Disaya Desire

The Finale show of Elle Fashion Week was Disaya . . .there is no doubt of course my loyalty to this brand, especially as Eddy (my ex-assistant/head designer) is now working there, designing for the one-of-a-kind extremely talented Creative Director, Disaya. Eddy herself, is a rare bird, from the days of nsha to now Disaya, she is raw talent. Full stop. Truth be told though, it is the strength of their team, having dealt with everyone from PR to designer that makes the brand. I love Disaya's work pre-Ed of course, but now, the silhouettes are now more streamlined, more layered and nuanced, more mysterious, more architectural and has me converted,fully.

Disaya is 5th to the left and Eddy is 2nd

This season, AW 10, (Elle Fashion Week is a trunk show) to me, is about metamorphosis from bunny to black panther, from day-to-night, from demure lady to femme fatale in the most seamless and elegant way. I would confirm that this is no bluff on the part of their marketing director that it is about transition as it was Disaya who dressed me from NY to Paris to Pusan and it was pretty seamless as I was truly able to move from day to night, and feel extremely comfortable doing so. They are clothes that enable one to still be oneself, not revealing too much at first sight, but just enough and that is in the detail and really only when one moves.

To me this was Bunuel's Belle de Jour, it was Catherine Deneuve dressed by Yves Saint Laurent, and one is not quite sure if the woman is a doll or vixen or both. The colour palette moved from a snowy grey to a slate, to plum, to fuschia, to turqouise and back to black and cream. We always believed that coulour needs to tell a story, Ed and I used to spend hours trying to name the colours that we would use from the Pantone chart and at the end be pleasanly surprised that the actual names fit our moods and the theme. This to me was the case with this collection, it was balanced. The snow was a nice touch. I cannot help but think of Catherine Deneuve going to that manor in the middle of nowhere in that cape in that movie, tragically beautiful, asking for trouble.

A definite move into the future for me and assurance that there is a future is the way that the references did come through and a pastiche was created where one could see bits from Disaya's archives and techniques are also mixed and matched to create something distinct. Fashion does not exist in a vacuum for anyone, clothes are to be worn and what this collection was to me was testement from a Thai brand which is truly international that it can be thoughtful and subtle yet sell. This makes sense. Lastly, what was great with the collection is that it saves enough room for the woman to make up her own story and her own mind, I am not entirely sure, as gorgeous as she was that I would want to be stuck one-on-one with a Japanese sumo wrestler-type as Catherine Deneuve was in Bunuel's story.

48 hours in Pusan

The Pusan International Film Festival is the biggest film festival in Asia, it is also in its' 15th year and has always been fertile ground for Thai independent film makers, the visionary founder Kim Dong Ho always a big supporter of Thai talent. We had spoken some time ago to Aditya Assarat and Pichai Chirathivat the executive producer for the former's film Hi-So which would be screening for the first time in Pusan to do a big alternative Thai party . . .the big party did not happen but instead I was flown out last minute to organise a small private dinner for the crew and their friends and supporters. Hereforth, my 48 hour adventure in Pusan and the Hi-So dinner.

sunrise at Incheon en route to Pusan

Honestly, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, I was told that there would be lots of screenings and lots of Soju, and a beach. What I did not expect were activities all around the place and a lovely seaside town with multiple containers as a structure which serves as a striking Pavillion for the PIFF. A lovely meeting point where Vitamin Water is there to cure all ailments from hangovers, to jet-lag to pure film viewing fatigue.

Korean beef at Hauendae market

P'Jeab, Ananda's manager took care of me and her uber-assistant Fiw. . . like all festivals and fashion weeks, the sleeping situation required some planning, on 3 hours' notice, there was not much planning time for me . . . thank goodness for Lee, P'Ping and P'Tongdee who saved me from squatting in a love motel.

My day was spent location hunting in lieu of watching films (very sad I did not get to see Karn's Eternity). . . I was introduced to a cool Korean producer, Hyung Joon who took me around and we even went to the lighthouses.

The evening took a lovely turn as I was adopted by Lee and his festival family and taken to dinner . . . so delicious

Fern with Ming Lee and another Malaysian director

followed by karaoke . . .the highlight being P'Juke's SOLO performance of Air Supply and later the males singing another Air Supply song (I had to step outside as it was a defo slit one's wrist moment) . . .

a table full of empty bottles later and 2 hours of (bad) singing was very very fun. I suppose like fashion week, film is so intense and there has to be some kind of outlet . . . and drinking soju at the Pusan Film Fest is obviously one. (it is a fashion week without heels basically, with more talking, less dancing, and potentially even more alcohol though the latter is debatable).

P'Ping, Karn (Eternity director), Anka and Christophe from Berlinale

Yuni and P'Juke

Lee

Outside of Karaoke

I passed a bondage Hello Kitty on the way home.

pink strip bar

Korean food is unique . . . apart from the fact that I cannot read anything that I am ordering and am obliged to just eat, it is rather scrumptious.

