The flagship store of Issey Miyake at Siam Discoverywas packed for the recent party, with various groups of fashion people turning out to toast a decade of the brand in Thailand.

The special collection called MedeTai has been inspired by Tai, or Madai, the Japanese Red Seabream,which is a major traditional part of festivals and a symbol of good fortune and celebration. On top of that, Tai not only shares the same homonym with medetai, which means happy, joyous, and auspicious but also rhymes with Thai, making it perfect to honour a decade in Thailand.

The brand sticks to its core concept of simplicity and classic with a twist and all the clothes are wearable and easy to mix and match. To harmonize with the collection and introduce the MedeTai in front of the press, the store was decorated with the palettes of celebration — black, gold, white and red — which are also the major colours of any Japanese festival.The collection was shown by leading models Mashannoad Suvanamas, Varissara Yu, Baiboon Arunpreechachai, Nathalie Ducheine, Nithiporn lertnithiwong, Matcha Mosimann and many more.

Top celebrities spotted have fun included MR Chanladda Yukol, ML Auradis Snidvongs, Koonthinee Krairiksh and Kleddao Panichsamai.This special 10th anniversary collection of Pleats Please Issey Miyake in Thailand is available through January 31 and available only at Issey Miyake, Siam Discovery Duplex Store.

ARTINIAN, the fine jewellery house from Armenia, has been relying on the exquisite craftsmanship of Thai artisans for more than two decades. Last month it celebrated their skills as well as the first anniversary of its opulent boutique, Maison Artinian at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok in style with a press lunch and an afternoon tea at the hotel’s Joseph Conrad terrace.

The event highlighted the story behind its “Carats and Canvas” concept, which brings together Arto Artinian of Artinian and Satoro brands and Bangkok-based Danish artist Elizabeth Romhild and also featured a show of exquisite diamond jewellery sets complemented by Romhild’s original art.

At Maison Artinian, artists muse and collaborate on collections, offering a beautiful selection much admired by customers with socially engaged, urban lifestyles.

President and founder Artinian is proud of the company’s success, crediting his staff of Thai artisans for the aesthetic creations that intrigue with their sophistication, heritage and sparkle.

“Artinian has been in Thailand for 22 years. As a manufacturer, we didn’t want to sell products under our own name until we had our own collection. Today, we offer a range of precious pieces including a choker and luxury earrings set featuring pear-cut yellow diamonds of 49.87 karats. The “Oriental Moonlight” collection, which was inspired by the colour of the night sky and twinkling stars, combines blue sapphires of 165.28 karats and diamonds of 160.96 karats.

“The “Parisenne” collection of a necklace, bracelet, earrings and ring in contemporary design has an elegantly large pear cut diamond in the centre while the “Etoiles D’amore” set has a tiara and matching earrings,” he says.

Artinian’s sister brand, Satoro, which gets it name from Arto and his brother, Saro, the co-founder and design development director, offers more easy-going, contemporary designs while maintaining the level of craftsmanship.

Sartoro showed off its designs at the event, highlighting the Peacock collection featuring a long necklace, earrings, ring and bracelet made from pink and white gold, blue sapphire, emerald, tanzanite, turquoise and Akoya pearls.

The Plume line boasts a Marquise design in neoclassic style and is a perfect mix between artistic haute couture and modern design while the “Riviere” collection is a set of jewellery with Marquise cut diamonds and blue sapphire. Gaia celebrates the return of Renaissance art with a classic design and the Happy collection has a simple yet stylish look that can be worn for occasion.

“As I have said before, Thailand is home to highly skilled artisans and that was one of the reasons we came here. Jewellery is interesting in that it is still made by hand. 3D printing might have made jewellery industry more technologically advanced but the human touch is very important. At Artinian, we use high-end technology for high volume production where the client wants a specific look. We are also very particular about the type of diamonds we buy and focus on the purity of stones,” he says.

WHY SHOULD women get to wear all the pretty dresses?

Why can’t men also flounce about in the feathers, lace or fine embroidery if they fancy?

These are the questions being posed by the daring young Spanish label, Palomo Spain, whose flamboyant show kicked off the Paris men’s fashion week late Tuesday.

Designer Alejandro Gomez Palomo told the press he wants nothing less than to “liberate” men from the straitjacket of convention.

The 25-year-old is one of a new wave of young designers for whom gender fluidity is not just a fashion statement but a way of being.

