Fashion is a form of self-expression, it tells the wearer's story. It can indicate who they are, their tastes, their ideologies and so many more social cues. For those who wish to stand out and challenge fashion and societal norms, Guru has complied a few choices.
Breaking uniforms
A graduation thesis that went viral, Post-Thesis was created to take the concept used in Tin Tunsopon's thesis further into the real world, outside the confines of an educational setting. Well into its third year, Post-Thesis poses a question about social norms through the imagery of school uniforms, presenting more variations of how people dress and break free from fashion rules, which have been passed down generations, to show a different side of what uniforms or dress codes can be.
What do you want to evoke in your buyers?
(Photos courtesy of Post-Thesis)
Tin: I want them to have fun dressing up and not think about norms. I believe fashion is a choice that you apply to your own body, which doesn't harm anyone, except maybe if your outfit has parts that are hazardous. As long as it is not literally harming anyone, it's okay by me. Even the more risqué looks don't actually hurt anyone. It's just judgement from society. Dress codes should be limited to parties among friends, and they shouldn't be allowed to become a social norm or a rule that people have to abide by.
What do social norms mean to you and your brand?
Tin: Social norms have no origin, we can't find where they came from, and even if we can, what right do they have to limit us in what we do and how we dress? But, if we're talking about establishments that impose uniforms for a certain function, I respect that. However, I do avoid being part of those places if I can. For example, there's a drag bar that doesn't allow people to wear flip-flops. Why? They come to this bar to be entertained. What harm does it do? To me, they're just judging people. What if someone has a foot problem, wears flip-flops and wants to be entertained? Should they be limited by footwear? They can wear high-heels or flip-flops; they're still them.
How does your brand challenge social norms?
Tin: I try to distort looks that people think are the norm. I make it the opposite. I ask questions. Why do student uniforms need to have puffy sleeves? Why can't males wear skirts? Can we only wear the bottom and not the top? I don't want to limit myself to school uniforms. I want to broaden my horizons to other things and let the audience comment on my work because I want to spark conversations. I don't tell people what to do, I'm just presenting my perspective. And, whatever they see, it's their right to see it that way.
Visit @Postthesis on Instagram.
Ready to love
Ready To Love, another thesis project that questions the norms and customs of Thai society, was created during the pandemic. It was born out of a confusing and insufferable time for Pawit "Veed" Prawat. His five pieces speak for themselves in terms of design, quality and storytelling to the point where it was chosen to be worn by Thai drag queen Pangina Heals. Veed's objective was to express himself and be satirical towards the problems in society through fashion.
What do you want your pieces to portray?
Veed: My five pieces are very loud because I want them to be seen clearly. They are symbolic of protest signs, in which we use large signs and big chunky letters in bold colours like red. I put in colours of the flag to represent it, the stairs are a parody of nature and when I talk about houses, I add the structure of a house. I represent the broad ideas with silhouettes and once the audiences see the silhouettes, they will want to look into the finer details through which I tell stories.
(Photos courtesy of Ready To Love)
What do social norms mean to you and your project?
Veed: I'm working on the definition of that, too. Because I did this project in an educational setting, the limit of the word social norms for my lecturers and for me may vary. For example, when I said I wanted to use colours of the national flag, they asked me not to use them, or if I used them I was asked not to put them on the train of the outfit that would be placed on the ground. I got to see that social norms are very fragile. But I don't care because I want to say what I want to say and I think that's okay.
How is your brand challenging social norms?
Veed: I challenge social norms through the concept of my work. For example, in the wedding dress, I convey that it's all right for society if a heterosexual couple gets married, but it's weird when a gay couple does. I try to challenge as much as I can. One of my pieces depicts farmers as the lowest class, office workers are the middle class and the rich at the top is symbolised by Central Embassy. I want people to know exactly what I'm thinking and what I'm trying to be satirical about. Also, I'd like to challenge the social norms of fashion in Thailand. I heard comments that it's wasteful to make larger outfits, but if they look closer at the fine print, they will see that I used deadstock fabric that would be destroyed by the factories.
