability as a fabric.

Hemp farming requires very little water and does not use any chemical pesticides or fertilisers. In addition, nothing is wasted in its production, the seeds being used for oil and food supplements and the stalks for fibre.

The brand is now inviting everyone to participate in this eco-friendly campaign through the “First Exhibition”, which runs until Monday at ThaiThai Zone, Central Chitlom. Curated by Note Panayanggool, the show invites celebrities and influencers such as Pearypie, Toni Rakkean, Machanot Suwanmas, Arikanta “Gypso” Mahapreukpong, and Eric Tobua to create art sculptors and installations.

While it’s doubtful that they really understand what fashion is, kids love to choose their own clothes from an early age, usually opting for gear in their favourite colour of the moment and fabric that’s soft to the touch.

Leading luxury fashion retailer Club 21 recently made choosing even easier for the little ones with the opening of its newly refurbished Kids 21 store in Bangkok, which occupies a spacious 200 square metres in The EmQuartier shopping complex and boasts an interior designed by Koichiro Ikebuchi. The boutique for stylish juniors boasts a ceiling of cutout fabric shapes that give it a cloud-like feel while animals and natural landscapes in delicate tones cover the walls.

Popular brands such as Stella McCartney Kids and Kenzo Kids, both offering outfits with simple designs and unique detail, are joined by a range of new brands including high-end fashion houses Givenchy, Neil Barrett Kids, and Emilio Pucci.

The well-known children’s clothing brand Bonpoint was launched in 1975 by Marie-France Cohen, and made its name with its simple yet timeless childrenswear. Delicate hand-embroidery enhances collars and the clothes are made from comfortable-to-wear fabrics and sport patterns based on the physical developments of children at a particular age. The quality is such that these can be passed down to younger siblings with little sign of wear. The brand also offers a range of natural and hypoallergenic skincare products.

Stella McCartney Kids recalls memories of summer British beaches – ice creams, postcards, wave patterns, and kids collecting seashells on the beach are all featured. Also available is the car racing-inspired collection to bring out the inner Lewis Hamilton in every boy or girl. As usual, Stella McCartney Kids’ line is made from organic cotton.

Kenzo Kids invites the kids to have fun with its colourful and lively Food Fiesta collection, with symbols of ice cream, croissant, and hot dogs on products for newborns to children aged 12. This collection also features familiar icons such as tiger face, the Eiffel Tower, and eyes.

Givenchy features stars as its kids’ brand logo with brightly coloured prints and plenty of red, white, and black, the brand’s signature hues.

Emilio Pucci Junior channels the elegance and sophistication of the grown-up world with dresses and separates inspired by signature styles from the women’s collection to create a “mini-me” effect.

Celebrity kids and social media favourites such as North West and Alonso Mateo have brought the name Neil Barrett Kids to the fore and the brand’s inaugural collection, designed for boys aged four to 14, includes classical menswear pieces from tuxedo suits and leather biker jackets, to classics with a twist such as its bomber jackets, shirts, T-shirts and hoodies. The label’s iconic thunderbolt motif is reproduced in many pieces in a bold colour palette to incorporate an element of playfulness and dynamism for the young gentleman.

Uniqlo has organised the design competition annually since 2005 to foster creativity and talent around the world through imaginative graphics and messages. The contest is open to anyone regardless of age, gender, or nationality. Previous competitions focusing on such themes as Nintendo and Star Wars proved wildly popular. UTs featuring award-winning entries are sold worldwide.

This year’s competition focused on Marvel, which has championed heroism for people around the world through epic story-telling and through such iconic characters as Iron Man and the Hulk. The contest attracted more than 8,500 entries that the special Marvel adjudicators and Uniqlo’s UT design team carefully screened. Marvel chief creative officer Joe Quesada was one of the judges. All winners captured the excitement and uniqueness of Marvel’s super heroes. The design of the Grand Prize winner – Zee from Taiwan –highlighted the apparel of key Marvel super heroes, while the second prize recipient – Viva from Thailand – featured a whimsical portrayal of the Hulk.

“I was thinking about the common ground of humour in Marvel movies and the Uniqlo brand while I was creating this design. I hope everyone enjoys my interpretation. As an admirer of heroes, I was so happy to be selected as the winner of such a great competition with this year’s cool theme. I feel like a real creator with unlimited power,” said Zee.

Viva added :“The Hulk was the first Marvel character I got to know as a kid. People often think that the Hulk is a character that is always angry and scary, but he’s also a hero, so I wanted to show that he can be funny and playful. I did this by positioning him into letters of the alphabet to spell his name, while keeping his face angry to represent his character.”

A special prize called Avengers was awarded to mark the upcoming release of “Avengers: Infinity War Part 2” and it was won by Avesyna from the Philippines.

To view other competition designs, visit http://www.Uniqlo.com/utgp/2018/th/

The 2,300squarefoot shop is indeed bright white, as if scrubbed for spring – and the introduction of actresssinger Jennifer Lopez as the new face of its advertising campaign.

Regarded as a brand for the young, sexy and adventurous, Guess has stocked the Bangkok store with more than 1,000 pieces of jeans, tshirts, jackets, dresses, jewellery, timepieces, handbags and other accessories.