“Chanel liberated women (after World War I) by dressing them in male fabrics like tweed,” Palomo said. “And when Yves Saint Laurent put women in dinner jackets it was an absolute revolution.

“I am doing the opposite,” said the Andalusian-born creator, whose men show their legs, wear plunging necklines and silk suspenders and proudly sport transparent dresses embroidered with pearls and sequins.

“It all comes naturally to me,” said Palomo, whose look owes much to the over-the-top world of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar.

The director’s muse Rossy de Palma has even walked the catwalk for Palomo, who struck gold in July when pop megastar Beyonce wore one of his spectacular flowery dresses to present her newborn twins to her 110 million Instagram followers.

Miley Cyrus also sported a Palomo Spain unisex white frilly silk basque in the video for her number one hit, “Malibu”.

Palomo said his style is about personal “liberation”, and rejects all comparison with a gay or transvestite aesthetic often attributed to him.

“It is just a way of giving guys who might want to, the possibility to wear really sophisticated materials, and certain shapes and silhouettes that used to be associated with women’s wardrobes,” he said before making his Paris debut.

“I am not the first and the only person to do this,” he said, citing Jean Paul Gaultier who put men in skirts in the 1980s.

Palomo is, nevertheless, the most theatrical and extravagant of a growing wave of designers who are blowing away gender boundaries.

One of the highlights of London fashion week earlier this month was a raucous show by the Loverboy label in which men and women with made-up white faces and blonde wigs heckled the models and swigged wine.

Loverboy designer, kilt- and beret-wearing Scottish rebel Charles Jeffrey, finished his previous show with a man in a princess wedding gown after putting his male models in miniskirts and a woman in a striped business suit.

Like several other young London-based creators, he questions the relevance of gender at all, describing it as a “bit of an eye roll”.

Punk veteran Vivienne Westwood and rising young Turk JW Anderson at Loewe also regularly blur the lines. The movement has already filtered down to the British high street, with big retail chains such as John Lewis and Selfridges experimenting with gender neutral clothing lines for both adults and children.

Palomo, who trained at the London College of Fashion, sees himself as part of this generational shift, which refuses to define people in binary terms.

His debut Paris show had all his usual cheeky panache: A line of Renaissance court dandies in silken doublets, dresses and hunting attire, full of delicious double entendres.

It built to a final flourish of imperial camp – a feathered cape, plumed hat and thigh-high boots with white knickers.

Palomo is far from alone in mining the cross-gender vein at Paris fashion week – American avant-gardists Thom Browne and Rick Owens are old hands – and transgender models are now commonplace.

Rather it’s the exuberance of Palomo’s clothes which prompted the French Fashion Federation to invite him into the prestigious Paris fold, the only Spanish designer at style’s top table.

“We want creativity, diversity and a bit of disruption, and he brings the lot,” a spokesman for the federation said.

Palomo’s independence of spirit also extends to where he feels most at home. Instead of one of the big fashion capitals, Palomo has set up his studio in his birthplace, Posadas, a small town of 7,000 people near Cordoba.

Yet he has been dreaming of the Paris catwalk since “I was five years old and making clothes for Barbie dolls. It’s a huge honour for me,” he said.

And he hopes his irreverence can put a bit of spark back into Spain fashion, so long dominated by safe mass markets brands like Zara.

“Spanish fashion is a little stuck, a bit rank,” he admitted. “But I have something to bring to the table.”

THERE’S a new place in town offering a head-to-toe makeover for both girls and guys. It’s called “Hive Life by L’Oreal Professionnel” and it’s the brainchild of celebrated hair stylist Grit “Gong” Jirakiertvadhan.

Launched last week in the Fashion Groove Zone of CentralWorld in downtown Bangkok, the full-service beauty hub is spread over a massive 400 square metres and divided into four zones, all of them targeting young-generation professionals. Guys can chill at the Gentleman Zone, which offers a cool barber service and haircuts in a private and manly ambience.

Complete hairdressing services from wash and blow dry, to cutting, setting and colour services are found in the Lady Zone, along with consultations on hair designs and overall looks. Aromatic coffee and gourmet dishes are available at the Cafe Zone run by Kuppadeli while the Beauty Bar Zone boasts counters by leading brands supervised by makeup experts to help you achieve the perfect look.

