For the first time this year, students from eight universities all over the country have been invited to take part in the 2018 edition of Chiang Mai Design Week and are showcasing their innovations at Sir Lanna Thai Women’s Culture Promotion Association until Sunday.

Representatives of Chiang Mai University, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, King Mongkut’s Univeristy of Technology Thonburi, Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, Bangkok University, Thammasat University, Lampang Campus, Silpakorn University and Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University are presenting products that demonstrate their design thinking and environmentally friendly ideas that draw on local wisdom but are applied in a modern context.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University’s uses the concept “Craft Is More” to create, design and develop products that respond to social needs and applies new ideas, materials and traditional wisdom that enhance the intelligence of Thai crafts while also paying attention to the environment.

Varit Aunsombut and Mongkol Ingkutanon, fourth-year students in crafts product design at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, present “Rice Style”, which, as the name implies, use the staple to make new products while also demonstrating the abundance of this natural resource.

“My new product continues with rice, in much the same way as the one I presented at the Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand. Last time, the rice was processed into items for the dining table. This time, we would like to show the physical properties of rice grains, which are translucent and fluorescent, making the light shine through. Rice is the most important crop for Thais and a symbol of Thailand. Moreover, the delicacy is part of our daily lives. Several of the patterns created with rice on our products give a nod to the abundance of our natural resource such as water, lotus, butterfly, fish, and rice plants and we also include fireworks and a Thai pattern from a temple in Chiang Mai,” says Varit.

King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang presents “Kan-Kratam” by students of the Faculty of Architecture, who redefined traditional objects and subjects with millennial lifestyles in mind. “Kan-Kratam” refers to how people change their actions with the passing of time, reinterpreting old ideas into innovations in both form and function.

For example, “Rarn Par Lek” makes use of the colours on a CD disk to make new objects in the form of crockery for street restaurants in order to tell the story of the place and at the same time provide the street restaurants with a new environment rooted in history. For “Bor Sang Kang Jong”, Kris Inthanu, Noppadol Rungnarangsi and Kamolwan Mungnathee have used saa or mulberry paper.

“We started by brainstorming on the culture and lifestyle of Chiang Mai and thought of the unique umbrellas crafted at Bor Sang Village. We chose saa paper for our creation. We play with the words ‘Bor Sang Kang Jong’; ‘Bor Sang’ is a sub-district, ‘Kang Jong’ means open. We show that saa paper can be used for more than umbrellas with material, technique and the villagers’ skill. So, our work is a kind of experiment with the movement of opening and closing,” explains Kris.

Bangkok University comes up with “Chang-Ter-Khon-Ngam” (It’s Alright, My Dear), designing and making a “stool” from different kinds of wood. For its part, Silpakorn University was inspired by the refinement process used by designers for “Why Not?”, a folding stainless steel stool. Thammasat University Lampang presents an exhibition based on a case study of Corporate Identity design from its industrial craft and fashion faculty. Chiang Mai University, meanwhile, offers “Hammer, Nail, Wood” that observes possibilities in the surrounding area and considers the fundamental use in everyday furniture that might have been neglected. The interpretation and creation of the design concept under technical and material limitations aims at grasping the essence of the structural design application and principle without any decorative component.

The fourth edition of Chiang Mai Design Week – an annual festival that invites creators from different industries as well as established and upcoming designers, craftsmen, artists and entrepreneurs to present innovations and new projects that respond to modern living – is underway in the Northern capital and this year is bigger and better, with designers from 19 Thai cities and 10 nations taking part.

Chiang Mai, long known as a city of art, culture and nature and home to such hilltribes as the Hmong, Karen and Lahu, was one of the 64 cities in 44 countries named as a Unesco Creative City for Crafts and Folk Art back in 2017 and is living up to its designation with projects all over the town including at the Three Kings Monument, Chiang Mai Art and Culture Gallery, Chiang Mai House of  Photography, the Community of Chiang Mai Temple and Lam Chang Temple, and the Chiang Mai Design Centre.

