That regal air

Their Royal Highnesses Princesses sirivan¬navari Nariratana and Bajra Kitiyabha were at Siam Paragon last Tuesday to open the former's new scentspeciality shop, but the real treat was in the casual chat they had with onlookers.Sirivannavari Maison is both the name of the store in the mall's Luxe Avenue on M Floor and the line of items intended to create the feel - or more correctly the aroma - of a "cosy artist's home".

The collection includes room dif¬fusers, mists and candles that give off appealing fragrances called Sakura Bleu, Vanille Soleil and Plumeria de Nuit.

Each is in a glass container also designed by Princess Sirivannavari.

Then there are beautiful blueglass vases and photo frames with a peacockfeather motif, a grand pea¬cock candleholder and a set of din¬ner tablecloths.

"Art," the Princess said, "provides an essential inspiration to me, and I love to interpret it in various forms, ranging from painting to fashion."

Late last year she turned her imagination to lifestyle require¬ments, she said, "which led me to originate this home collection under the Sirivannavari Maison brand.

"It's all very personal. It started from my interest in home decora¬tion, and I'm fond of pleasant smells in the house, which make me feel very cosy.

"While I was training with Giorgio Armani, I was impressed by Armani Casa, his home decor for resorts and hotels."

The way a home smells reflects on the owner's character and per¬sonality as much as the furniture, she pointed out.

"As to the photo frames, I like taking pictures but I found it hard to get just the right frames, so I decided, 'Why not create one?'"

Princess Sirivannavari bor¬rowed ideas from 1920s Art Nouveau, conceiving a look that's elegant yet naive.

Her own favourite item is the Sakura Bleu candle. "I like this very much, starting with the colour. The fragrance is sweet but not too sweet, and it's more than feminine."

Coming up with the Maison line was more difficult than designing clothes, she said, in terms of con¬cept, image, quality control, pro¬duction and finishing.

But she paid close attention to the details, learning all about fra¬grances, materials and graphics, just as she does with her apparel.

The boutique itself, the Princess said, is like her home in Paris, which is the home of an artist.

"I wanted a chandelier and couldn't afford one, so being an artist I created my own, using vari¬ous types of crystal and light bulbs - which turned out to be quite big coneshaped ones!" she laughed.

"I also have prints made of my paintings to apply to old furniture and the walls. It makes the house more lively and fun."

The house, she added, is invari¬ably filled with "beautiful smells and lots of flowers".

Princess Sirivannavari recalled how much she enjoyed her design¬er training in Italy.

"I had such a great time while training at Salvatore Ferragamo, despite some difficulties. I got the chance to design bags and clothes and do some cutting, learned how to choose materials and everything else.

"It was very tiring, but in the end it was really worth it - the experience, the connections, the friends and the knowledge. It was much more valuable than any salary."  

Princess Sirivannavari is cur¬rently studying at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, a fashion academy founded in 1927.

Living abroad has changed her, she said, both in the obstacles and the opportunities it affords.

"I've learned Italian and French. I work against the clock and have to push myself hard when I think my work isn't good enough or my knowledge isn't solid.

"But I dream high, so I have to be more diligent. And I have to forget about being a 'princess'. This is my responsibility, and it's my determi¬nation to learn as much as I can."       

Aromatic affair

- The Sirivannavari Maison collec¬tion is only available at the Siam Paragon boutique.

- Visit www.Sirivannavari.com.