A LIFE OF DESIGN AND BEYOND

FEATURE

It's never easy having a popular mother. Take Jane Birkin's daughter, Lou Diollon, for example. Her childhood rebellion and quirkiness in wearing Indian leggings under short dresses, or putting Rollerblades over her dreadlocks are admittedly an attempt to win attention from those who love and admire her "very strong, powerful, beautiful and overwhelming mother".

Fortunately, Saivipa Patpongpibul did not feel pressured to take such extreme measures to seek attention despite being a descendant of two charismatic personalities in Thailand's design scene. Saivipa's grandmother is Khunying Urai Lueamrung, owner of the now-defunct fashion boutique Korn Kaew and one-time royal dressmaker to HM Queen Sirikit, and her mother is Vipavadee Patpongpibul, founder of P49 Deesign & Associates, the interior design powerhouse behind luxurious hotels and spas all over the region, from the Ritz Carlton Bali, Hilton Hua Hin and the Maldives to the Sheraton and Mandara spas all over Thailand.

Saivipa joined her mother's company after graduating in 2005 as an interior designer. But don't ask her about stepping in Vipavadee's shoes. At least, not just yet. The 28-year-old would shriek at the question.

"That sounds so scary," she said, responding to the idea with a familiar gape. You could easily tell it's her habit to widen her sparkling eyes when she gets excited.

"She is just so amazing! The thought of following in her footsteps is beyond my imagination. Everyone loves and respects her, and I wish she would stay here forever".

Fortunately, Saivipa does not need to imagine herself in her mother's position. P49 Deesign was established on the grounds of teamwork, not just one star designer. Each team is led by an experienced associate who oversees the design project alongside veteran and even newly-graduated designers. Though, there's the occasional rotation of designers between teams to ensure no project is understaffed in order to meet deadlines.

Unlike many other business heirs who are put into a big post right after graduation, Saivipa entered P49 Deesign as an entry-level designer. She is treated like any other new employee and the only privilege she receives is the opportunity to accompany her mother to meetings with clientele.

"I was sitting in the far back of the room, taking notes. I mean, if I worked at any other company, there's no way I would have a chance to learn directly from the CEO like I do here. I have learned a lot and continue to learn by watching her dealing and negotiating with our clients or presenting projects," she said.

"But in terms of design, I'm just a new graduate who has a lot to learn. If my design doesn't work, the senior designer will tell me honestly. I mean, if it doesn't work, then you cannot use it. The company has to come first."

Although Saivipa has never worked anywhere else except at P49 Deesign, with the exception of a few months of internship in Britain, her career path is not premeditated, nor has she ever thought of being an interior designer. After spending seven years in Britain she moved to the US to do architecture at Cornell University - a study choice she did not make until the last minute. Despite her lifelong passion in art and design, Saivipa chose architecture, believing the field offered the broadest spectrum of knowledge that could serve as a springboard for something else in the future if she wished.

"I love fine arts, photography, product design and even physics, and there were so many things I wanted to do. My mother once asked me if I wanted to study law or go into finance like my father [Kitti Patpongpibul, former deputy governor of the Bank of Thailand], but I knew I had to do something that revolves around design. But if I did product design, for example, it would be too specific, which would make it hard for me to move on to other design fields that I am interested in. Architecture gave me wider options.

"What I did is study architecture and I enjoyed it a lot. What I like about architecture is that you get to look at the big picture - the people who will use this building, the culture, the city and town planning, and that's fun for me."

It's interesting how those aspects she loves about architecture seem to overlap with the nature of interior design. Saivipa recounted an anecdote from her first day at university when she was asked to write down what she expected from studying architecture. Little did she know that when that small piece of paper was returned to her upon graduation day, it would echo her future career path.

"I said I wanted to be able to influence people's lives. It's even truer when I became an interior designer. When people use a space, be it a spa or an office, how good their day turns out depends a lot on what we put into thought and designed. There's a design philosophy behind a space developed from the design team. I like the fact that when finished, that space we have created really has an influence on people's daily lives."

Passion for design and commitment to work are not the only characters Saivipa, perhaps unknowingly, inherits from her mother. There's an artistic vein that runs in the blood of this family, too. During her university years, Saivipa once staged a photograph exhibition with a friend and she also learned to play on her mother's guitar before saving enough money to buy one for herself in high school. Saivipa is now singing with the band Old Docs and is recording a solo mini-album with producer-musician Pete Tanskul of Blissonic titled, Grey, which she wrote all the songs herself. Describing it as a cross between British-pop, electronic, pop rock with some folk and blues while referencing indie outfits she loves including the Cardigans, the National and the Bravery.

"Music is a form of personal expression that gives me the freedom to do something that comes entirely from myself. It's good to be your own client sometimes you know, getting people to help you achieve your vision and passing comments," she said jokingly.

"I don't have tragic love songs and or hopelessly sad songs. Mostly, they are to inspire people to be strong and they are influenced by the people I meet and the things I see. Or, when something happens, which has an impact on me, I put it down in music like this song I wrote when I lost someone who was like a sister to me. It's an upbeat pop-rock song to commemorate her memory rather than a sad ballad because she was a rocking girl and the song is called Beautiful."

However, being a recording artist does not mean she would soon turn her back on design. Her home-made music is entirely about passion, which channels her energy outside working hours, during which she devotes herself to design. Saivipa hopes to continue in doing both, and perhaps even photography if she could find a way to get more than 24 hours out of one day, or to live with a less normal dose of sleeping hours she now enjoys.

"I love both design and music and would love to have a photo exhibition some day, if I could, but that must be kept for later or I wouldn't have time to sleep."

To listen to song samples from 'Grey' visit http://www.myspace.com/saivipa.

Relate Search: Saivipa Patpongpibul, Khunying Urai Lueamrung