Saner Lohvitee is a military-uniform buff. A graduate of Silpakorn University, the 39-year-old has crafted a trade around his personal passion and now specialises in dressing up military types _ from Burmese generals and American snipers to die-hard hit squads and the occasional colonel _ and all for the sake of cinema. His latest job was on the French-made Aung San Suu Kyi biopic The Lady; in that film, which was shot almost entirely in Thailand, Saner was responsible for clothing the entire Myanmar army, from lowly privates to the top brass.
Saner Lohvitee
Before The Lady, Saner also fashioned uniforms for a number of foreign TV commercials that were filmed here, including a Coke Zero spot for broadcast in Denmark and an LG television ad aired in South Korea. Some years back he won a Subannahongsa Award _ the highest honour bestowed by the domestic film industry _ for costume design in the Thai movie Sua Jone Pan Sua. In addition to his work as a costumier, Saner is also an expert on props _ items and decorative objects created especially for the shooting of TV adverts and films _ and his work appears on local television all the time.
His is another case of a person lucky enough to be able to turn a hobby into a livelihood. And if dressing up people as soldiers sounds like the ultimate expression of machismo, it's interesting to note that Saner is also an expert tailor: he often has to make costumes by hand, using the sewing machine set up in his workshop. Weaving back and forth, concentrating fiercely on his sewing, the man's not much of a talker, but let's hear what he has to say now.
How did you first get into working with military uniforms?
It's always been a personal interest of mine. I collect military books and memorabilia because there's a certain aesthetic and historical appeal to them. I'm a graduate from the Faculty of Fine Arts.
I started out working as a prop-maker _ making models for commercials. I never thought I'd be able to make a living from my knowledge of military history.
When you're given a new assignment, how do you carry out the research?
It used to be picture books; there are a lot of magazines devoted to military stuff. Now, of course, the internet is proving very helpful. Sometimes I still have to look up old newspapers.
And for certain projects, I go to collectors _ there are people in Thailand who collect military uniforms and other paraphernalia. I'll ask to see the items I'm interested in, then I'll make copies of them for use on the shoot. When necessary, I also order stuff from eBay; you can find almost anything there!
You've worked on The Lady, which was a very big production and also a period film that covered several decades. Tell us about the process.
It was a big French production. I was in the costume department and my job was to find clothes for every soldier in the film. There was a research team _ all French _ who went to Myanmar and came back with pictures and information. I did some more research on my own. The film starts in the 1950s, at the time of General Aung San, the father of Aung San Suu Kyi, and continues right on down to the 1990s. I had to do the uniform of a general in Burma before the Japanese invaded. During the occupation the Japanese forced them to change it to resemble a Japanese-style uniform [see photos]. Altogether we had around 130 uniforms made. It wasn't so hard because it was a big production with money, so I basically got whatever I wanted.
I also had to do all the military decorations and medals, the helmets and other accessories. This can be done simply by looking at [period] photos and making replicas of everything you see. In general, period films are tougher because you have to make sure you get every detail right.
Before we shot each scene, the director, Luc Besson, would inspect all the costumes. And he never had a single complaint _ which was a relief!
Where do you get the materials to make all these uniforms?
For The Lady, for instance, I tried to find what was available in Thailand. The usual places to shop are lang krasuang [the area behind the Interior Ministry, near Khlong Lot] _ that's where all kinds of military gear can be found. Then I also went to Talad Rong Klua, the flea market in Aranyaprathet [Sa Kaeo province]. And, of course, Chatuchak Market, which is always a treasure trove. If something isn't available in those places, I'll find a picture of what I'm looking for, then consult collectors or go to eBay to order one. Then I'll reproduce the design.
What does it take to be a good wardrobe specialist?
You have to be very observant.
You have to have an eye for detail. But it's not just the look of things. It's about history, it's about the story behind it, because that's how you understand why something looks the way it does, especially when it comes to period costume.
In your view, which period and which country had the most beautiful military uniforms? And, since we're on the subject and you're an expert: why do so many designers seem to take a fancy to Nazi uniforms, despite all the horrid memories associated with that era?
To me, the most beautiful uniform is from the [European] colonial era. The accessories and details are striking, difficult to reproduce and it's too bad that I've never had a chance to do one _ perhaps because we've never been colonised! About the Nazi uniform ... yes, the memory that comes with it is deeply unpleasant, but I must say that, in terms of design, it's very meticulous, authoritative and symbolic in many ways. On the collectors' market, German uniforms and paraphernalia fetch higher prices than their American equivalents. I've never been asked to make a Nazi uniform; I think that would make me feel a bit weird.
Actors playing Myanmar generals in the film The Lady were clothed in reproduced uniforms made by Saner Lohvitee. On the left, the soldier is dressed in a WWII-era uniform while in the middle, the style changes after the Japanese occupation.