“You leave with a head-to-toe makeover,” says Grit, who also hosted a show of the 2018 fashion and hair trends at the opening. Designed by him and the salon’s stylist team with the collaboration of four world-class brands, the fashion extravaganza kicked off with 87 MM Seoul, a label offering clean-cut and flexible apparel on the theme “No Concept But Good Sense”. The brand’s showcase of men’s streetwear was enhanced by the models’ locks, which glinted with highlights achieved by using Grit’s Bleach and Tone technique.

Thai brand Tohns combined elements of traditional apparel with modern tones and handicraft techniques on new materials in its capsule collection, focusing on dresses in pastel shades decorated with sequin and lace details. The models boasted heavily textured hair designs achieved through a new style of setting that anyone can remake at home.

Japanese brand, Mihara Yasuhiro brought Tokyo Fashion Week chic to the event with edgy, out-of-the-box designs made just for fun. The street wear collection was accentuated by unruly natural looking hair setting and the “Half Wet Half Matt” finish created from a mixture of wax and gel.

The finale was presented by Indonesian brand Tex Saverio, who theatrical couture has caught the eye of several Hollywood superstars including Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lawrence and Kim Kardashian as well as Thai actress, Rasri “Margie” Balenciaga, who trusted the brand with the design of her wedding dress.

The label designed an outfit especially for the show to match the hairstyle created by balayage, a highlighting technique where bleach or colour is lightly painted on the surface of your hair rather than saturating an entire section for a soft, natural-looking, sun-kissed look.

Peru-born Mario Testino, a favourite of the British royal family, and American Bruce Weber both denied the accusations made against them by a string of models and assistants in the New York Times.

But the publishers of Vogue magazine severed ties with the photographers this weekend.

British brand Burberry and US labels Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and shoemaker Stuart Weitzman, for whom the two men have shot publicity campaigns, also insisted they would not work with people who abused their position.

Another model Christopher Cates, who said Weber asked him to strip within seconds of meeting him, said it was time for male models to speak out.

Inspired by the #MeToo campaign in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Cates has launched the #MenToo hashtag on social media to break the taboo and stand up to abusers.

“We want you to know you’re no longer in control,” he wrote in the industry bible, Women’s Wear Daily.

“We want you to know who we are. We want you to know our stories,” he added.

The welter of accusations comes months after the two French luxury goods giants LVMH and Kering joined forces to create a charter to combat the mistreatment of models.

New York casting agent James Scully had earlier blown the whistle on the way models were treated at a “cattle call” casting for Balenciaga in Paris last March.

Scores of women said they were left to wait in a cramped stairway for hours, with some alleged locked inside in the dark while agents left to eat.

– Beyonce’s gender fluid favourite –

Paris men’s fashion week runs till Sunday night, with 55 shows and the French capital more dominant than ever compared with its rivals in Milan, London and New York.

A new wave of daring young designers will present for the first time alongside the big names, starting with the flamboyant Spanish label, Palomo Spain, on Tuesday evening.

Designer Alejandro Gomez Palomo made headlines in July when the singer Beyonce wore one of his dresses to present her twins to her 110 million Instagram followers.

The 25-year-old made his name with his erotic, theatrical style inspired by the imaginative world of Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.

His clothes are for a decidedly gender fluid generation, with dresses that can be worn by men or women, plumed hats and flowery feminine male ensembles.

As the autumn-winter collection shows end on Sunday, an exhibition dedicated to the work of the legendary designer Azzedine Alaia will open in Paris next to his studio, where he died suddenly in November.

The show will feature 35 of his creations chosen by the style historian Olivier Saillard, who curated the retrospective of Alaia’s work at the Palais Galliera fashion museum in Paris in 2013.

Another show celebrating the career of the Tunisian-born designer dubbed the King of Cling, will open at the Design Museum in London in May.

Men’s fashion week will be followed next week by the haute couture shows, the uniquely Parisian institution whose handmade creations are worn by the richest and most famous women in the world.

As a brand standing for passion, individuality and freedom of selfexpression, Diesel takes inspiration from the best qualities of the dog, the eleventh animal in Chinese zodiac.

The dog is the symbol of loyalty and honesty and people born in the Year of the Dog are said to possess the best traits of human nature. They are brave, forthright, friendly, faithful, loyal, smart and venerable with a strong sense of responsibility and justice. That’s why Diesel has meshed its own DNA to create and enrich its personal interpretation of the Dog.