This year’s theme is “Keep Refining” and reflects the firm belief that apart from enhancing our quality of life and presenting innovations, continually refining and developing manufacturing processes and techniques in crucial to progress. Together, say the organisers, these elements contribute to taking design works to the next level: sharp, up-to-date and corresponding to needs in our daily lives, as well as paving the way for the future.

Chiang Mai Design Week presents no less than 200 activities in seven categories, namely exhibitions, talks, workshops, tours, parties, events and markets. The exhibitions sector features the ideas of manufacturers, designers and creators, craftsmen and organisations and for the first time ever, has also recruited new craftsmen from eight universities around the country.

One of the exhibitions, “Invisible Things”, at TCDC, is a co-creation by Germany and other nations and boasts 25 Thai and 25 German objects, all of them so ordinary that they seem insignificant yet reveal a great deal about traditions, history and mentality as well as lifestyles. Curator Piboon Amornjiraporn explains that the exhibition debuted in China before coming here. “The 25 German objects are the same as in China, but for the 25 Thai objects, I worked together with Philip CornwelSmith, author of ‘Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture’, a Briton who is fascinated by Thai objects. The aim of the Germans is to collaborate with several countries and present objects from daily life that represent each of their cultures. We haven’t selected objects that are invisible per se, but those that reflect Thainess, such as traditional costumes and patterns that appear in our everyday lives. They are different from the German ones, which are mostly ready-made, and show how Thais improvise in using such objects in their lives.”

Chiang Mai City Arts & Culture Centre is home to “Landscape of Things”, a design collection that explores new ways of rethinking common archetypes through Northern Thai ceramic objects. Also on show are “Darakorn” by Moonler, which offers an alternative view of furniture designs of timeless simplicity as well as the meticulous skills of local artisans, and Masaya, featuring collections by Zen Stone, Mutation, Lotus Leaf and FIG Chair, which have Mother Nature as their core and inspiration. I am particularly taken by Papitcha “Earth” Thanasomboon’s ceramic works standing on mirrors under the name “Everyday” which are installed in the building’s outdoor space. For her show, she has adopted “nerikomi”, a traditional Japanese ceramic technique that creates patterns in coloured clay.

“My name is Earth meaning soil or, in other words, humble,” says Earth, a new graduate of the Faculty of Decorative Arts, Silpakorn University who received the “Outstanding Award” at the National Ceramics Exhibition. “My new collection is based on the same concept of the sky but is wider-reaching. I created my 30 bowls over a month and as I moulded the clay everyday throughout those 30 days, I looked carefully at the changes in the sky and how these affected my emotions. Sometimes, the sky was so beautiful and other times it was so smooth. I was impressed by those differences. I love nature and notice the things surrounding me. People see the sky everyday but don’t observe its beauty. I decided to put my ceramics on top of mirrors after I saw a photographer use this technique. It gives the work greater depth and allows the viewer to see the exterior and the interior simultaneously while underlining the relationship between sky and earth.”

Walking towards Chiang Mai House of Photography where textile exhibition “Spirital Crafts” is on display I pass several other projects, among them designer Tawin Na Chiangmai’s “Nong Mommam” inspired by Momm, a mythological animal unique to northern Thailand; “Tone Collection”, which takes its cue from the craft skills found in the 80-year-old Akekarach Village International Drum Trade Zone in Angthong province; Vatsapol Nanta’s sofa “Rak Bua” (lotus root) made of cardboard, and “Yang Yoo Wai”, a bamboo shelter that is designed to cope with life during an emergency situation.

The House of Photography showcases a collaboration between Chiang Mai’s craft brand De Lann and fashion designer Surreal Stitch, as well as Jariya “Noina” Channoi’s textile art installation, “Abandoned Beauty”, crafted from the hair of Persian cat.

