It's a match made in fashion heaven when one of Thailand's leading clothing labels, Asava, meets sassy lingerie brand Kyra in a collaboration that will surely win the heart of fashionistas who get a kick out of lingerie design.
The idea was initiated late last year and materialised gradually over nine months. Polpat said the connection he felt when Kyra proposed the idea was almost instant.
"Collaborating with another brand is not easy. Asava has its own philosophy and other brands have theirs, too. Before landing a project with anyone, there needs to be a lot of fine tuning to get the point of view right for both parties. The recipe must work harmoniously with both brands," said Polpat, founder and creative director of Asava.
Polpat said this particular collaboration works because he has a very clear philosophy about beauty.
"Beauty is applicable with every product. I have the perspective, but sometimes I don't have the know-how for some products, such as lingerie. As a dreamer, a thinker and a designer, I enjoy exploring my imagination and push my boundaries. My ideas can be portrayed in many forms, and getting the right partner like Kyra has made it possible for my dreams to materialise," he explained.
Polpat Asavaprapha.
This collection is inspired by four fashion capitals - Tokyo, London, Paris and New York. Tokyo is all about fun, energy and cute designs. London is interpreted as a sexy rocker girl. Paris is sophisticated and feminine with laces and corset. New York style is graphic and minimal in a confident and sexy way.
A firm believer in the essence of fashion, Polpat said lingerie is an important part of a woman's style. Just because nobody else sees it doesn't make it any less important.
"The most beautiful things in life are sometimes what others cannot see, such as the heart, the soul and intelligence. If we're too focused on creating a beautiful shell just to show people, without caring about the inner layer that is closest to our skin, that interpretation of beauty is fake."
He compares this concept with visiting a person's house. Even if the house looks perfect on the outside, if you go inside and find the bathroom is filthy, the impression suddenly turns negative.
"A truly stylish person will never let any element in life go unnoticed, whether people can see it or not," Polpat said. Today's fashion is not just about clothes, he added, it's from top to toe.
We make sure our hair matches the outfit, the bag matches the shoes, the nail colour matches the mood and so on. Sometimes we neglect lingerie, our second skin, which actually affects our confidence a lot.
"Lingerie can be fun, although you're the only one who knows what you're wearing. It makes you feel better about yourself, feel more confident in every movement, and fulfills your fashion fantasy. That's enough a reason to choose your lingerie with care," Polpat said.
Asava for Kyra is Polpat's first full lingerie collection. Over the years, he has incorporated some lingerie items into his collections, but never on a full scale like this. It has been, as he puts it, a wonderful learning process.
"I have learned a lot from this collaboration, about techniques and materials that were foreign to me, and they can be beneficial for my label. This collaboration is a bilateral expansion for Kyra and Asava, and the end results are fashionable lingerie that matches virtually every style."