Iconic graphics, showing a snarling dog have been created exclusively for this capsule collection dedicated to the smart rebels within the Chinese community and its lovers all around the world, in a unique result where East meets West.

The capsule includes 14 items from apparel, denim to shoes, bags and accessories. The unique illustration and use of a pop color graphics are mixed and matched with Diesel’s signature pieces. The snarling dog appears embossed on leather jackets, or as a superior embroidery patch on bomber jackets, sweaters, tshirts and accessories. For her, the stunning graphic icon is proposed in the monochrome version.

The denim is real black, made by a special fabric that guarantees longlasting colour. The treatment is based on irregular micro abrasions, which create a totally unique look, enriched by multifunctional accessories and contrasting stitching. These subtle elements highlight the brand’s premium and stylish attitude for this global celebration.

A unisex backpack is another highlight of this special celebratory capsule collection. Made in nylon and leather, it’s embellished with pocket details inside and out and of course with the patch of the iconic graphic icon, embroidered for rich definition.

The Dog logo is the protagonist also on a tag necklace, while fun and colourful boxers and socks complete the offer for a total look for celebrate the upcoming Year of the Dog.

Featuring lucky red and gold for good fortune, the highlights include a Stella Gown in Red Cordovan that’s best paired with Chelsea Metallic Convertible Clutch and Minnie Travel Ballet Flats in Gold. The New Exotic Red colour can also be found on the Fleming Convertible Shoulder bag and Fleming Zip Continental Wallet, while the Miller sandal in Poppy Orange is perfect for a family trip. Older relatives will love the BlockT Travel Ticket Sleeve in Exotic Red that is enhanced by Hammered Metal Leaf Earrings in refined gold.

THE DRIFT away from London Men’s Fashion Week by established designers has seen the number of parades drop by a dozen this year.

It has led to questions about whether the British event, the youngest of the annual fashion weeks, can still compete with Paris, Milan and New York.

The British Fashion Council, the organiser, hopes it can still flourish by allowing young and upcoming designers to showcase their talents.

Caroline Rush, the council’s chief executive, said the 2018 edition would be “a celebration of discovery and the creative diversity that has made London an international hub for menswear”.

A raft of emerging names in British fashion featured their clothes, including the luxury streetwear of Edward Crutchley – dubbed a “rising star” by Vogue – and the bold neo-punk hip-hop wardrobe of Liam Hodges.

Christopher Raeburn joined them, a pioneer in ethical fashion and recycling materials, and Astrid Andersen, who creates sportswear.

“There’s a variety of brands on the schedule,” said Rush, pushing back on notions that London Men’s Fashion Week is petering out. “Perhaps a new gem will emerge, thanks to the extra attention.”

Gender-fluid clothes, dartboards and bright orange – here are some of the trends and highlights from Men’s Fashion Week in London, which wrapped up on Monday.

Organisational reasons kept big names away from this edition – Burberry presents its mixed male-female collection in February – so the men’s event went back to its roots by promoting young designers.

London is the “capital of creativity”, said Rush of the Fashion Council.

One example was Man, an initiative by retailer Topman and non-profit Fashion East that helps develop new talent. This year it supported the London debut of gender-fluid design duo Art School.

Male and female models wore clothes designed to be worn by either, including a red pinstriped shift dress overlaid with a belted corset, the wearer’s hairy chest showing through.

There is nothing like wearing bright colours on dull winter days, and What We Wear, the label founded by London rapper-singer-songwriter Tinie Tempah, had neon-orange scarves, T-shirts and trousers inspired by high-visibility construction wear.

At Christopher Raeburn, which prides itself on sustainable designs, orange was also a dominant theme in a collection that transformed air and sea rescue uniforms into modern streetwear, with long padded jackets, gloves and waterproof boots.

Hussein Chalayan used a palette of brown, yellow and black, while Oliver Spencer, who creates tailored casual chic, used ochre and charcoal grey in his latest collection modelled by a range of ages.

After the carefully coiffed metrosexual and the bearded lumbersexual, is it time for the urban cowboy?

It’s not impossible, if you believe Astrid Andersen, a young designer who matched sportswear with Stetson hats, electric blue puffas and overclothes with tartan designs.

Liam Hodges offered a more subdued look, which stayed true to his hip-hop and neo-punk roots while imagining a disturbing future, with “killer clown” smileys adorning oversized black jumpers.

An outfit resembling two dartboards, one worn on the head – the face a bull’s-eye – and one on the body, over a shimmering, colourful dress with an electrical extension cord for a necklace.

