Two minds are better than one

FOR THE past 15 years, the Commerce Ministry’s Designers’ Room and Talent Thai projects have helped more than 600 emerging local designers to enhance their skills and potential. While a noble objective, that philosophy no longer cuts ice as designers today also need to be entrepreneurs if they are to survive in an increasingly competitive market. 
So the ministry’s Department of International Trade Promotion has adopted a new approach, founding a new pilot project called Fuze that invites 20 aspiring newcomers to collaborate with three established brands – Painkiller, Erb and Tao Hong Tai – on special collections.
The fruits of the co-branding project are currently on sale at the pop-up store, also called Fuze, on the third floor of Siam Discovery until April 27.

“About 30 per cent of designers participating in the two projects have succeeded in establishing their names both locally and internationally. A designer today is not a service provider, but rather a business man or woman. The shortcut to allowing these young designers to understand the process and be able to translate the value of design into business language is to work with professionals,” says ML Kathathong Thongyai, director of the Thailand Office of Innovation and Value Creation.

ML Kathathong Thongyai

Painkiller, Erb and Tao Hong Tai have all been invited by the department to share their experiences with some 60 young brands participating in this year’s Designers’ Room and Talent Thai, but that’s where its involvement ends. How the professional brands and the emerging labels collaborate is up to them.
Painkiller, the creator of minimal menswear, has joined with 17 young lifestyle brands whose products range from eyewear and sportswear to stationery, jewellery and tableware, while Erb – the leading brand in home fragrances and skin care products – has joined with six brands to help develop such products as a paper diffuser, ink for calligraphy pens and a mobile phone case infused with Erb’s scents. 
Jewellery and accessories brand La Orr has worked with celebrated ceramic brand Tao Hong Tai from Ratchaburi on developing eye-catching brooches, partly fashioned from the pha khao ma (loincloth) which is one of Ratchaburi’s distinctive products.

Tao Hong Tai x La Orr

“Consumers today have a variety of choices thanks to e-commerce,” Kathathong says. 
“Designers must constantly update to be relevant to the fast-changing market and be able to apply their creations to meet trends like colours, patterns, textures and functionality. I hope this collaborative project will help them diversify both their creations and vision.”
Independent eyewear brand Arty & Fern has launched a collaborative collection of hand-made sunglasses and spectacles with Painkiller based on Painkiller’s latest menswear designs, which highlight patchwork and a colour palette of black, grey and white. Arty & Fern’s artisanal frames are attached with tiny wire-like accessories and partly applied with rubbed colours that mock the patchwork technique of sewing different materials together in one pattern.

Aniknun Eiamong and Chanakan Ukosakul offer custom-made and handcrafted form-fitting eyewear under the brand Arty&Fern.

The brand mingles the nicknames of its two founders, Chanakan “Art” Ukosakul and Aniknun “Fern” Eiamong, who, after taking eyewear manufacturing courses in 2015 at Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Lune- tiers Eyeglass Craftsmanship School in Morez, France, decide to launch the custom-made and handcrafted form-fitting eyewear.
“Our brand and Painkiller share something similar in terms of minimal style and attention to detail. Painkiller has never had its own collection of eyeglasses,” says Art. “Fern and I spent six months attending five courses conducted by master French craftsmen to hone our skills in frame personalisation and the making of artisanal frames with cellulose acetate. We learned anatomy and technical standards applicable to eyeglasses and materials and realised that the key of design is to solve problems faced by individual wearers of specs.”

The co-branding collection of eyewear by Arty&Fern and the menswear brand Painkiller

Their custom-made eyewear is measured to suit customers’ facial features and personal style so that every customer goes home with a pair of glasses adapted to his or her face and style. 
“One pair of glasses goes through 260 different processes and takes about 10 days to complete. Customers can mix and match the components to express their own style,” adds Fern. “One of our male customers has a face that’s 160mm wide and that makes it impossible for him to find frames in a market where the standard is 135 to 140mm. For years, he’s worn glasses that pinch his head. Women tend to face problems like a low bridge and high cheekbones so we have to design glasses that fit their facial structures.”

Kalayada Lohacharoenvanich collaborates with Painkiller to launch the first collection of men’s sportswear.