Visit @smveed on Instagram.
Ensnaring the senses
During Covid when we all had time on our hands, Pongsuang "Note Dudesweet" Choop was looking to broaden his views on an art project. Art concerns the senses and he had tried them all, except for the sense of smell. Thus, Mischa Cheap perfume was born with the mission for Note to challenge himself by pushing buttons on past memories with his scent.
What do you want the perfume to evoke?
Note: When I talked to the perfumer, it was the same question. I want wearers to feel the yearning of love or first love because I wanted a fragrance that high schoolers like to wear. I wanted them to think about falling in love in a time when life wasn't so complicated.
(Photos courtesy of Mischa Cheap)
Rumour has it that you wanted the scent to smell like a prostitute. Is this true and how does that fit in?
Note: When we talk about prostitution, we're not talking about sex workers: we're actually talking about capitalism. We're all prostitutes. In Catcher In The Rye, which I was reading when I started this project, Holden Caulfield was experiencing a confusing time in his life. Just like us during Covid. He described his brother as a prostitute because his brother worked in Hollywood. Holden hated Hollywood, he hated the idea of people selling their souls in exchange for money, just like people who made movies in those times in this book. The prostitute we're talking about here concerns love. The perfume's top note is roses, which represents love. The middle note is woody, which means being together or going somewhere together. And finally, the base note is the smell of paper, symbolising money. It's like, if you do something you love, you should get paid for it, right?
What do social norms mean to this brand?
Note: Honestly, I don't know, because I've never cared what the social norms are. If I did, I'd probably commit suicide. It's more of a project that challenges myself and my limits.
How does your brand challenge social norms?
Note: I'm not sure what I'm challenging, but people usually say I tend to do what no one does. For example, making this perfume. When people make perfumes, they would usually want it to seem expensive, they would use a high-class presenter, find a high-class outlet to sell it and use costly packaging. I invested in the packaging because I wanted it to be beautiful. But I never cared to put my perfume in department stores. I am selling them at the khao geang shop in front of my house because they're easier to talk to. For a presenter, I didn't use expensive stars or influencers, I opted for Nu Rat because I like to watch her and she's cute. I don't want people to think that it's something valuable, and it's only B1,450.
Buy Mischa Cheap on Shopee and at Kru Pu Aharn Tai shop Aree 1.
Magical fantasies
Stylist Pornsuda "Lookpla" Wanikorn and her business partner decided to create a brand that shows women's bodies through clothing designs. They founded the brand Magic Pssy, under the concept "Be A Fantasy" to send a message that the women who wear their clothes are magical in their own way. Their mission is to inspire women and make them feel unique and beautiful.
(Photos courtesy of Magic Pssy)
What do social norms mean to this brand?
Lookpla: I see it as a system society has set up to tell people what is right or how things should be. For me, this can change at any time, because human consumption behaviour changes with time and place. Everyone should be accepted with that difference. I think today, fashion does not serve just as clothing, I see it as another way to present the identity and thoughts of the wearer.
How does your brand challenge social norms?
Lookpla: We must accept that part of society still judges women for dressing provocatively. This is very challenging for the brand in terms of business. We always discuss the fact that humans should be able to be themselves in the way they want to be, if it's not harming anyone. No matter what style women represent, they can look good in their own way as long as their happy. We want our brand to be part of that.
Find them on Instagram @magicpssy and Lazada.
Genderless upcycling
After finishing apprenticeships in Italy in 2017, Adireg "Adi" Comenoi was filled with ideas and created Adi with materials he found in secondhand markets. He made his Thailand debut during Bangkok International Fashion Week 2018 with the mission to reduce waste caused by the fashion industry. He focuses on recycled items, secondhand clothing and deadstock fabric and designs genderless clothing.
What do you want to evoke in your buyers?
