Issue 18

The textile and garment industry is one of the most significant sectors supporting Thailand’s economic development. The success of one leading company demonstrates the benefits of striking a balance between the functional and the aesthetic.

“Beauty is just following a trend but function is long lasting,” says Schle Wood-Thanan, design director of Pasaya Textile Gallery, a Thai brand with a glowing reputation for world-class designs. “We add functionality to our products by creating innovative fabrics.”

The company’s innovation has not gone unrewarded. Pasaya’s energy saving curtain was certified at the National Innovation Awards (NIAWARDS 2011) and received the Design Excellence Award (Demark 2011), while the Pasaya Rug won the Good Design Award (G-mark 2011).

Wood-Thanan says the company will focus on developing products that involve more scientific elements such as dust protection. He believes that this is the future for the industry. “The way to drive the industry is to mix science with the arts, as industry needs innovation to create new things while craft or tradition should maintain the uniqueness,” he says.

Sustainability is another key factor according to Wood-Thanan. “[Being] green …and environmentally friendly is the basic concern for entrepreneurs in developed countries,” he says, adding that it is a key concern for any entrepreneur wishing to enter the international field.

Not that Pasaya is all about functionality and the environment. Providing a sense of the exotic is key to making the brand appeal at an international level. “Our uniqueness is to make a balance between design and innovation,” says Wood-Thanan. “The way to show our Thainess is to create mood and tone in our materials, patterns and colours with the sense of a tropical country and Southeast Asian style.” He believes that this is an essential way to maintaining the brand’s long-term value.

Wood-Thanan believes that the company has a unique position in the market. “Normally, textile manufacturers would not have their own brand, on the other hand, designers would not have their own manufacturer as well,” he says. “So we position Pasaya to be a manufacturer who has its own brand and design.”

He believes that such an approach has wider ramifications for the Thai textile industry as a whole. “We have exported to ASEAN, Japan, Australia and France,” he says. “Just create a strong brand and maintain your quality through uniqueness; the market is big enough for you to explore.”

For more information, please visit www.pasaya.com

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi