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.

Bon Voyage. . .

said Grey Goose Vodka to me for I recently won this trp which is part of their World's Best Journeys campaign. Many have wondered how on earth I won this 7 day extraganza - well, I simply registered after the last party they had which was this big black tie thing. A couple months later, on the morning that I returned from Coachella. . . I received a phone call from P'Moe, the Senior Brand Manager of Grey Goose who said "congratulations" and at that point I was yet able to put together that I had won this trip. The trip is a 7 day extravaganza which Quintessentially would facilitate which includes a stay at the Plaza Athenee, a private tour of the Louvre, chef's table at Alain Ducasse, dinner at Nomiya, a stay at the La Prairie spa, a visit to the Chanel No. 5 factory in Grasse, a little cruise on the French Riviera before returning back to bkk (and hopefully some time to spend with my peeps seeing as it is Couture week after all) - I am told these are just highlights. I was actually on skype with Lynn when I received the phone call so I really could not get away with not taking her with me - then again, she is also like my little sister.

What is even more intersting is after speaking to P'Moe, it became apparent that she is keen to do get something started . . . seeing as this will be all about art, fashion, a certain lifestyle that very much takes seriously the New Order . . .let's see what we will be able to do together. The other night was a start, Grey Goose threw me a rather large Winner's Party, big certainly as it was at Falla Bella. What was fabulous and well, really made it rather a special night were all my friends who showed up and really stayed and suffered the next day or the other friends who have long retired from going out and made special appearances (you know who you are). Thank you! (will post proper pics of us somewhere soon in cyberspace).

Albert and I

They made me a special cocktail called Femme Fatale which had lychee and strawberries and of course vodka, fuschia in colour and the first to go. I LOVED how Maft Sai brought something different to Falla Bella, especially that he put on Sylvia Striplin - Can't Turn me . Then we moved our friends inside to Monkey bar. . . that's when Lynn took over . . .

Grey Goose love

Lynn and I

Especialy loved how there was nowhere I could look once we entered Monkey Bar where it it was not a friend :) . . .

Jeed

Aom, Ed, Me

Ploi and Eddy

Of course the Disaya crew were there in full force, my ex assistant is now designing at there with Aom or Disaya. She is a genius (they both are). My 1940's dress with the hair was courtesy of her, and the contrasting Hope Graf bracelet. I love. I also want to look like that always but that would take far too much work ;)

high lights were Joe Le Taxi and Surfin' USA, it also be Vudi's bday and Pette's performance on the pool table.

Lee and I

To think and this is only the beginning. . .

Follow Me to the Stars - Disaya A/W 09

Last week was Bangkok Elle Fashion Week which unlike the shows in New York, London,Paris and Milan which are a season ahead, this was more of a showcase for Thai designers and a lovely social affair.

The highlight for me without any doubt was Disaya, her show called Celestial Goddess . . . inspired by the stars and the galaxy.  

The mood was definitely sombre, a stark contrast to last season's happy smiley faces yet the cheeky elegance and subtle sophistication of the Disaya girl remained - this time as a princess of the stars.  

It was smokey in its palette, the dull matte tones highlighted with diamante, rivets, embroidery and in some parts the most intricate crochet work, cut out flowers and the silver chain belts reminiscent of Princess Leia and at the same time a Siamese lady warrior from the past.  The darkness was sometimes highlighted with the odd fuschia. 

 A focus on tailoring and also on draping. . . More about what you can't see.  I liked the navy with black, and grey with brown, navy and more sparkle. 

I adored the Follow Me star print (seen above as a blur) - and how she manipulated the printed chiffon, a murky blue with off white stars and the zodiac.  The very high gladiators made the girls more fierce, I personally would not always pair them together but it completes that statement which she would like to speak and it is one of strength and the search for a new frontier.

I want to buy this dress, long black satin silk piece with just enough sheer , just enough pearls spoke very clearly about where this girl is going and where she has been.  

 

And of course the white crochet that sparkles the way the stars do. 

Disaya (Aom)is unique as a designer, her designs are as subtle as she is and just as cheeky yet at the same time extremely elegant and its complex. She does speak a language where less is more, the clever structures and simple lines allowing for clever detail and a certain strong feminine touch and a story to be conveyed.  Here we were taken along with her to her childhood obsession with the stars and the galaxy in a coherent, together collection and as much as I love yellow smiley faces, I do prefer the stars and shall definitely be following her to the store very soon.

Note the woman putting her hand up on teh other side - at Elle Fashion Week - photos are STRICTLY forbidden, for what reasons I am not sure as with the lights that shine on teh runway and at first row - flash is unnecsary anyway.  These are moonshine, smuggled pictures so do excuse the quality . . .I hope you do get an idea though.