Auto beauty, as well as human, should come from within

Design is the determining factor when choosing a car, according to a leader in Thailand’s beauty industry, Sira Kulsrethsiri.
Sira owns Model Story, a modelling firm, is a distributor of Bios Life, a chlorophyll extract produced by an American firm, and serves as creative director for one of Scandinavia’s largest cosmetic brands. So aesthetics play a big part in his thinking.
“I have spent over 25 years in the beauty industry. When I was a teenager, I thought that makeup could add beauty to women. Now, I realise that beauty should first come from inside. Our bodies should be perfect, we should sleep enough and get enough nutrients – or add supplementary foods,” he said.
He believes that the potential of fashion designers in Thailand is on a par with foreign designers, but they lose a competitive edge because they live in a “horizontal climate” and they don’t understand clothing for countries with cold weather.
Simple designs are the best and Thai designers should bear in mind that they should never over-decorate, he said.
“I realise that if we want to upgrade Thailand as a fashion hub, we have to improve in many ways,” he said. “I would like to reiterate that beauty should come from the inside because when we clean off the makeup, we will see all the wrinkles and black spots. If we eat sufficient nutrients or add food supplements, we will be healthy. I’m now 44 years old and I have to add chlorophyll to get my full nutrients.”
He likened his philosophies on beauty to choosing a car. Vehicles have care products, so human beings should also take supplementary foods to lengthen their lives and maintain their beauty, he pointed out.
“If we opt for an excellent vehicle with a design that appeals to us, along with a strong body and a powerful engine, then we will enjoy driving with a sense of security. I now drive a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300CE. It is a coupe with a 3-litre six-cylindered engine. I believe the design of this car is simply classic.
“I always use European cars, although their maintenance costs are higher than their Japanese counterparts. Some of my cars have had problems, but I still opt to buy European cars because of their reliability and durability,” he said.
Sira said his parents drove a Mercedes-Benz when he was a boy and he has always perceived European cars as giving better value for money.
“My current car is a coupe type, which has lots of space in the rear to load extra luggage and this matches the needs of my job. Besides, I don’t want a four-door car because I’m single. Most importantly, the design of the Mercedes-Benz 300CE is immortal. It came with two engine sizes, a 2.3- and a 3-litre,” he said.
He admitted that his car occasionally overheated when stuck in traffic jams, but this is no longer a problem because he had an electric fan fitted for extra cooling.
“My car has hardly any problems. Its suspension is relatively good and I am not a fast driver, so suspension modifications are unnecessary. I only changed to 17-inch wheels, because the car looks more beautiful that way,” he said.

Thanadol Rila
The Nation