'Whatchu lookin' at?" Rattanarat "Ploy" Aurthaveekul might have yelled back to her husband's stare before they leave the house. Her taunting look is, however, followed by a sheepish chuckle, before she adds: "Gosh, this outfit is actually really uncomfortable and kind of revealing too. I guess I should go change." Gone are her fashionably freewheeling days -- her closet now tipping more mother than model. But that's about the most that has changed for this style icon, best known as one half of the modelling/actress twins Petch-Ploy.
With two young sons running around, Rattanarat is obviously on a much less sexy dress code as of late -- swapping her miniskirts for the practicality of jeans. She doesn't have to let go of her fashion streak, though, and has even put it to good use in her latest achievement, which sees its official launch today, called Pradith Official. Named after the founding father of the entertainment empire Kantana, while also translating to "creation" in Thai, the website is to be Kantana's merchandising arm, which sells souvenirs and products related to the company's shows and movies. The 31-year-old isn't satisfied with just selling The Face Thailand team T-shirts of course. She starts off with a bang by reeling in religiously-followed Thai designer brands -- Asava, Milin, Poem, O Thongthai -- to create an exclusive collection (that's also much cheaper) for her website. With prices ranging from 2,000-7,000 baht, she's hoping to offer the best of Thai designers at an affordable touchpoint to the middle market.
Rattanarat 'Ploy' Aurthaveekul at her Pradith office.
No one could have been better-suited to helm this new business of style, while also finding the most fitting footing in an illustrious clan of producers. When love happened on the movie set with Kulp Kaljareuk, the director of Hong Hoon (2014), it wasn't long before the lead actress got married into his large family that looked over the different arms of their TV and movie production company. For her love of clothes, she more than gladly took up costume design for her husband's movies, as well as styling the company's small-scale fashion shows.
"It's all great fun for me, though, so it's not like I was pressured [into doing it] or anything," Rattanarat says of working for her husband's family business. "After that, when the elders saw that I could design, they asked me to make souvenirs, too, since there wasn't really anyone in charge," she says, listing pillows and bags featuring their flagship animation, the elephant Khan Kluay, as her first projects. "It's a new age and generation at Kantana. They wanted a new look, so I helped look over their new image that goes out online. We want to be more fun and modern."
Alongside her extremely down-to-earth husband, and with her inclination to wear jeans with flip-flops (not even sandals, she emphasises, but flip-flops), the couple are a humble embodiment of what she describes the Kaljareuk tribe as: a really hard-working family that doesn't spoil its kids. Her packed schedule, which revolves around meetings, weekend play dates with the other fourth-generation Kaljareuk toddlers, and going to work with Kulp every day, dispels any thoughts that her days would now circle around tea at Harrods and shopping at Kids 21.
"I feel like I need to be more than a wife," the sprightly actress says in a rare, calm moment. "I need to be his life partner that walks along with him, who isn't just chilling there. He's like a buddy and we help each other out. We need to make Kantana survive at the hands of my husband, and at mine too."
Holding that thought and wondering whether she should wear a madame's hat more often, Rattanarat tries not to burst with laughter. Her cousin-in-law and personality producer for The Face Thailand, Piyarat Kaljareuk, does not shy away from nagging her.
Future collections at Pradith will also see make-up, sports luxe and swimsuits.
"He tells me to tail him at events more," she says, cracking up. "I'm so nutty I wouldn't even know which spoon to use! I'm still wearing Pradith and getting to places on the back of motorcycles."
Around other family members, like her husband's grandmother, she finds that she could remain her outgoing and peppy self and not have to carefully craft herself a new persona.
"At first, I wondered, would I have to crawl in every time to greet their grandmother?" she confesses. "But it's not like that at all -- she's really sweet and plays with her grandchildren. I've never had to try to keep an image."
She does, however, intend to steer away from playing any more tattletale twins in soap operas. She is eager to get her acting chops back in intense dramas, but shrieks with amusement at her latest role offer. "It was some twin-ghost movie where I'd have to dress like a sexy nurse and be nuzzling with my own twin. Ew, I still choose, OK! I love you and have shared a womb with you Petch, but I'm not going to kiss you on the mouth!"
Rest assured, our artsy wild fashion child has not turned into a hi-so belle. Her candid, sunny, mischievous mannerisms are still intact, yet they belie how much she's also grown up since raising two sons.
"I've had to look at the big picture from an even wider scope, and it's really taught me to think of others too." Recalling the day she started to get agitated when Ton, her two-year-old, wasn't eating his food, she says: "It struck me how I was only worried about myself wanting to finish feeding him, when in truth he might have refused to eat because the food was still too hot, because I didn't blow on it enough. It's taught me to not be embarrassed to say sorry to your kid."
The cool mum is tired, but happy in a new way. She also breathes a sigh of relief, as aspiring models from reality shows and friends in the industry still flock to her when it comes to dressing up. With a smile and cheeky soft-selling comment, she says: "I just wore the Poem Pradith to the Suphanahong Awards, and people asked where I got my dress. The girls from the show are all like, 'I want this one just like yours!'. Phew, I still got it!'"
To start shopping, visit www.pradithofficial.com.
I like Milin's long dress, it's nice.
Poem is definitely good enough for the red carpet, because the pattern and cutting are immaculate.
An Asava top is statement-making enough on its own.
Pradith's designer collections are approximately half of what the original line would cost. Pradith
Pradith's designer collections are approximately half of what the original line would cost. Pradith
Pradith's designer collections are approximately half of what the original line would cost. Pradith
Pradith's designer collections are approximately half of what the original line would cost. Pradith
