Bangkok, Thailand -- The Bangkok International Fashion Fair 2006 and Bangkok International Leather Fair 2006 (BIFF&BIL 2006), which will be held at the Bangkok International Trade & Convention Center (BITEC) during September 27 – October 1, 2006, will continue to play a significant part in propelling next generation Thai designers into the international marketplace.
The Thai Department of Export Promotion’s Office of Product Development for Export
(OPDE) initiated the Young Designers project in 2002 in order to provide business
management, marketing and brand-building assistance to talented but inexperienced
designers to encourage them to develop their skills and capabilities into establishing
income-generating enterprises. Since then the Young Designers Room has continued
to be
a major highlight of the BIFF&BIL event, providing a platform for Thai designers
to showcase their creativity
and imagination in both fashionable garments, leather goods
and
accessories to international fashion buyers.
Mr. Udomsak Kraikarn, a professional accessories designer and 3-time participant of BIFF&BIL’s Young Designers Room, will be showcasing his recently-established line of luxury leather bags and shoes under the brand name of ‘Be Shoe Be Bag’ at this year’s event.
‘Be Shoes Be Bags’ products are being sold exclusively at the trendy Playground store in the heart of Bangkok. “Having designed and produced a wide range of bags and shoes for Tube Gallery, one of the leading top designer brands in Thailand, for several years, I thought it was time to branch out and design my own brand of products”, revealed the young designer.
“My design concept is very simple. My bags and shoes are designed with the urban lifestyle in mind - they must be functional. Nowadays people living and working in major cities are more concerned about a healthier lifestyle and to look good so a bag must be able to carry not only ‘work’ but also their ‘workout’ gear so they can go straight to the gym and not have to fight the traffic to go back home to change. Therefore, you will see that my bags are bigger than normal,” explained Udomsak, who also foresees that his potential export market is the Middle East where the focus is on men’s leather goods.
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A first-time participant who has also been
selected to
join the 29 other designers at BIFF&BIL 2006’s Young
Designers Room is Ms. Nattanan Sunpong. A passion for crochet led her to set up a small boutique in 2003 in order to have an outlet for her crocheted scarves as well as imported bags from Japan. It was not until she visited her mother in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nongkhai that she discovered that one of the main hobbies and revenue earners for farmers’ wives after the rice-planting season was crocheting.
“Since then, I have been able to concentrate more on designing and quality control as I can leave most of the production to my hometown community in Nongkhai”, Nattanan said.
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“My crocheted bags and scarves are conceived and produced through my imagination,
love of nature and use of colours intertwined with quality local craftsmanship. Actually,
they are a great hit with the Japanese, who are my main customers,” she added.
Although Udomsak and Nattanan are only two of the 29 designers who will be showing their wares at the Young Designers Room exhibit, they represent a whole new generation of up-and-coming Thai designers. And it is thanks to the vision of Thailand’s OPDE that these young designers are being encouraged and groomed to one day proudly take their place amongst some of the best designers in the international fashion world.
In another effort to boost Thailand as Asia’s fashion hub, the Department of Export Promotion will also be organizing a “Fashion Trend Conference in Bangkok” concurrently with the BIFF&BIL 2006 events.
On September 28, 2006 from 1:00 - 4:30 p.m., the topics of the Conference will be ‘Italy: Winter and Autumn Collection 2008’, conducted by Mr. Marcello Massarente, CEO of Mitor Textile Consultancy Service, and Mr. Alberto Incanuti, Art Director, Owner and “Alberto Incanuti” brand designer, and ‘Spring Summer 08 Lifestyle Trend with Colors and Materials influences’, presented by Ms. Mary Yan Yan Chan, Director of Style, Central Ltd., the exclusive agent of Peclers Paris, France. The President of the Bangkok Fashion Society (BFS) and Creative Director of Greyhound Co., Ltd. as well as other reputable Thai designers will speak on ‘Thai Fashion Trend to Global Market’ for the September 30th Conference session from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
For more information on ‘Fashion Conference in Bangkok’, please contact DEP’s International Trade Training Institute, Tel. + 66 (0) 2512 0093 to 104 ext. 326, 359 and 662, Fax + 66 (0) 2513 1904.
For further details and pre-registration regarding BIFF&BIL 2006 in Bangkok, please visit www.thaitradefair.com , or email biff@depthai.go.th and bil@depthai.go.th
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For further information, please contact:Piyapatr Suriyasak, Suchada Termtechatipong
Tel: +66 (0) 2253 6809 – 12 Ext. 107 or 109 Fax: +66 (0) 2253 6805
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