“For this textile, I experimented with a new alternative filament –Persian cat hairs. The character of this cat’s fur is similar to sheep’s wool. I wanted to do something with these beautiful hairs, which the cats shed all the time. I offered to buy them from the cattery but the owners gave them to me for free. Wool is a western commodity and comes at high price. The Persian cat hairs aren’t as sticky as the wool. I didn’t think dog hairs would be suitable for the filament then discovered some French breeds that are just right for the job,” Noina explains.

When darkness falls, the colour-changing lights of an interactive installation, “The Act of Thought” by Living Spirits come into their own. Located in front of Lanna Folklife Museum, it features a fantastic display of projection mapping on the wall of the Lanna Folklife Museum that tells the story of eight artists’ works focusing on daily life, arts and culture.

In 2016, Johnson & Johnson initiated a Quit Smoking campaign by providing advice from professional pharmacists at participating drug stores nationwide. Following a successful campaign last year, the company has extended the campaign to encourage more smokers to use the benefits of this application to quit for good as a tribute to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The Smoke Free app gives users a variety of support tools when they are on the go, including advice, suggestions, and tips to help them tackle every aspect of their stop-smoking journey – from handling cravings to boosting motivation. When smokers intend to quit for good, the application can help track their smoke-free days and how much money they’ve saved; learn all about their cravings and triggers to help them quit; accept challenges and achieve milestones along the way, with interactive distractions that help them when cravings strike. Smokers on their quit journey can also call on their Team Incredible – the people they know who will keep them on track.

Commenting on the programme, Community Pharmacy Association (Thailand)’s Dr Sirirat Tunpichart, said: “Smoking has become a serious health threat and concerted efforts are needed to deal with it. It is our responsibility to provide aid, follow up and support to smokers who intend to quit. Smoke Free TH by Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) will be very helpful for optimising our community pharmacist education programmes and enhancing the performance of our smoking cessation clinics (a nationwide network). We are proud to support the Three Million Three Years Quit for the King Campaign and look forward to contributing in a meaningful way to support the campaign goals for smoking cessation in Thailand

The app is available now on Google Play.

Parents are welcome to relax at the Wine Boutique with a festive cocktail while Santa Claus mesmerises the children with his captivating Christmas tales!

This festive event is priced at Bt990-plus per guest. Booking is recommended at http://bit.ly/2PXF4LW, by email to h5213fb7@sofitel.com, or by calling (02) 126 9999.

Festive feast by the river

Celebrate a colourful Christmas at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Bangkok Menam’s Riverside Promenade with “Dreaming of a White Christmas” on December 24 at 6pm.

The party features a bountiful festive buffet of succulent international seafood, gourmet dishes and housemade desserts. Carol singers serenade diners, a heart-stirring local band revives Christmas memories and Santa drops in as he journeys through the Bangkok skies.

The evening is priced at Bt2,500-net for adults and Bt1,500-net for children including free-flow local beer, house wine, soft drinks and juices.

Book your table at (02) 688 1000 exten¬sion 80118 or email: fb@ramadaplazamenamriverside.com.

Painting the town red

Join the Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok’s “Beat The Heat” New Year Party at rooftop function space Altitude and storm into the New Year in a blur of red. There’s special entertainment to go with the moody red hues and live DJs spinning a surging soundtrack. The lineup includes Kori Mafi from the USA, Chazin from Spain and Thailand’s Groove DJ.

Early-bird tickets cost Bt999-net including one drink at https://goo.gl/SAsTx3 and Bt1,300 including one drink at the door.

Find out more at (02) 207 8000.

A shot at fame

4Nologue  a rising content provider and music business entrepreneur – opens an opportunity for young people through its new project, “4Nologue Artist Trainee Audition”.

Running through December 31, the audition is open to anyone aged 12 to 23 no matter their nationality.

Download the application form at http://bit.ly/2GarPnB and email it to traineeaudition@4nologue.com.

For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/4NOLOGUE and http://www.4NOLOGUE.com.

Jung Yong Hwa in colour

Inseong and Hwiyoung, two members of South Korea’s boy band SF9, a labelmate of CNBlue, will join the opening ceremony of Jung Yong Hwa’s photo exhibition, “The Consideration, Four Colours”, at W District tomorrow, replacing the CNBlue member who is doing his military service.

