A big fan of Western music, Piyawan Wongsawang likes listening to soul, R&B, Motown, and jazz while her favourite artists include Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye and The Bee Gees.
Her musical preferences were influenced by her father, Lek Wongsawang, a famous 1960s radio DJ who made Western music popular in Thailand. Consequently, he introduced the country's first songbook, I.S. Song Hits, to provide chords and lyrics of Western songs and that was followed by an equivalent for Thai songs, The Guitar.
Because these songbooks sold like hot cakes, the influential DJ established Wongsawang Publishing House and went on to pioneer fashion-related magazines.
Thailand's first fashion catalogue, Star Fashion, was launched in 1976. Bride, the country's first wedding dress catalogue followed in 1984, along with Hairstyle, the first hair magazine with step-by-step hairdressing instructions.
Piyawan is now the executive editor-in-chief of these three publications as well as Hairworld and The Guitar Mag, a spin-off from the legendary song book.
Besides continuing the family business, her mission is to help the local hairdressing industry advance to an international level by organising events such as Hairworld Festival 2013 at Siam Paragon.
The three-day festival was the first of its kind in Thailand to feature hair shows, workshops and competitions, which were open to the public. The spectacular fashion shows raised awareness of hairstyle and colour trends. Piyawan pointed out that to be fashionable, people have to look good from head-to-toe, and that includes sporting a chic hairdo.
How did you feel about having to run the family business?
At first I wanted to study sound engineering in order to mix and make my own music, but I had to attend business school so I could help out with the family business, which is an obligation.
But after finishing university, my parents encouraged me and my brothers to seek experience in other industries first. This is a family rule because they wanted us to understand what it is like to be a subordinate and working for other people.
I was so lucky to have landed a marketing assistant position at EMI. There I met Western artists and even did compilations of songs for greatest hits albums. Honestly, I didn't want to quit this dream job but I had to help out with our publishing business, especially in modernising and rebranding our magazines.
What was your first assignment?
Firstly, my father asked me to do Star Fashion. At that time, I was in my mid-twenties and doing this fashion catalogue didn't match my lifestyle.
Nevertheless, I was sort of a fashion insider because I virtually grew up in our publishing house, seeing make-up artists, hairstylists, and models coming to work for fashion shoots. Then I did Bride, which is even further away from who I am because I will never ever tie the knot. But doing this magazine let me know almost everything related to weddings, and I reckon I could be a wedding expert.
It was a challenge for me to give these two fashion catalogues a makeover by modernising the content and production.
Is there still a demand for fashion catalogues?
Before a variety of ready-to-wear brands became available, Thai women would go to dressmakers and choose designs from fashion catalogues. Today Star Fashion serves a niche target group, who still go to dressmakers, particularly for making clothing with Thai textiles and for evening gowns.
Our magazines, including Bride and The Guitar Mag, serve a niche target group, and our aim is to be No.1 in these market segments.
With lyrics available on the internet, what do you see for the future of songbooks?
We no longer publish I.S. Song Hits, but it was a must-have for teens back in the 1960s and 1970s. Teenagers would roll a copy and put it in the pocket at the back of their blue jeans, and that was considered "cool" in those days.
Today, we have continued the legacy of The Guitar, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010 whereas The Guitar Mag celebrated its decade last year.
Are you affected by the invasion of international magazines?
We have been in this business for more than 30 years, and we totally understand Thai readers' needs and the Thai magazine market, so it doesn't affect us much.
Many international mags don't survive either, so I don't think it's easy for them if they are not strong enough.
Are you more focussed on hair magazines?
Besides Hairstyle, we now publish Hairworld, Hairtrend and Hair Chignon to serve the thriving hairdressing industry.
In the past, Thais may have regarded hairdressing as a profession for less-educated people. Today, this profession has gained popularity and respect, and so we have more and more well-educated, English-speaking and even celebrity hairdressers, who will take the local industry to the next level.
What's driving the growth?
Hair always gets longer, so everybody needs a haircut. Beyond having their hair cut, people now want their hair permed, coloured and treated. People are paying more for healthy and trendy hair, and that promotes healthy competition among salons and hairstylists.
We organised Hairworld Fashion Week in 2009 and Hairworld Festival 2013 to provide a stage for Thai hairstylists to show their creativity and competency. In the four years between these two events, I attended hair shows and festivals abroad and was really impressed with the production. It would be great if Thailand could stage something as grand as what I have experienced, so I worked on the Hairworld Festival 2013 to include hair shows, workshops and hair competitions involving different brands, and that has never happened before in Thailand.
How do you keep yourself happy as a publisher?
The publishing business is an exciting industry. There are always new developments and trends that provide me with endless opportunities to learn and grow.
It's definitely a fun and challenging job. Most of all, I love creating something new and being able to give knowledge and entertainment to readers. When you love what you do, naturally you're happy.