There’s readytowear for both men and women and denims displayed according to type, wash and size. There are fully accessorised musthave looks.

Lopez says Guess cofounder Paul Marciano called to ask if she’d be the new Guess Girl and she was thrilled, having adored the brand since she was a teenager.

“When you look back at the early Guess campaigns, you see all these beautiful models and iconic images that Paul created,” she says. “It’s a tremendous compliment to have been selected for the Guess Spring 2018 campaign.”

Marciano did the artwork for the campaign and fashion photographer Tatiana Gerusova got the pictures, drawing inspiration from Lopez’s career in Las Vegas and Hollywood.

“Jennifer Lopez is a Guess Girl dream – an accomplished artist, iconic and sensual,” says Marciano. “Jennifer’s impact and influence continues to grow, and this campaign celebrates the notion that women get more beautiful and talented as they gain life experience. Her beauty and class shine through this campaign.”

Guess began as a jeans company in 1981 and has since become a global lifestyle brand, designing, marketing, distributing and licensing contemporary apparel and accessories.

As of January 2017, it had 945 retail stores around the world and licensees and distributors operating 735 more outlets.

See lots more at http://www.Guess.com.

The collection is named “Horse, Helen and Henri” and is inspired by a poem written by the designer herself, which tells the story of a young military officer and a farm girl at the end of World War II. It features ultrafeminine silhouettes, stateoftheart embroidery and signature graphic prints and includes womenswear, menswear, accessories, leather goods, jewellery and beachwear.

BALACLAVAS, headscarves, feisty feminism and the warming glow of yellow and burnished gold. – we pick out the biggest trends in the autumn-winter 2018-2019 collections as Paris fashion week wraps for another season.

 A hood-hat-headscarf combination like this creation by Agnes B is trending. / EPA-EFE

Hoods and headscarves

It used to be that if you wanted to get ahead, you got a hat. But that is no longer enough. You now have to wear one on top of a hoodie – if the Paris catwalks over the nine days of the shows are any measure – or simply pull your hood over your hat.

With Agnes b, the doyenne of French street fashion, giving the looks her imprimatur in her ever-elegant show, you know this is more than a tip of the hat but a full-blown trend.

Even before Paris, the hood-hat-headscarf combination was gathering pace in New York with Raf Simons at Calvin Klein and Gucci in Milan.

But in the French capital, everyone from Chanel with a balaclava to newcomer Marine Serre was embracing skin-hugging head-coverings. Some of hers and Lanvin’s could easily pass for Islamic.

Balenciaga tied its scarves tightly around the head, channelling both 1950s film stars and housewives, while Agnes b let some of hers trail romantically from the forehead.

The Christian Dior show for the 2018/2019 fall/winter collection in Paris was thick with feminist and revolutionary slogans from 1968.  /AFP

#MeToo, I’m a feminist

Just like Hollywood, the fashion world has been rocked of late by its own sexual harassment scandals involving some of its biggest name photographers.

In such an atmosphere, labels are keen to prove they were on the right side of history. Agitprop met marketing in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior show, which was thick with feminist and revolutionary slogans from 1968.

Agnes b, who was on the barricades herself back then, did not feel the need to prove anything while New York’s Thom Browne summoned up Marie Antoinette’s proto-feminist portrait artist, Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, to immortalise his fantastically attired “strong women who cannot be ignored”.

Hips are hip

The hips of one of those strong women –Angela Merkel –became the week’s most unlikely leitmotif. Balenciaga’s Demna Gvasalia described his new silhouette for his “Basque” jackets as “sculptural tailoring”. Everyone else called them “Merkel hips” for their resemblance to the German chancellor’s outline and very personal sense of style.

Thom Browne also accentuated the hips in his beautifully worked silver and grey fitted jackets and dresses, insisting that “the shapes evoke women’s power and strength”.

 A creation by Yohji Yamamoto takes its cue from Martin Margiela, the reclusive Belgian designer. /AFP 

Magiela mania

The influence of Martin Margiela, the reclusive Belgian designer who walked away from his label nine years ago, hung over fashion week like Banquo’s ghost. With two new museum shows opening this month in Paris, the catwalk was full of his ideas.

Stella McCartney showed dresses made from coat linings, while Sacai was a symphony of the deconstruction once practised so brilliantly by the Flemish master.

Two coats wrestled each other into submission on the backs of Yohji Yamamoto’s models – another Margiela trope – while his back to front jackets and hanging sleeves popped up at Thom Browne, McCartney and Balenciaga, where the young Georgian wunderkind Gvasalia regularly references his former employer.

Even the resurrected historic brand Poiret – which last showed 30 years before Margiela was born – quoted his duvet coats.

A model presents a creation for Dries Van Noten during the 2018/2019 fall/winter collection fashion show in Paris. / AFP 

Mellow yellow

While dark and earthy colours dominated, gold and yellows took the chill out of many collections including Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s second show for Chloe (watch out for plunging V-neck shirts and dresses).

Jacquemus used saffron yellow to conjure up a Moroccan souk while Dries Van Noten, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin and Leonard used orange and yellow touches, while Karl Lagerfeld brightened his wintry Chanel collection with burnished gold boots, trousers and jackets.