The exhibition, which continues through December 22, features more than 50 photos and videos as well as behind-the-scene video clips. Each picture will be auctioned off at bids starting at Bt1,989 as will a “JYH Special Set comprising nine tickets, nine posters and nine cards. Proceeds go to Unicef.

Find out more at http://www.Achi.co.th or follow the links to Facebook and Instagram.

The 13th edition of the Esplanade—Theatres on the Bay’s “da:ns festival” last month proved that it’s come a long way from promoting dance in the region and connecting with the local and regional audiences and practitioners, with diverse programmes covering many different genres in addition to demonstrations and workshops. Now an exclusive Southeast Asia stop for international tours and world premieres, the festival is a hot spot for international producers, presenters and critics too.

Singapore’s own T.H.E. Dance Company is celebrating their 10th anniversary, and looking back, the festival has been integral to their development in becoming one of Asia’s premier contemporary dance companies. While I was watching their triple bill last weekend at the 18th International Dance Festival (IDF) as part of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre’s (BACC) 7th Performative Art Festival (PAF), I realised that it was da:ns that not only introduced me to T.H.E. but also showed me how they took risks in artistic experiments.

The da:ns festival last month commissioned its new work “Invisible Habitudes” by artistic director and founder Kuik Swee Boon. As an auspicious occasion calls for a special treat, in the late evenings the host transformed the free-admission outdoor theatre into a ticketed one with the help of a black canvas wraparound. While this gave the audience a better focus on the stage action, it couldn’t prevent the irrelevant noise ambience from the weekend crowd at nearby restaurants.

Notwithstanding that background clatter, the six dancers formed a strong ensemble and showcased their training in Kuik’s “hollow body” methodology, which attempts to link the mind, body and heart.  With amazing live music accompaniment by Taiwanese multi-instrumentalist and composer Wang Yujun on stage right, the dancers, in different formations and with highly practical use of the minimal set props, discussed how our belief and identity are affected by our rapidly changing social and political landscapes. With such a stunning backdrop of the mostly man made Marina bay, Kuik, himself also the set designer, should have held more rehearsals there to see how it could be further incorporated into this work.

The Annexe Studio is another refurbished space in the retail area of this national performing arts centre and in the past few years some shows have fitted better than the others. Another da:ns festival cocommissioned work with CultureLink, the interdisciplinary and intercultural collaboration between Singaporean dancer and choreographer Daniel Kok, his Polish counterpart Karol Tyminski, composers and musicians collective Filastine and Nova, and Japanese visual artist Miho Shimizu, fit perfectly. Audience members could not only walk in and out of this five-hour durational performance titled “xhe” but also sit in the performance area where there was no boundary between us and the performers or sit closer to the walls and become mere observers.

All elements put together, the work gave ample, and leisurely, time for the audience to absorb and each artist, or element, had her moment to shine. This interdisciplinary work was the opposite to just another hodgepodge.

It is worth noting from my attendance at two shows two days apart that the young audience at the Sunday afternoon performance seemed to enjoy it more than the mostly dancegoers on the opening night. In the end, “xhe” is a playground for both the artists and audiences’ imagination and creativity, not just a platform for the former to put something into our mind.

The writer’s trip was fully supported by CultureLink. Special thanks to Goh Ching Lee, James Tay, Hoo Kuan Cien and Isabelle Yee.

According to Forbes, the estimated assets of the self-made billionaire are some US$2.6 billion (Bt85.3 billion), an increase over last year’s figures of $1.98 billion.

In addition to her post at Vietjet, Thao is the chairperson of Sovico Holdings and standing vice chairperson of HDBank. She holds a doctorate degree philosophy in Economic Cybernetics and a bachelor’s degree in Credit Finance.

In 2017 and 2018, she successfully listed Vietjet and HDBank on Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE). The market capitalisations of both companies accounted for billions of dollars. She is now the second richest person in the stock market of Vietnam.

