Tag Archives: K and I

Tawn’s Collection: K and I Spring Summer 2012

Posted on by
Reply

As I had mentioned in a previous entry, Tawn had the good fortune to be invited by Khun Kai, owner of Thailand’s longest running couture house, to design the Spring/Summer 2012 collection for his streetwear label, K and I.  After nearly a month of frantic work, the 48 looks were presented on Saturday October 7 at Bangkok International Couture Fashion Week, sponsored by Harper’s Bazaar.

a13
a2 a5

Behind the scenes, Tawn adjusts the fit of one of the finale dresses on his model.  A group shot of his models, one of whom used to be the tenant of the second condo we now own.  Below are the 48 looks, roughly in the order in which they appeared on the runway.  The only comment I’ll provide in advance is that Tawn designed the outfits, but collaborated with Khun Kai on the selection of fabrics (Kai does a lot of lace).

002 003 006

03 004 005

007 008 010

011 012 014

017 019 021

022 024 029

035 039 040

043 045 030

046 048 051

053 056 057

058 059 063

065 070 067

072 074 073

077 076 075

080 081 083.jpt

086 088 093

a7

Tawn walks down the runway with a model who is wearing his final look, a beautiful lace dress with body suit.  K and I’s mother brand, Kai, is famous for its elegant lace and custom bridal gowns. 

P1170437

Afterwards, Tawn stopped for interviews with several journalists.  I’m looking forward to the next round of magazines to see what the critics have to say about his collection.  The next step is to translate these designs into actual rack-ready garments.  At the same time, Tawn is finalizing his first collection of his eponymous brand, Tawn C.  The photo shoot is Monday and hopefully those will be ready for production soon, too.

It was less than a year and a half ago when Tawn decided to go part-time with his job in Public Relations and follow his passion, starting with attending fashion design classes.   He has had some amazing breaks and I’m proud, too, of all the hard work he has put into this.  Without a doubt, he has much more passion for this line of work!

Tawn’s Big Break

Posted on by
Reply

Since we returned from our vacation to Los Angeles this past June, Tawn has been in the process of designing and producing his initial collection of women’s wear.  It has been a challenge and an adventure as he locates vendors, deals with problems anticipated and unanticipated, and learns about how a fashion business is run.

P1170227

They say that success is a combination of talent, lots of hard work, and a dose of good luck.  Right now, we’re at a point on the road to Tawn’s dream of being a successful fashion designer where those three factors are coming together.  It is a point that, years from now, we may look back on as the critical break that altered the course of his career.

A month ago, Tawn had the opportunity to meet Khun Kai, the man who established the first haute couture brand in Thailand some forty years ago.  He continues to produce elegant dresses and wedding gowns that are highly sought-after.  While helping a friend shop for her wedding gown, Tawn introduced himself to Khun Kai and inquired if he might consider taking Tawn as an intern.  Initially, Khun Kai said he was not interested in having an intern. 

A week later, though, Tawn received a call and was invited to Khun Kai’s studio.  Starting the next day, Tawn listened as Khun Kai shared his insights on the fashion industry in Thailand and the challenges of running your own design studio.  The day after that, Khun Kai explained that he was looking for a designer to help produce the Spring/Summer 2012 collection for “k and i”, Kai’s streetwear brand.  Introduced two seasons ago, k and i has yet to establish a solid identity and find its market. 

Tawn

Out of the blue, Khun Kai asked Tawn to design that Spring/Summer collection for k and i.  Returning home that evening, Tawn was understandably excited and a little stressed by the challenge.  He worked late into the night, creating a mood board to capture his overall design inspirations for the collection and then sketched 48 rough looks to articulate how he thought k and i could best fit into the market.

With some feedback, Khun Kai approved the looks and after he and Tawn chose various fabrics, his in-house team of seamstresses began preparing prototypes.

Kai

The collection will show, along with Khun Kai’s “Kai” couture line, October 8 at Bangkok International Couture Fashion Week, sponsored by Harper’s Bazaar magazine. This is a particular honor as only four other brands will be featured, all of whom are well-established here in Thailand. As Tawn explained, these are brands he shopped when he was growing up, so to appear on the same stage as them is a rare privilege.

As you can imagine, Tawn is honored, excited, and quite anxious right now.  While 48 looks have been completed, he continues to edit and make adjustments and is now working with stylists to help produce the look and the feel of the show.  As for me, I receive a near-daily update on the experiences of working with a legend and the interesting dynamics that entails.

Of course, I’m very proud of Tawn, thankful that he has be given this opportunity, and look forward to sharing the collection with you in the near future.