It was the creation of Rottingdean Bazaar, a label by James Theseus Buck and Luke Brooks, two former students from London talent hub Central Saint Martins, who are forging a reputation for provocative style.

Notably absent from this season’s Men’s Fashion Week, the high priestess of punk, Vivienne Westwood, chose to display her latest collection through a series of images and videos posted online.

“Don’t Get Killed” had a |military theme, with models sporting cartridge belts and khakis and posing on army beds, multicoloured oil drums and military-style bunk beds.

A long-time political campaigner, including against Brexit, Westwood also staged models holding European and British flags.

SETTING THE stage for a new collection inspired by nature, renowned Thai silk house Jim Thompson brought jungle drums and a dramatic ambience to the recent showcase of its fashions for spring and summer 2018,

Inspired by Southeast Asian traditions, the collection features a diverse range of colours that play with contrast, particularly lightness and darkness.

Nature remains a prominent motif, defined through pure, vertical lines and silhouettes moulded by silk. Kimonos, classic pyjamas, cropped tops, fisherman pants, and caftans are among the must-have pieces for this season’s contemporary wardrobe.

Urban trenches and boxy blazers are paired with wide-leg trousers and shorts while evening gowns are softly feminine and mini dresses perfect for both casual day wear and night-time partying. The colour palette takes inspiration from the rich landscape as well as the concrete jungle, with brown, emerald, vivid green, clay, and sand highlighted by pops of yellow, pink, sky blue, as well as iron and silver grey.

Based on the concept “Form Follows Silk”, the silhouettes are naturally flawless. Experienced silk weavers have perfected their craft, making Jim Thompson silk the epitome of exotic luxury.

Prints give a dynamic and strong direction and make up the spirit of the collection. Geometrics and graphics inspired by the facades of buildings add panache while animal motifs are used to represent traditional elements of the Thai culture. These come in the form of tiger, crocodile, and snake tattoos created in combinations of vivid green and brown softened by sky blue, white, cream, and pink.

Leaf references are taken from wood carvings and combined with the snake tattoo in emerald and yellow. In the accessories line, embroidered bags known as cabas play a key role, with new silhouettes creating an exotic, resort feel and a glamorous attitude.

The Basket Wreck bags are made from silk and turn the quintessential beach bag into a luxury accessory for use around town. A combination of leather and silk, the Rooftop Family bags come with precious embroidered ramage details in a rich brocade. The iconic bag, the Grajaat, has playful patterns and comes in different colours and designs including stripes and a geometric pattern.

For the guys, the ready-to-wear collection also goes hand in hand with nature. Western cuts are enhanced by Eastern exoticism and immersed in the richness of the silk.

Classic Western items have been revised with an urban, casual-yet-appealing look such as the new trench coat, blazer, and Sahariana. Shirts boast luxurious prints, inspired by the tropical South East Asian landscape and traditional Thai Tattoos. Embroidered kimonos and pyjama pants have also been added to make the overall silhouette more exotic.

The colours are subtle and intimate, incorporating red brown, cream, orange, curry green, purple and dark blue. The latest bags have a traveller’s look, with kangaroo leather and satin nylon used for both the Boston and tote shape.

The Intempor’elle capsule collection is a bubble of fashion and high style for the colder weather and features black-and-white minimalist materials, adventurous prints and impeccable detailing.

There are also be bags, footwear and ready-to-wear versions for the season. The wardrobe boasts graphic prints, fur, and feline grace for that trendy oh-so-Parisian look.

The Penelope bag comes in a two-tone version to match a feminine silhouette composed of a black and white leather jacket and skirt ensemble that’s extra graphic.

The quintessential Longchamp reversible coats are made in this winter’s super-trendy black fur and a blend of sumptuously warm and cozy materials.

Superstar messenger bag Mademoiselle Longchamp will also make a comeback along with some of that collection’s show-stopping shoes, ankle boots, moccasins and ballerina flats – this time in an ultra-chic studded evening version.

The Mademoiselle Longchamp bag, the coats and the footwear are decked out in leopard-printed calfskin fur. Anyone who has been following seasonal trends will swoon for the unmistakably iconic 1970s designs.

To top it off, Longchamp’s mirror effect on the winged-horses print creates an emblem guaranteed to catch the eye. Throw in some of the brand’s essential clutches and blouses for an even more stylish package.