The No 1 on Forbes’s list is German Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, managing director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde and the chief executive of General Motors, Mary Barra. The first female president in 226 years of operation of New York Stock Exchange since establishment in 1792 – Stacey Cunningham – is also in the list at 27th.

This is the 15th annual list of Top 100 most powerful women in the world announced by Forbes, including women in business, finance, media, politics, the social/philanthropic/NGO sector and technology.

The annual ranking is based on multiple categories such as asset quality, media exposure, segment and international influence. According to executive vice president Moira Forbes, the women on the list have wide and direct influence on more than three billion people worldwide with activities in various fields.

No woman from Thailand is included in the list. See the full list at http://www.Forbes.com/power-women/list/

WHEN ON December 17, the finalists in this year’s Miss Universe pageant take to the stage of Impact, Muang Thong Thani, they will be rewriting the history of the contest. That’s because this year, the line-up of ladies includes Spanish beauty queen Angela Ponce, the first transgender contestant to compete against “naturally born” females. The Miss Universe organisation, ironically then owned by a man who is trying to narrow the definition of gender identity, US President Donald Trump, announced the change in its rules six years ago, bringing an end to decades of discrimination against transgender women.

From left, Miss Universe Thailand 2018, Sopida Kanchanarin, Paula Shugart, president of Miss Universe organisation, and Miss Universe 2017, DemiLeigh Nel-Peters

Paula Shugart, president of Miss Universe organisation, tells The Nation Weekend: “Since 2012, we’ve elected to follow the Olympics model. Some of the national contests saw transgender entries in the first two or three years so we knew that one day we would see one competing on the international stage. And here we are six years later making history and celebrating gender equality. The time has clearly come when every individual is able to stand on their own two feet, is able to feel comfortable on their own skin, with who they are and able to live life to the fullest. There is a lot going on in the world that is not good but what we are seeing here is fantastic and we should celebrate it.”

“Empowering women” is the underlying motto of the beauty pageant business. Indeed, the Women’s Empowerment Principles offer practical guidance to business and the private sector on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Developed through a partnership between UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact, the principles are designed to support companies in reviewing existing policies and practices, or establishing new ones, to realise women’s empowerment and emphasise the promotion of gender equality.

Last Wednesday, the 26-year-old Spanish beauty showed why she is being tipped to walk away with this year’s crown, turning out for Thai Night Gala in a stunning silk dress. While she is understandably making headlines for being the first transgender to compete in the pageant, Ponce more than merits attention for her beauty and poise. Asked to what extent she is affected by the inevitable criticism and prejudice, Ponce smiles and says she is a woman with different characteristics.

Miss Universe Spain, Angela Ponce

She tells The Nation Weekend that she is very happy to be part of Miss Universe this year. “It’s the beginning of many new things in my life. I’m delighted to get to know many beauty queens and learn about their countries and also exchange my beautiful Spanish culture. It’s a great opportunity to be part of the pageant. If I were lucky enough to be crowned Miss Universe, I would give emphasis to such issues as the lack of education on diversity. I’d be a very different type of Miss Universe because my experience in growing up has been so very different. I’d become a voice for gender equality for every group of women including transgender, LGBT and children as well as highlighted the factors that lead to bullying, prejudice, and violence.”

Ponce is not the only contestant fighting for empowerment. Miss Universe Japan 2018, Yuumi Kato, 22, was born in Japan and raised in Malaysia. Without formal education, she became independent at an early age and fought to overcome the many hardships she faced. To inspire others to fight, Kato has chosen a popular Japanese animation character for her national costume.

“I’m very excited to show my national costume because everybody knows it is very interesting this year – it’s Sailor Moon,” she laughs. “We are presenting the woman warrior as a new culture of Japan. We’ll move from the history of the Ninja to the modern Sailor Moon. Empowering women is important and I have chosen this character, a women warrior with a strong image, to underline this year’s theme of gender equality, I think it is time for women to stand up and be counted and I’m sure this coming year will be very special for women.”

