Queen Mother’s silk legacy honoured
Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya presented awards to the winners of the royal “Nariratana Rajakanya Khit Pattern” contest, a highlight of the Thai Silk Festival 2022.
For more than seven decades, the princess’s grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, has dedicated herself to continually supporting, conserving, and promoting Thai textiles. Her Majesty Queen Sirikit is a role model in using and promoting Thai textiles so local weavers can generate extra income while preserving Thai culture.
Organised by the Ministry of Interior’s Community Development Department and Ladies Association, the Thai Silk Festival 2022 honoured Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, on her 90th birthday this year.
The event showcased contemporary and traditional Thai textiles with unique patterns from four regions — North, Central, Northeast, and South — at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, on Thursday and Sunday last week.
On Saturday, HRH Princess Sirivannavari presented medals to the winners of the “Nariratana Rajakanya Khit textiles” contest and national craftsmanship.
She also presented awards to the winners of the Ministry of Interior’s project “Pha Thai Sai Hai Sanook” (Enjoy wearing Thai textiles) and “Nariratana TonKla Award”, which aims to develop Young One Tambon One Product (Otop) products.
During her time at the event, the princess also visited the exhibition to admire her royal grandmother’s efforts in preserving Thai textiles while showing her own support for the conservation and promotion of Thai craftsmanship.
She saw exhibitions about mulberry silkworms and unique Thai textiles with different patterns from the four regions.
The princess visited some 100 Otop booths, including those from the bestowed winners of the Princess Sirivannavari’s Hook Pattern (Kor) textiles, Nariratana Rajakanya Khit textiles, and other artisanal Otop medals.
Among the works included were those created by “Ajarn Tao” Taesuriya of Ban Khampun, Ubon Ratchathani province, a master artisan of Thailand, and Apichat Poolbuakai, or Headman “Ton” of Ban Non Kok, Udon Thani province. The princess also watched fashion shows of 10 well-known Thai designer brands, whose works were inspired by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, weaving Thai textiles into modern designs.
Another highlight was the showcasing of Thai couture designs by 10 leading brands — Sirivannavari Couture, Kai, Tirapan, Pichita, Pisit, Theatre, Asava, Issue, Vatit Itthi, and Wisharawish.
Inspired by the Queen Mother, Thai textiles with unique identities from the four regions were sewn into dresses of modern designs using prae wa silk, mudmee silk, Thai brocade silk, embroidered hill-tribe fabrics, Hangkrarok silk, Thai batik, indigodyed cotton, and Thai loincloth.
Suttipong Juljarern, permanent secretary for the interior, said the concept of the Thai Silk Festival 2022 is to honour the gracious devotion of the princess’s royal grandmother in developing Thai artisanal crafts and textiles to improve the quality of life among Thai citizens.
The great royal duties of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit involve developing and promoting Thai craftsmanship for sustainable employment and income, and HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya has whole-heartedly taken on the mission with the Community Development Department, Ministry of Interior, for a third year, Mr Suttipong said.
“The princess went to every region renowned for Thai textiles and craftsmanship where local citizens offered her useful insights on Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s projects during her 70-year-long royal duties,” he said.
“The princess also initiated the project “Pha Thai Sai Hai Sanook” (Enjoy wearing Thai textiles),” he said.
“After seeing that the new generation tends to perceive Thai textiles as old-fashioned for the older generation, she provided the project models, guidelines, and valuable human resources to demonstrate that Thai textiles can be designed and sewn in many styles for all ages and occasions,” he said.
“Her determination to carry on the aspirations of her royal grandmother is gracious devotion,” Mr Suttipong added.