Adi: I appreciate people who decide to buy my clothes because they care for design, they understand the pieces. Instead of seeing it as a fashion trend that they need to buy, they know its story and appreciate it. My clothes aren't really based on trends, they're inspired by what I like. Most of my customers are part of the new generation with their own identities and I want them to feel outstanding when they wear my clothes.
(Photos courtesy of Adi)
(Photos courtesy of Adi)
What do social norms mean to this brand?
Adi: When we talk about fashion in our country, we think of things reproduced from generation to generation that have not changed. But because times have changed, I think it's time to give way to the new with fresh ideas to present things differently in terms of what constitutes looking expensive, the concept of being traditional, using imported materials or even doing away with gender norms.
How does your brand challenge social norms?
Adi: I try not to follow any fashion brands. I've been in the fashion industry for more than 10 years. I see that it's such a wasteful industry that creates a facade of luxury. I try not to follow those steps. I try to use things that people deem trash, adapt them and add value. Some people might not think it's fashion because to them, fashion might be materials imported from France or high brands. So, I try to challenge that and open the space for people who really appreciate my work.
Visit adi-studio.com and @adistudios_ on Instagram.
The villians
Since Cherapuk "Morphine" Cheravattana was young, she's been a fan of Disney movies; her favourite characters being the villains in the fairy tales. She adopted their style into her own and created Morph8ne, which was also born out of her love for gothic and punk clothing. Her designs raised many eyebrows and sparked even more questions, so her mission is to allow people to take pieces from her brand, adapt them into their everyday lives and erase those questions.
What do social norms mean to this brand?
Morphine: There are no social norms for our brand at all. Because I've been judged since I was young, I wanted to give people the space to not be judged. It's almost like a reflection of myself, actually. At the same time, because I've been judged so much, I don't want to judge anyone even those who follow social norms. Personally, I am indifferent to social norms, they make me feel nothing, no excitement. Social norms are like the heroes and heroines of Disney cartoons, but my brand is like the villains.
(Photos courtesy of Morph8ne)
(Photos courtesy of Morph8ne)
How does your brand challenge social norms?
Morphine: I just want to present another choice for the people if they want to have a space to be themselves. It's an open space for everyone.
Visit @morph8ne_official on Instagram and morph8ne.com.
Heidi's secret
Thytatratchaphum "Timmy" Naratjaroonsub was only 25 and fresh out of fashion school when he opened a clothing store at Siam Square. He made party dresses for women under the brand Heidi's Secret for 10 years until 2015. With the rise of social media, he couldn't adjust to having a shop and paused his fashion career for two years before rebranding Heidi's Secret. Today, Heidi's Secret is genderless and rebellious. His mission is to break all boundaries and produce clothes that anyone can wear without any gender, size, or age identification; to erase social norms that state what beauty is, what is big or small and what fashion is for genders.
What do you want to evoke in your buyers?
Timmy: The only thing I want them to feel is confidence without worrying about how they look. When I designed it, I had this intention and it pretty much came out the way I wanted it to. When I see people wearing my clothes, I feel very proud that this is their chosen item. When I design a lace top, my question was, 'Why can't men wear lace?' so I tried to make it into a shirt that men can wear and feel confident in, even heterosexual men. I'm delighted with it.
(Photos courtesy of Heidi’s Secret)
What is the meaning of social norms for this brand?
Timmy: Heidi's Secret is not trying to erase social standards or norms. We're trying to present new norms or new ideas to society. I want to change what people say looks good on a specific gender, size or age. I want to set new standards, a broader standard. When I'm asked what my target audience is, I say my clothes are for everyone. I'm also trying to make it more sustainable because my pieces are classic, you don't need to buy many, just a few is enough.
How are you challenging social norms?
Timmy: What I'm doing is tearing away the frames of social norms and presenting new things for society to see that there are no limits to anything.
Check out @heidisecret on Instagram and at The Wonder Room, Siam Center.