Pusan is also home to the largest department store in the world, Shinsegae that is where I watched Hi-So . . .

Shinsegae also where movies screened

The only film I got to watch was Hi-So. . . I liked it a lot - it was different, the first half nostalgic with billowing vistas and rather romantic colours, so calm it was almost hypnotic. . . it was the second half though, the lead actress full of passion and cheekiness, Ananda, though playing himself, a rather quirky version of himself was fantastic (in way the 2 halves balanced each other). In a way the film spoke a language not often told of what it feels like to be local yet international and exist without ever feeling like one is part of anything or any place yet being able to just "be". It was funny to see myself for 10 seconds too. The Q and A was great, good questions by the Koreans. And having watched the film for the first time, I am really happy that I am involved and felt rather honoured that they are letting me throw them their dinner.

Our Dinner was after Thai Night (weird party) and at the Paradise Hotel in the Japanese restaurant, Sakae . . . it was a proper sit down for 26 which got loud in true thai style, Aditya's speech had a one-liner worthy of being published (It is not money, it is freedom which is most valuable which P'Teng gave to us). 9ent came and filmed it interviewing some guests. It was fun to see Thais and Koreans and those not yet acquinted meeting. I think that is the whole point of dinner - tummies are filled and one has a good time, celebrating something definitely worth celebrating.

Then on to another party then more karaoke and then finally what became my favourite little watering hole in the wall called Minami. Met some interesting film festival personalities, there is quite a bit of integrity there I would say. For sure.

Our plans of a morning run on the beach and watching a last movie could not fight the late night soju and beers . . . Bibimbap saved me and a last walk along the boardwalk leaving Lee and Tongdee at a meeting for Past Love as I got on the airport Limo en route home concluded my 48 hours in Pusan.

My 3 hour layover in Incheon was made pleasant by a Bugolgi burger . . .and finally hitting Thai soil, all I could think was thank goodness for art fairs, music fests, fashion weeks and film festivals. I also love the whole creators in their element factor, the often sombre and serious auteurs having fun is definitely good for their health. As I have my little fashion week family, they have their film fest ones. Exhausting as they may be . . .they feed you with not only enough food and alcohol to last you a month of abstinance but food for thought and introduction to characters and experiences one would not otherwise have.

Paris Fashion Week SS 11 by NIGHT

As the sun sets upon the city of light . . . that is really when it all begins . . .well, when the party begins at least, not only are the days fully charged, the nights are even more so . . . the only impediment to anybody's enjoyment is how wretched it is to find a taxi. Now combine that with the fact that as a woman, it is the regle du jeu to galavant around the city in towers, literally.

Could not help but think that this season it was all about the music . . .might as well be called SS 11 x gigs as there were a fair few . . .there was a jubilant vibe about it all season and fun it defimitely was. Thank goodness the Disaya pieces were super comfy, made it easy to move elegantly. . and the slit leather jacket Au sent over was perfect for the weather oh and the fact that little Yves from Boyy, though tiny, fits everything. . . what fun times, what great memories, who j'adore toujours Paris. . .day or night.

1st Night . . .Colette for the Basement Collective curated by Tom Sachs. . I loved being a "winner" and Nick Doyle's surfer painting was awesome. Rainy night - ended at Souffle then Saloni's showroom for drinks . . .jetlagged!

2nd Night - Boyy's night out . . .a private dinner for Boyy in Paris upstairs at Le Petit Thiou . . .a little intro to my friends and fashion week fam. . . to introduce Wannasiri and Jesse to the fam and also of course to celebrate the fact that their AW 11 collection is in Colette and they were showing for the first time at Doors Studios their next collection. I put my order in already. The Eddy tote in cream is sublime.

Tom Palmer of Tom Palmer Projects

Susan Bender

Alex de Betak

Jesse (of Boyy), Dawn and Sam, Angela and Caroline Gaimari

3rd night - Dinner with my old friend A and the Disaya/Only Son crew. The Palais de la Decouverte where OLT went to space, OC and Maison Michel at Montana with Pete Doherty, Givenchy secret bday party for Maria Carla and little concert by Courtney Love. Carla through SUCH an amazing party at Givenchy and Olympia really confirmed that I should have persued my childhood ambition of being an astronaut. We missed the blockbuster Duran Duran gig at Fendi in lieu of Montana before it got nuts.

Au of The Only Son

4th Night - Jean Nouvel's H and M . . .then art dinner then NY NY . . .no pics . . .sorry . .

5th (and last night in Paris) - Africa Rising exhibition by Vuitton with Cleo as dj, Bono and Angelique Kidjo. Amazing and inspiring exhibition . . . Paris loves NY by V at Printemps with Courtney Love (again) and Lady Bunny . . . late night dins at the Costes and finally, HOME . .