Denim on the march

Jeans in every style and colour can be found at this trendy new â??Garageâ??

Gasoline & Garage is on the ground floor of Siamkitti Building, Siam Square (opposite Novotel Hotel). Itâ??s open daily from 11am to 9pm. Call (081) 456 4272, (080) 680 6806.

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For more than a decade, Thanarad Mayteedol has been stashing old denim in his wardrobe, the result, he says, of his passion for fashion dating back to the â??60s and â??70s eras. In fact, heâ??s crazy about everything from those decades ranging fromautomobiles to decorative items.

An art education graduate from Chulalongkorn, Thanarad worked as a furniture and jewellery designer for many local labels and spend time in Hong Kong as a display designer for Esprit.

In 1999, he quit and opened his own boutique in Siam Square Soi 4 under the Thai name â??Pump-Num-Mun Jeansâ?, known in English as Gasoline & Garage. He launched his first collection of trendy denims for both women and men and his bellbottoms were an immediate hit with young fashionistas.

Last month, Thanarad opened a new showroom in the Siamkit Building. Itâ??s small in size but big enough to stock a sizeable stock of colourful jeans, shirts and other gear imported from Korea.

â??I wanted to open a showroom, where friends and young designers can come to learn about designing and bone up on the history of jeans. Iâ??m pleased to share my experiences and ideas with them,â? says Thanarad.

Furnished with a petrolpumplike jukebox, chains and wooden shelves, his new outlet looks every inch the oldfashioned gas station. On show are more than 30 designs of jeans, with bestsellers including skinny, bootcut, low waist and straight.

The emphasis is on good cutting, beautiful patterns and a unique look, all of which added to the charm of fashion back in the â??60s. Materials include cottondenim, indigo blue and super spandex imported from Italy, Japan and Korea.

â??My designs focus on good fabric, cutting and patterns. There are more than 30 designs available here, so thereâ??s something for everyone. For jeans, the more you wear them, the more beautiful they become,â? says Thanarad. â??My customers range in age from four to 60. Now, I also export to Singapore and Japan.â?

His jeans are playful with lots of details like embroidery on the pockets and denim loomed with gold thread Japanesestyle. There are several hues from which to choose too, with jeans available in indigo, pink, brown, purple, rose, grey, black and more.

To offer customers a mix and match selection, Thanarad has also created a collection of smart Tshirts, polo shirts and long sleeved shirts for men. He also stocks accessories imported from Korea like Jade Republicâ??s sneakers and smart backpacks by T.B2 Jeans.

Gasoline & Garage also accepts custommade orders and has a branch at Siam Soi 2.

1. These laserblue skin jeans sells for Bt2,590.

2. These normal skin jeans in original colour are yours for Bt1,890.

3. These black super skinny jeans for women have a price tag of Bt2,590.

4. Denim shorts come in purple, red and blue for Bt1,290.

5. These smart brown tartan shorts for men made from soft cotton and luxury wool cost Bt1,290.

6. An attractive white shirt with an attractive design costs Bt1,290.

7. Jade Republicâ??s trendy blue sneakers from Korea are priced at Bt2,990.

8. An eyecatching canvas backpack by T.B2 Jeans from Korea goes for Bt3,900.