Miss Universe Japan

Miss Universe Nepal 2018 is another lady for whom empowerment is a must. An advocate for girl’s education and public health, Manita Devkota is working to change the stigmas and obstacles that menstruating women and girls face in Nepal. She says that this is the second time Nepal has participated in the Miss Universe pageant. “I come here with all the hopes and dreams of the Nepali people. I come here to make them proud. My name Manita means honour. I want to show the people in the world that Nepalis women are no less strong than others. They are kind, independent, they have their own passions and dreams. They are strong women and I hope to portray that in the Miss Universe pageant.”

From left: Miss Universe Nepal, Miss Universe Namibia, and Miss Universe South Africa

For her part, Miss Universe Thailand 2018, Sopida Kanchanarin, is full of praise for the Miss Universe charity project Smile Train, which repairs deformities in kids born with cleft lip and palate. “Thailand is the land of smiles. They do amazing work to bring smiles to more than two million children all over the world. I am proud to be part of this project and to be able to help raise awareness and improve the wellbeing of those suffering from this problem.”

Thailand, which last hosted the pageant back in 2005, is using the event as a stage to showcase the country’s many talents. Efforts are being led by distinguished designer, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana who has created a collection of fashionable swimsuits for the preliminary competition as well as two elegant Thai silk dresses worn at Wednesday’s gala evening.

From left: Miss Universe Ukraine, Miss Universe Uruguay, Miss Universe United States Virgin Islands, Miss Universe Vietnam, and Miss Universe Zambia

As the creative director of the brand that bears her name, the Princess is underlining her commitment to female empowerment with a design on the concept “Across the Universe”. The palette reflects not only the Thai belief in the auspicious colour of the day ranging from red, yellow, pink, green, orange, blue and purple but also represents the idea of a world united in harmony and peace. The swimsuits themselves are both one and two piece and decorated with whimsical gold metal embellishment studs. A graphic of the Nebula-inspired pattern is displayed on the scarf.

Her custom-made dresses were worn by Miss Universe Thailand 2018, Sopida and Miss Universe 2017, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters. Inspired by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s wardrobe, they reflected the highly skilled craftsmanship for which the country is known and combined mudmee and praewa silks.

From left: Miss Universe Angola, Miss Universe Argentina, and Miss Universe Armenia

The other ladies at the gala were also attired in exquisite evening gowns made from Thai silk from the Support Foundation under royal patronage and designed by leading local brands Asava, Ek Thongprasert, Emotions Atelier, La Boutique, Hook’s, Kanapot Aunsorn, Kloset, Milin, Narong, Pattarat, Patinya, Present, Surface, Tipayaphong, Tohns, Tube Gallery, Valentier, Vickteerut, and Wisharawish.

As she prepared to hand over her crown, Miss Universe 2017, South African Nel-Peters, thanked the organisation for believing in and supporting her vision and her dreams as she launched her “Unbreakable” mission.

Miss Universe Mexico

“I’m passionate about empowering women with the skill and knowledge on how to prevent and protect themselves and also escape from violent situations. I’ve managed to introduce the ‘Unbreakable’ project in various countries including Mexico, Indonesia, and the United States. My project is growing outside my home country and my dream is to start my own foundation. Becoming Miss Universe 2018 is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You will never walk on the Miss Universe stage again and present your country on such a global stage. It is an honour and for me, it’s also been a life changing experience. My message to each of this year’s contestants is simple: whether you win or not, Miss Universe is a powerful platform. I’d like to encourage each one of you to use that platform and your voice to make some meaningful changes,” she says.

STANDING PRETTY

The final round of the Miss Universe pageant takes place on Monday, December 17 at 7am |(local time) at the Impact Arena Convention Centre in Muang Thong Thani so as to coincide with the live screening scheduled for 7pm on December 16 in the US where it shows on the Fox Channel.

It will be live streamed on |channel PPTV HD 36, http://www.pptvhd36.com and PPTVHD36 application.

