Sawadekaaaaa...
VOGUE has just landed in one of the most beaauutiful country in the world, my neighbour, Thailand! Far from the sneak peek, the cover is indeed very much more so Thai. Featuring a head piece called chada, created by terrific Phillip Treacy, the cover is a stand out among the magazines at news-stand, so shining like looking directly to the sun.
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I like the fact that the Vogue letters are not covered by anything. When I buy Vogue copy, I want to read Vogue, and not VO UE, V GUE, or something else, because model's head or hat blocks it.
And the tag word? INSPIRATION. What a brilliant choice, since Vogue has been inspiration for more than a century. Vogue offers fresh ground-breaking ideas with the work of most prominent artisans, writers, photographers all around the world, creating and inspiring people to create a beautiful world. And the spirit of Vogue Thailand to bring up the local designers is such a good example of inspiration.
Phillip Treacy with his creation, a Thai chada, as worn on the cover
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Well, after a lot of hard work to give birth this baby, Vogue Thailand team has come up with something good for the region, even though, like me, you don't speak the language.
Limited insiders-only edition of Vogue Thailand, which I think waayyy better than the issue for public.. I want ONE!
The man behind all this style bible, Kullawit Laosuksri, had been the helm of Elle Thailand before, and several times I bought Elle Thailand, I kinda have a high expectation for his Vogue début. Especially because it's Vogue we're talking about. And he KILLED it. He did a remarkable work, that the magazine is sold out everywhere in news-stand (they aren't gonna sell it on eBay for $40 apiece, right?), and good critics come up.
But there's one thing that I disagree about his words in recent interview with The Nation Thailand, when he says that bloggers (me included) "..should be knowledgeable and not just dress up and get a front-row seat at a fashion show and then post their opinion online." First, I read. Not cheesy celebrity tabloids, but fashion-related real books like Fashion Communication, Classy by Derek Blasberg, Memoir by Grace Coddington, Coco Chanel by Justine Picardie, or way far for glitterati like Globalization Unmasked: Imperialism in the 21st Century by James Petras and Henry Veltmeyer. Secondly, I don't just dress up. Most of my outfits (like the one I wore to attend Oscar Carvallo's couture show) was made by my dress makers. I picked the fabrics and materials (oh I love the 7 different strings; gold, black, silver, blood-red, etc., the ribbons and crystals and the beads), I designed it, and I got those outfits made for me. So basically I'm involved in every process, including 3 times fitting and embroidery control. So I don't JUST dress up. Thirdly, getting a front row is not a guarantee for a blogger. Sometimes we should do a particular approach which requires brain-squeezing and sweat-dropping. And the last, of course we post our opinions online. We are bloggers. Where else then? But to be noted, when most bloggers will say Oh-I-Love-them-all and Oh-I-Want-It-All, I did once criticized Chanel show, and recently, the Oscar Carvallo's show, due to a falling beads and strings from a dress. I write what I think, like it or hate it, with a base that I do care. Because I love about it and want it be better next time, with or without reading my criticism.
But over all, even though he's not the first editor in chief of Vogue magazine (Michel de Brunhoff was the Vogue Paris magazine's editor-in-chief from 1929 until 1954), he definitely will bring a breath of fresh air in south-east Asia.
Once again, congratulations, Thailand. You're such a lucky bitch to have Vogue on your yard.
Signorefandi, I envy you so much, Thailand!