Celebration of Silk gathers diplomats
The 8th Celebration of Silk is being organised by Thailand early next month, alongside the 1st International Thai Silk Fashion Week to showcase modern and traditional Thai silk and design.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam, chairman of the event, said 48 embassies have confirmed that they will participate, with each country inviting its own top fashion designers to take part in designing and tailoring custom-made Thai silk costumes for ambassadors, their spouses and other representatives.
Thai designers will be asked to design a unique silk outfit for embassies that have no designers participating.
“This year is the first time we are promoting this event on a larger scale,” Mr Wissanu said. “Thai silk is available all over the world for fashion designers to tailor it in various styles. The number of participating countries has doubled from last year.”
Every year since 2009, the Tourist Assistance Foundation, in collaboration with members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Bangkok, has organised the Celebration of Silk project to showcase modern and traditional Thai silks and designs.
In 2017, the event invited 25 designers from around the world to Thailand. Each designer collaborated with ambassadors or spouses of ambassadors to design a unique dress in Thai silk. This unique creation was modelled by the ambassadors or spouses during the Grand Opening Fashion Show. The Thai silk dresses were put on display for public viewing at the Thai Silk Road to the World exhibition.
“This year, we are also organising the 1st International Thai Silk Fashion Week, with a total of 24 international fashion designers and 10 top Thai designers participating in this fashion event,” Mr Wissanu said. “Each designer will be showcasing a collection of up to 12 pieces of Thai silk costumes and also their own latest collections.”
All Thai silk fabrics used in this year’s project are entirely from the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand. All Thai silk fabrics from the foundation are hand-woven, and each pattern and texture is produced in limited quantities.
This year’s project is by far the biggest ever, with more than 3,500 metres of Thai silk delivered to designers in more than 40 countries.
The event features a special appearance by world-renowned designer Jimmy Choo, who will be making a pair of shoes using Thai silk from the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques to be presented at the grand opening on Dec 1 and for public viewing at the Thai Silk Road to the World exhibition during Dec 2-9.
More than 35 beauty queens from around the world will take part in this year’s fashion shows, wearing custom Thai silk dresses by designers from their own nations.
Miss Universe 2015, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines, will be in Bangkok to model for the Filipino-American designer Oliver Tolentino.