NEW YORK-BASED architecture and design firm Rockwell Group is collaborating with Jim Thompson for a second time on a collection of 13 textile patterns titled “Dreams by David Rockwell” that offers an illusive and shadowy quality and is evocative of nature, animal and exotic places.

Founded by Rockwell, and led by the designer and his partners Shawn Sullivan and Greg Keffer, the firm is inspired by theatre, technology, and high-end crafts and is known for creating a unique narrative for each project, ranging from restaurants, hotels, airport terminals and hospitals to festivals, museum exhibitions, and Broadway sets.

In Dreams, Rockwell explores the world of dreams and dreamscapes, combining abstract designs with hints of figurative elements, and interpreting them with gently blurred edges, creating a hazy, misty appearance. Materials such as silk satin, lustrous cut velvet and soft wool give the fabrics a luxurious contrast of texture. The collection is at ethereally soft and mysteriously dark, enhanced with metallic effects and shimmering yarns that capture and reflect the light.

Jim Thompson is also presenting the new “Essentials” collection with four textured upholstery weaves that boast a durable quality. Designs draw their inspiration from natural elements and hand-crafted materials, which are interpreted in a contemporary blend of melange yarns, cut velvets, linen blends and soft chenille. The palette’s must-have neutrals are accented with bolder hues gathered from the glorious colours in the tropical landscape of Thailand, from cinnabar reds and saffron gold to palm greens and leafy chartreuse.

For the latest wall covering collection “Sisal”, the brand introduces hand-woven sisal grass cloth to expand the range of the brand’s artisanal offerings. Created sustainably from the lustrous fibres of the agave plant, sisal wall coverings get their hues from water-based vegetable dyes, and are then woven by hand. Dyed paper backing adds coordinating or contrasting colour backgrounds. The collection of is offered in a dazzling range of more than 40 shades, providing myriad options for adding natural texture to the walls of any interior. Class A flame rating and VOC free materials make these a versatile option for residential and commercial settings alike.

Its sister brand No 9 Thompson also introduces a collection “Jamboree Velvets” comprising of three different layouts and scales in a 100-per-cent cotton pile velvet. The colour palette of Jamboree Velvets works in sync with all previous collections. Whilst the fabric makes for excellent upholstery – with a Martindale abrasion test of 50,000 turns – it also makes for handsome as curtains.

The collection of wallpaper panels “Take the Stage” is inspired by the loose painting of theatrical backdrops that Richard Smith, the brand’s creative director, hand painted to create very different moods. They work equally well enhancing existing architectural features in an older property as making a statement in a plainer space.

Palm Court and Maharaja patterns comprise two co-ordinating panel designs that fit together. Secret Garden, Tiger Fight and Tigers in the Grass patterns are sold as rolls of three adjoining drops giving an entire panel per roll. Trellis and Trellis Panel are conventionally repeating designs sold on a 10m roll.

Another sister brand Studio B also launches a collection called “Pattern Play” featuring several traditional and modern patterns that have been interpreted by the Atlanta-based visual artist Brian Carter who believes that the imperfect and irregular are beautiful. His artist’s eye is attuned to what most of us fail to notice in our everyday surroundings, and he is able to translate this vision into the shapes and patterns that energise his work.

Carter is collaborating with Jim Thompson Fabrics on its Studio B brand, with four collections to date namely Debut, Colorbox, Sketchbook, and Pattern Play. Each collection showcases his ability to seamlessly mix various mediums, including paint, ink and pencil, and techniques such as stamping and brushwork to create unique effects.

A NEW TV designed to appeal to young generation viewers at a price they can afford, the Coocaa 40S3A21T is the Chinese brand’s flagship 40-inch Android-based smart TV with good image quality and convenient smart functions provided by voice-command Google Assistant.

The 40S3 runs on Android 8.0 Oreo with Good Assistant to allow you to conveniently give voice commands to enjoy various functions.

