Thongprasert's Hatsu Yume

Moving between Bangkok and Antwerp, the 28 year-old Thai designer became interested in fashion from an early age. "I find fashion is a way for me to communicate my thoughts to people around me, since I'm a very shy person and I always keep silent when I'm in a new environment," says Ek Thongprasert. "But with fashion, having a great passion towards it, I always want my work to shout and speak, instead of my own voice, when people have experienced it."

Dazed Digital: What is your new collection about?
Ek Thongprasert: The A/W 2010 collection is titled ‘Hatsu Yume’, which is inspired by both artist Bill Viola's video with the same name, and the Danish tale ‘The little match girl’. They both share the same concept of a progression towards an ideal reality, like the people in the Third World countries who hope to be in a better place. The designer extracted different elements from the Scandinavian knitted jumper (which served as a symbol of warm and ideal), such as cutting, patterns and re-collaged them into each individual garments in the collection.

DD: What do these cultures mean to you?
Ek Thongprasert: Subcultures for me are actually quite similar to myself - a group of people who want to speak and shout of their own identity to a people outside their territory. By any kind of media whether, clothes, music, lifestyle, believing, etc. It's also a very interesting moment when these subculture cross each other, melting together and appearing as a new and fresh subculture.

DD: Where do you seek for inspiration?
Ek Thongprasert: Every place that I pass, every book that I read, every song that I listen to, every person that I meet or I have seen.

DD: What are your plans for the future?
Ek Thongprasert: At the end of June, I will have my first menswear and women's accessory presentation. I hope it will come out perfectly good.

DD: Who is your favourite designer and why?
Ek Thongprasert: Actually I don't have one particular my favourite fashion designer, I'm more interested in other fields of design whether it's graphics, art or architecture. I find their ideas and ways of working extremely extraordinary.

DD: What makes you happy?
Ek Thongprasert: To see people appreciate and accept my designs.
                                                                                           
Ek Thongprasert's collection including his jewellery line are now available at Maria Luisa (Paris), Kabinet (Amsterdam), Club 21 (Thailand), and in Singapore, Front Row.