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Published on October 27, 2007

Elle Fashion Week for autumn-winter 2007, which ended last Sunday at CentralWorld in Bangkok, was a genuine shifting of the gears for Thai styling, with the creations of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana setting the pace.

The six-day event boasted 18 local fashion houses, plus young designers supported by Nokia.

None of the shows disappointed, even though the designers focused on the clothes rather than production razzle-dazzle and there were long, dulling waits between presentations.

The Sirivannavari collection - having only just debuted at Paris Fashion Week - was an automatic attention-grabber. A beam of red light greeted the models as they took to a catwalk built to resemble a temple gate, with the label's peacock logo at the top.

Traditional Thai instruments met modern music for an added touch of allure and excitement.

The semi-couture collection "Harmonious" integrated Thainess and modernity, using mainly Silpacheep silk. Princess Sirivannavari created 39 outfits for women and 14 for men, the former taking the form of sleek and chic draped-silk dresses that were feminine and elegant.

The refined embroidery techniques of the royal artisans and the unique materials they used created exquisite finish touches to almost every outfit, even V-necked cotton T-shirts.

There were funky jewellery and cool accessories - such as the geometric bangles, the silk cocktail bag with its metal fringe, canvas and patent leather belts, metallic-leather platform sandals and much more.

Opening night stirred tremendous hope for the fashion industry and, later in the week, Adisak Rojsiriphan's "Zenithorial" women's collection made good on the promise, with its light but loose grey outfits in casual yet high-class cuts.

The greys were enlivened with colourful accessories, and the chill definitely came off when a parade of male models in swimsuits appeared.

Neatness, elegance and an emphasis on the female figure are the hallmarks of Somchai Kawtong's label, Kai. His new line features silk, lace and satin cocktail dresses in pink, orange, cream, green and sky-blue pastels.

There were delicate twists and draping, and many had plunging backs. A knee-length dress achieved an innovative feminine effect with its covering of soft hoops.

His evening gowns found more elegance from the same shades and materials. Similar draping and twisting was also used, but lace was more prevalent, and of course there were long trains and much beadwork.

An ethnic charm inspired the designs presented by Issue, which has never disappointed at the Elle shows. Viroj Singhakul's clothes embark on a journey through exotic locales, and this season he found fresh inspiration in Werner Herzog's acclaimed film "Aguirre: The Wrath of God", the Peruvian locations of which Viroj has visited.

From the Incas of the Andes he borrowed black, white, grey, olive-green and khaki hues and colourful, handmade headdresses of fur, flowers and metallic shards.

Sirichai Daharanont's Theatre label earned applause for its meticulously detailed and beautifully hued creations that derive from cinema and the stage. Winter is never boring for Theatre, and this season there was an ethnic African feel in bright pink, lemon and lime green, turquoise and orange - all in one dress. Arrays of colourful beads added extra delight.

Long-established brand Metta remains a bastion of elegance. Metta Tantisajjatham's retro looks in dun, pink, blue, green and yellow were adorably rendered, both in short dresses and long chiffon gowns.

Another show that everyone was looking forward to was that of fashion house Pichita. Pichita Boonyarataphan has advised Princess Sirivannavari in her creative endeavours, and her own collection - called "P+" - pleased the eye with lively, wearable and graceful ideas.

Pichita's distinguished styling in silk never appears stiff. Black was the dominant shade, but there were all kinds of texturing and refined embellishments.

Optimism for the Thai design scene was secured in the shows presented by the newcomers - Seksarit Thanaprasittikul, Tipayaphong Poosanaphong, Atiroj Rojratanawalee and Saran Yenpany. It is they who are generating the next big wave, and their designs, though lacking in consistency and experience, were certainly impressive.

Kupluthai Pungkanon

 The Nation