You can simply press the OK button on the remote and say “Hey Google” to get all the help you need from your Google Assistant. For example, you can use the voice search function to find a specific TV show or a YouTube clip. You can also tell Google Assistant to fetch the latest weather information so you can plan your day.

The 40S3 comes with YouTube player pre-installed so you can easily play clips with just one click on the remote.

You can also purchase movies via the Google Play Store and download and install apps.

During the test, I downloaded and installed the iflix app and was able to stream HD movies without any problems. The TV has fast Wi-Fi 802.11ac wireless connection and I tested it on True Online’s True Super Fibre 50/20 Mbps. The iflix movies and YouTube clips played smoothly during the test.

And the 40S3 has Chromecast built in that allows you to cast movies from apps like TrueID TV that are not available for download and install them directly to the TV.

The 40S3 looks sleek and has thin bezels because it uses FOCL (Frameless Open-cell Lock-in Technology) to eliminate the top, left and right frames allowing the viewer to maximise their home entertainment. And the regular 40-inch TV has a 97-per cent screen-to-body ratio, providing customers with a more immersive viewing experience.

It has two small stands that were quickly and easily installed too.

The 1920×1080-pixel resolution comes with brightness of 230 nits and high contrast ratio of 5000:1.

Picture modes are standard, vivid, movie, game and user. I tested it out in standard move and the pictures were bright and colourful. The 40S3 also has four sound modes –standard, music, sport and movie. To watch movies, choose the latter as it boosts the dialogue so it can be heard more clearly.

The 40S3 has three HDMI ports for connecting to Full HD TV sources, such as TrueVisions satellite receiver. It also has two USB ports for connecting to external hard drive or a mouse.

During the test, I used a USB port to connect to a wireless mouse and the mouse worked well in controlling various apps.

Since the 40S3 is an Android TV, setting it up was a breeze. It offered to use all the data from my Android phone and Google account on my Sony Xperia XZ Premium to set up the Google account on the TV. The auto Android setup feature also imported the Wi-Fi setting from my phone to the TV.

Then, the 40S3 guided me to set up the terrestrial digital TV. It has a DVB-T2 digital TV tuner so it can tune in to digital TV broadcasts in Thailand without the need of an external receiver. I found during the test that all HD digital TV channels were displayed sharply and vividly.

Once you’ve completed set up, a home screen appears from which you access installed apps, YouTube clips and recently played clips as well as Google Play Store.

Apart from using voice commands via Google Assistant, you can also use Android Remote control on your smartphone to control the TV. You can easily type on the smartphone instead of using the remote to click on the on-screen keyboard. Your phone and TV must be connected with the same Wi-Fi router though, so do check before trying.

To watch a TV channel, you must select the Live TV app that will allow you to select either DVB-T2 tuner or an HDMI source to connect to your TV source.

The name Coocaa may not be familiar to Thais but it is a well known abroad. It currently operates under Skyworth RGB Electronics and has a presence in more than 40 countries including Germany and Japan.

The Coocaa TVs are made in nine factories, including one in Indonesia, which serves as Coocaa’s manufacturing base in Southeast Asia. Its Indonesian factory has more than 23 years of experience in making TVs for Japanese brands and has thus acquired Japanese-quality standard.

Coocaa TVs have three-year warranty and the brand has more than 100 service centres around the country with a central call centre.

Coocaa 40S3A21T has a suggested retail price of only Bt8,490 and will be launched as part of the 12.12 campaign on Lazada.

>> OS: Android 8.0

>> Display: 40-inch LED TV with 1920×1080 pixel |resolution

>> Brightness: 230 nits

>> Contrast ratio: 5000:1

>> Viewing angel: 176/176

>> Response time: 9.5ms

>> Back light time: 30,000 hours

>> Digital TV tuner: DVB-T/T2

>> Audio formats supported: |L-PCM, AC3, AAC, DTS

>> Inputs: 3 HDMI ports, 1 CVBS, L/R

>> Output: 1 Optical audio

>> Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 1 LAN (RJ-45) port, 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0