OBJECT OF DESIRE

paying homage to Bulgari’s origins, rooted in Greece and enhanced by Roman culture, the Monete Regal Festa necklace with its silver tetradrachm – depicting the profile of Alexander the Great on the front cover of the boldly geometric pendant – is also a tribute to the monumental beauty of the octagonal motifs adorning the ceiling of the Basilica di Massenzio in Rome. Made of pink gold, diamonds and rubies, the pendant can be opened to reveal the entirely skeletonworked dial, featuring the refinement of its mechanism, the manufacture tourbillon caliber BVL 208.

It’s no secret that you are a big fan of Bulgari’s exceptional jewellery creations… What is it about the brand that appeals to you?

I’ve been told my luck is tied to Phya Naga (King of Nagas, a mythical serpent), and that I should pray and make offerings to it. Also, I’ve always loved jewellery and studied serpent jewellery. Serpenti was Bulgari’s first jewellery collection featuring serpents – similar to Phya Naga – so I acquired a necklace from this collection.

I began to look into the value of this Bulgari jewellery piece. As I studied it more and more, I started to fall in love with the brand and how exclusive their jewellery creations are, all of which have meticulous workmanship. I experienced firsthand the strength of the brand – wherever in the world I wore it, everyone knew what brand I was wearing.

In addition to how recognisable the brand is, I was impressed by their craftsmanship. The Serpenti bracelet, for instance, contains a Bulgari-exclusive technique that utilises a spring. I take great pride in wearing it.

Every time I attend one of Bulgari’s international jewellery launches, all the attendees are also wearing world-class jewellery pieces from Bulgari – the brand has a very good image. It truly hammers home the strength of Bulgari, and it’s something I’d never experienced before. At one of these jewellery events I also had the opportunity to meet with Bulgari’s creative director, Lucia Silvestri. We’ve since become good friends.

What do admire most about Lucia Silvestri’s work?

At first, I didn’t see why she chose to use ‘softer’ semi-precious stones. Lucia is an artist, though.

Hair salon tycoon MARK THAWIN is renowned for his whimsical fashion sense and unique style, always catching the attention of photographers at Bangkok’s most glamorous events. He’s also the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind necklace from BULGARI’S Festa high jewellery collection that’s a real show-stopper

You attended the Bulgari Festa high jewellery launch in Venice last year. What was the experience like?

When she designs a piece, she needs inspiration, she needs to be by herself, and be able to tell the story of how something was created.

It’s incredibly difficult to create valuable pieces – as art pieces – using semi-precious gemstones. She has to travel extensively to find stones with similar colours, and they can sometimes come from completely different parts of the world. She has to compete with men to procure the best stones to create these gorgeous jewellery pieces. I don’t look at the value of the stones, I look at the value of each piece – as a work of art. It made me realise all the pieces I collect are artworks in themselves.

I’m also an artist in the same way, with the art of hair. It speaks to why Mark Thawin salons have higher prices than other places. To create something beautiful for my clients, as part of being myself, I curate and select, I have to choose the best raw materials and offer the best service, so my clients have the utmost confidence.

So for jewellery, I put a great deal of value into who has made it and which brand it’s from, particularly because they use unusual creative techniques. I appreciate how they’ve curated and selected everything, and when I wear a piece I wear it with pride. The most special part of the experience was the fantastic welcome and care Bulgari gave to me and the luxury in every detail – from travel to accommodations.

As for the event, I’d never thought the launch of a jewellery collection could be similar to the launch of an apparel collection. At the launch, some pieces were one-of-a-kind, some were limited edition, and some were classic pieces.

There was also the brand loyalty of all the guests who had travelled from across the world to attend the event. Most are extremely wealthy – buying a piece was a very easy decision for them. They arrived the day before the event, promptly bought something from the new collection and wore them on the first day of the launch! The models hadn’t even shown them off on the catwalk yet.

Seeing the type of people within this exclusive Bulgari circle, I knew my decision to choose the brand was the correct one. Wearing Bulgari is a way to boost my confidence, and it’s also a collectible that will only increase in value, particularly for Bulgari pieces which appreciate by 3-5 percent every year. If I start building a collection of classic pieces now, in 10 years, they will be considered rare – and who knows how much more their value will increase?

So I’ll buy, wear them and collect these valuable pieces first. Perhaps they won’t be easy to sell, but I’m also not in a hurry – it’s a way of purchasing and collecting valuable items whose value will only increase, which means it’s a positive investment. I’ve observed jewellery auctions that have sold vintage pieces – whether Bulgari

“Being such an expensive piece of jewellery, I want to wear it often. I’m the type to wear jewellery in my everyday life anyway because I like dressing up”

or other brands – that are 4050 years old, and their prices increased a great deal.

Then, of course, there’s your latest Bulgari acquisition, the exquisite Monete Regal Festa high jewellery necklace with its secret watch… Was it at the Bulgari event in Venice that you first saw the necklace, and was it love at first sight?

The event lasted five days. I joined on the fifth day and laid eyes on this Monete Regal Festa piece, and it was like it was waiting for me – it was meant to be mine. Many guests had seen it before me, and had decided that it didn’t suit them. It’s rather long and heavy, which is perfect for men.

Actually, I had spotted two pieces. The other piece was a coin necklace with no watch. The piece I bought is decorated with an ancient Greek silver coin – a tetradrachm from Macedonia during Alexander III’S reign (336-326 BC). The necklace is decorated with diamonds, rubies and made of pink gold. It has a secret tourbillon watch inside as well, very precise and beautiful and priceless.

What event will you wear your Monete Regal Festa necklace to?

Being such an expensive piece of jewellery, I want to wear it often. I’m the type to wear jewellery in my everyday life anyway because I like dressing up. I’ll wear it to the shopping mall or going to a restaurant, or if I want to take some great Instagram photos. I don’t want to feel that I’ve spent tens of millions of Baht to simply let it lay there at home or locked up in a safe.

I want to enjoy it in my daily life, rather than wait for a special occasion. Though, really, I go to special events almost every day, so it’s normal for me to wear jewellery.

When jewellery, I choose a piece of I pick pieces that look chic, glam, that match with my outfits so I can wear them often. I get fully dressed up anyway, so it’s natural for me to wear jewellery to give me a confidence boost, and to share my appreciation with my followers on social media.

When I was younger, I bought tiny stones. As I got older, I bought larger pieces. At this point [in my life], size doesn’t matter anymore. They don’t have to be huge or overstated. It’s a matter of wearing it with appreciation and pride, and because of the strength of the brand. It gives me a sense of class and good taste. It’s jewellery with its own history, from a world-renowned brand. I don’t want the entire world to admire me. I want collectors of these items to admire the pieces, and in so doing, look up to me, because they’re something I’m proud of.