Issue 34

Young co-founders of Thai men’s street- and urbanwear brand Q Design and Play,Praphat Somboonsittiand Ekkaphum Treechairusmee, talk about their brand and the Thai fashion industry.

How did you get into the fashion business?
PS: I studied graphic design then after I graduated I worked at Ogilvy & Mather for two years. I’ve always been interested in art but I chose fashion because I wanted to express myself.

Can you tell us a little bit about Q Design and Play?
PS: Five years ago I asked Ekkaphum to start a shop with me.
ET: We started from a shop at Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Siam Square and now we have shops at Siam Center, Zen, Siam Paragon and Emquartier [in Bangkok].

Who are your main customers?
PS: Half are Thai, half are foreigners, mostly from Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and other ASEAN countries. Asian people like our designs. They are mostly young people from high school students to first jobbers.

What is the feedback from your customers?
PS: Our customers are those who identify with our brand concept. We see Q Design & Play as an ‘Irony Boyish’ person. We like to express topics that are rarely addressed in Thailand. For example, for Fall/Winter 2014 I designed the Weird Dream collection revolving around the concept of bullying as I was bullied as a child. In another collection I used basic colors and structures because I was told that my art is terrible, so the collection was my message to them that despite that, my designs sell.

When did you become well-known?
PS: It started in 2013 when we went to Seoul Fashion Week, then in 2014 we went to the Mercedes Benz Asia Fashion Week, the Creative Expo Taiwan and earlier this year to the Paris Fashion Week, as part of the Bangkok Showroom. We’ve attended BIFF&BIL since 2014, and it was then that we gained a clearer direction for the brand and more support from the DITP. We’ll also go to MQ Vienna Fashion Week in Austria this September. We’re also one of eight designers to appear on Thailand’s Vogue Who’s On Next project this year.

What are your main export markets?
ET: Taiwan, Japan, China, Canada and Singapore. We’re trying to push our brand to sell overseas.
PS: We still want the brand to be strong in Thailand, though.

What is the strength of Thailand’s fashion industry?
PS: Thais support Thai designers. Thais consider buying clothes from Thai designers a luxury, and they love to wear what Thai celebrities are wearing.
ET: We also have good craftsmanship and our culture generally appreciates good designs.

What are your plans for 2015?
PS: We want the creative side to be stronger and create more trust with our customers. We want to become a destination for Thais and foreigners and we’re also looking into lifestyle businesses.

For more information, visit www.qdesignandplay.com