“I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT I’M MORE THAN JUST THIS WORD – ‘PRINCESS’. I HAVE OTHER ROLES AND FACETS”
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana
PHOTOGRAPHER VATCHARASITH WICHYANRAT
STYLIST JIRAWAT SRILUANSOI
STYLIST’S ASSISTANTS PANCHANITCH RATTANAWILAI AND CHARINTIP NAKGLUM
MAKEUP ARTIST PUVASA PORNTHAMACHAT
HAIR STYLIST SOMPORN TIRIN
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR RATTANACHAI CHAIPOR NSANTIKUL
The last time Prestige spoke to HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, she hadn’t yet crossed the threshold of turning 30. Nor had her father – His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayav arangkun,rama X – become the sovereign of Thailand yet.
It has been three years this month and much has changed. Or rather, much has been heightened.
It is a familiar scene. HRH Princess Sirivannavari is perched sideways in a chair, having her makeup done. Nearby is a tiny ball of quivering fluff – “Nice”, her new Yorkshire Terrier puppy. “She is named after the southern French city, but she’s definitely all Thai,” quips the Princess.
A makeup artist fastidiously grooms her brows; a faint thumping beat is heard through speakers; the buzz of a fan somewhere in the private villa at luxury boutique hotel The Siam provides a serene wash of white noise for our conversation.
Outside in the gorgeous courtyard, the air is heavy with moisture, the sky is an exuberant blue. Anxious attendants, security teams and hotel staff keep a watchful eye on the doors leading to her chambers.
In contrast, HRH is at ease. By now she is very well-versed in photoshoots and interviews, and it’s business as usual here. She has been receiving more praise from international press in particular. One recent UK headline posited, “Is Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana the most talented royal in the world?” (Answer: Quite likely).
Always a stunning figure on the global scene, respected (and decorated) for her sports acuity in badminton and horse riding, and drawing critical praise from fashion industry insiders for her designs, HRH Princess Sirivannavari’s stature has only been elevated.
For one, she has recently received the prestigious Silpathorn Award by the Culture Ministry’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, the same entity that awards National Artist accolades, the highest official title given to Thai artists. (This Silpathorn Award is specifically for those in mid-career, whereas National Artists generally have several decades of work behind them.) HRH’S recognition in the field of design was a carefully considered affair by a group of respected academics, art critics and artists. (The exhibition dedicated to this year’s Silapathorn Award winners ends early September).
“I’m delighted and honoured to have received this award. It’s something I’m very proud of and I’m touched. Some people say I should’ve gotten something ‘more’, but actually, for me, at my age and at this stage of my career, I’m extremely honoured by this. It’s motivation for me to keep going,” she humbly says.
In fact, this award was a long time coming.
In 2009, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Chulalongkorn University, majoring in Fashion Design and minoring in Western European History and Theory. This was followed by a certificate from Paris’s Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, one of the best schools in the world to study fashion.
Her debut (as a guest designer) in Milan Fashion week in August 2004 was quickly followed by fullfledged collections in 2005 and 2006 at Bangkok Fashion Weeks.
Her first Paris Fashion Week reveal of “Presence of the Past”, at legendary designer Pierre Balmain’s invitation, just three years after appearing as a participant in Milan, firmly established her as a thoughtful designer with a deeply-held
appreciation for the heritage and history of fashion. She has since followed up with several other collections, infusing both historic techniques and Thai textiles into her designs. Her Royal Highness is frequently spotted in the front rows of Paris Fashion Week runway shows, snapped by photographers eager to capture her distinctive sense of style.
Her most recent collection is a combination of romance, history and heartache. “Horse, Helen & Henri” is a stunning story of a young couple separated by conflict in a war-torn countryside during the world wars. Lace and cascades of ruffles are complemented by the era’s silhouettes, with touches of the military (which she has executed beautifully in the past).
“It began with a poem I wrote. It’s set between World War I and World War II. The hero is a horse rider in Europe, who gets injured and meets a girl, who nurses him back to health. It’s a love story with a happy ending,” she smiles.
Romance, military and historic themes are something she’s often played with. But her fashion sense extends to her childhood. Even in her youth, HRH saw the world through the lens of design and fashion, often mentioning her grandmother Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s love of Thai textiles and silk as an early source of inspiration.
“What I like about being a designer? I enjoy researching something I’m interested in. I
“If you want to succeed, you must keep learning every single day”
enjoy utterly dedicating myself, discovering things and learning more. Second, I also enjoy patternmaking, making my own moulage and drafting the patterns. Making the drawings myself, too, not just fashion sketches. Sketching the textiles. Going from my first design, from the idea stage and before it gets expanded upon... looking at textiles. These are my favourite parts,” the fashion school graduate says.
Her Royal Highness has long also proven her dedication to athletics, gaining renown in two particular fields: horse riding and badminton. Her badminton skills at international level competitions (including Southeast Asian Games) have garnered medals, even as a teenager and in her 20s. Besides many dressage and other equestrian accolades, she has also earned the Certificate of Horse Riding Trainer from Formation of International Riders Ecole Nationale de’equitation, Saumer, France.
Nowadays she continues to be active, though she recently is concentrating even more on equestrianism, training intensely in high levels of dressage competitions (Prix St George and Intermediate).
“This is the end of the competition season – any other competitions are the more minor ones in Europe [beginning next year]. I’ll also be training. In fact, two of the horses are set to ‘holiday’ here in Thailand – and there’s the Princess Cup this season, you might be able to see them,” HRH Princess Sirivannavari says.
The Princess Cup is another favoured event for the Princess, and she has promoted two awards (for farriers and groomers) to encourage the art.
“Farriers aren’t just putting metal on the hooves of horses. For horses, their hooves are like their shoes... they’re like people – they might have different shapes or angles to their hooves, and they might need to be corrected. We must learn about horse anatomy, because doing this wrong will injure the horse or affect the horse’s nerves... it helps both the horses and the others in the team,” she says.
“I want others to learn about techniques from the West, because horse riding isn’t originally part of Thai culture.” She explains that horse riding is in fact a team effort. “Serena Williams – she has coaches, physical therapists, and more, it’s a team. Horse riding is just like that,” she says passionately. More than that, she has advice for any young people wanting to learn how to ride horses.
“First of all, the most important thing to do – you must love animals. No need to expect anything else – love and cherish them. Take an interest. Try it out, and learn the fundamentals. From there, if you want to get serious about it, it’s another story. But love must come first. Love for the sport, and love for trying and experimenting,” she advises.
Beginning next year, the Princess has a busy schedule indeed for horse riding. Each month entails at least two competitions in her schedule, and in a single year she competes at least 10 times throughout Europe.
As for which of her several horses are her favorite, she politely demurs. “I love all of them!” she smiles. “I ride Prince Charming the most frequently, though.”
With the recent accolades and
“I want the world to know that I’m more than just this word – ‘princess’. I have other roles and facets”
attention from foreign press, HRH Princess Sirivannavari has given plenty of thought as to her role on the world stage.
“I want the world to know that I’m more than just this word – ‘princess’. I have other roles and facets. I perform my duties as a fashion designer to the utmost, and have never neglected this role,” she says.
“Success, that could happen quickly... but longevity? That’s the key. This is difficult,” she says, speaking about what designers need to succeed. “How can you make sure this is for the longterm? That’s what you must focus on. If you want to succeed, you must keep learning every single day. With each season, you learn what you need to correct or improve upon. You don’t just declare yourself successful.
“As long as you live, you must continue to strive to learn. And a fashion designer must be determined and have confidence in their abilities and believe in themselves,” she says.
We ask her about her time abroad, in beloved France and glamourous Paris, as a fashion designer and what it’s like. She is clearly used to the question, and dismisses the idea of a glamourous, life of ease abroad.
“It’s crystal clear to me what my duties are, even when abroad... I have my royal duties, my personal work, like my brand. I meet up with friends and other fashion figures,” she says. “That’s really all there is to it. There isn’t anything luxurious or glamourous. Anywhere I am, I am a Thai person,” she affirms.
This is much confirmed by the people closest to her – they speak of her incredible work ethic, dedication to training, and her long hours.
During much of her answers, she carefully considers her words. Now, we ask her about her thoughts on Thai designers and the international community, and her words umble forth, her passion evident. It’s clearly something she has long wished to express.
“This is something the international community needs to know: we Thais have great resources and creative people. Talented people. We have excellent makeup artists and hair stylists, we have great tools and techniques. Even if we aren’t often mentioned or promoted on the world stage, we have all that anyone else outside of Thailand has. We do it all and we do it well,” she says.
With that, the makeup artist finishes the final flourish of her eyebrows. Little “Nice”, her new puppy, has fallen asleep, as has one of her other Yorkies. The loudspeakers, previously faintly in the background, has also stopped playing music a while ago.
Looking outside, the sun is bright. The threat of rain has passed, and attendants outside the room are just as abuzz as before.
We thank Her Royal Highness, and take our leave from her peaceful, colourful chambers, exiting the eye of a powerful storm.
“A fashion designer must be determined and have confidence in their abilities and believe in themselves”