After launching a range of women’s sportswear combining athletic functionality with feminine charm, the two-year-old Kalis Activewear brand has now launched its debut collection of men’s hoodies and pants for everyday comfort and natural range of motion after collaborating with Painkiller.
 “Our products were previously available online and catered only to women because men do not shop online for sportswear,” says co-founder Kalayada Lohacharoenvanich. 
“The collaborative collection is based on Painkiller’s dark tones – grey, dark blue and black – and both hoodies and pants have reflective stripes down the sides for a casual look. We try to offer a balance between technical performance like muscle compression technology and fashionable casual wear.”
Her partner is in charge of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), a family-run firm that makes sportswear for many brands. Kalis Activewear’s apparel is designed and produced in Thailand and uses only fabrics that are breathable, soft, lightweight and comfortable for a workout.
The brand’s women’s leggings and running shorts come complete with pockets that allow the wearer to keep her smartphone secure without getting in the way while on the move. The sports bras have an adjustable cross-back design to keep the wearer comfortable and moving freely all day.

Poomsak Teankaprasith, the founder of Painkiller, says the most challenging task in the collaborative project is finding a way to combine the unique characteristics of each brand without losing sight of the roots.
“First I brief them about my style concept, signature colour palettes, and the direction of my brand so that they can apply their products to join with mine and add value. Many of them have no experience in retail and don’t know how to balance good design with commercial business,” he says. 

 

Porana has worked with Painkiller to design a set of two rings inspired by the scarf joint. 

Jewellery brand Porana also works with Painkiller on pairs of rings inspired by the scarf joint in woodwork. This allows the two rings to be interlocked or worn separately. Consumers can design their own pair of sterling silver rings with black diamonds and have them plated with 14K gold, 14k rose gold or dark grey metal. The finish can be gloss or matte. 
“My family has run Siamwell Jewelry for 30 years and creates custom-made costume jewellery. I launched my own brand two years ago to offer fine jewellery for everyday use in a minimalist but elegant style, using real gold and diamonds and a high level of craftsmanship,” says founder Ladawan Panyaphacharakul.
Her brand introduces women to stacking small dainty rings together for a unique look. Mixed metals, including white, rose and yellow gold, parallel the mood and tone of the outfits they choose to wear.

Ladawan Panyaphacharakul of jewellery brand Porana has designed a jewellery box that takes both her accessories and Erb’s perfume.

Ladawan is also working with Erb on a small jewellery box finished in synthetic leathers in a choice of black or maroon. Covered with velvet and lined with a floral-printed fabric, the box can store four rings and has two compartments – one to store Erb’s small perfume bottle and the other for miscellaneous accessories like earrings and pendants.
“The 6x12cm lightweight box slides easily into a handbag. It’s suitable for any women who prefers to keep their accessories organised before dressing up for an event,” says Ladawan.

Pica stationery brand by Pichakorn Meedech presents a special box set of calligraphy pen and ink infused with Erb’s aroma oils.

The handcrafted stationery brand Pica by Pichakorn Meedech is also working with Erb on a box set of pen and ink for calligraphy. The pen is meticulously made by hand with a metal holder that helps users control the weight when writing. 
The metal holders are also available in brass, copper and stainless steel and come with three bottles of ink infused with Erb’s aromatic oils, namely Summer Maison with a wild fruits scent, Spellbound Rose, and Siamese Jasmine.
Working with Erb whose products mostly cater to women taught Pichakorn to adjust the size of the pen holder to better fit a woman’s hand and how to mix ink with aromatic oil to maintain both the ink property and fragrant scents.
“Erb and Pica share a sense of aesthetics. My passion is to offer an analogue charm to this fast-changing world with a minimal product. Erb products also reinterpret traditional pampering and beauty regimens by bringing old-fashioned bliss to modern life,” says Pichakorn.

PERFECT PAIRINGS
The co-branding products are available at the pop-up store Fuze on the third floor of Siam Discovery until April 27. For updates, check out the “Talent Thai & Designers’ Room” page on Facebook.
Get details about Arty & Fern eyeglasses at Facebook.com/pg/artyandferneyewear
Kalis’ sportswear is available at www.KalisActiveWear.com.
Porana’s fine jewellery accessories can be seen at www.Porana.co.
Pica stationery can be found at www.Picastore.in.th.