Eight Thai fashion brands reimagining traditional fabrics

Chaninporn ‘Cha’ Hess began Chalay by sewing crop tops for herself while her son napped. She had swapped accountancy and nights out in Thonglor for a slower life by the sea; the label’s name combines her own with the Thai word for sea. Word of mouth took her pieces to Coachella festival-goers. Today, Chalay works with artisans on opposite sides of Thailand: Hmong embroiderers in the north and makers drawing on southern Manora dance costume. The Sinh Siam skirt recuts the everyday pha thung silhouette, while a Manora-embroidered piece worn by Tyla brought the southern collaboration wider attention. That collection sold out. Watch @chalay.store on Instagram for new drops.

Founded by two designers from Chiang Rai, Kahlong draws on the region’s sweets, native flowers and folk crafts, then works those references into Hmong cloth and northern sinh fabric. The prints have a darker, more intriguing feel than the usual heritage motif and are made to be styled as everyday clothes. Follow @kahlong.g on Instagram for new drops and styling ideas.

Malinee’s name translates loosely as ‘a woman blooming in a garden of flowers’, and its bright patterns make local handwoven textiles easy to mix into a younger wardrobe. The Nan Collection uses pha mak klon, mud-dyed cloth associated with Nan province, for a skirt with a button detail that lets you adjust its shape. The label works with small independent artisans. See the collection and new arrivals at @malinee.co on Instagram.

Sanāe looks to the opulence of 19th-century Siam for men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, using couture construction techniques in pieces cut for modern wardrobes. Handwoven Thai silk comes from small villages around the country and is tailored into precise, understated shapes. For fabric sourcing and collections, see @sanaeseason on Instagram.

Cherlyn Ornika grew out of a fashion student’s thesis on making Thai culture relevant to younger dressers. Its lifestyle pieces use more than 70% Thai silk. The Siam Love Language collection turns garland-stringing, baisri offerings and banana-leaf folding into structural details on the clothes, drawing on the care involved in those crafts. Browse the pieces at @cherlynornika on Instagram.

Angelmæd, formerly 109c0ddle.angel, is run by a designer known as ‘Metal’, whose taste runs to late-1990s and early-2000s vintage. Since 2018, the label has reworked secondhand clothing and production offcuts into pieces designed for a range of body types. Its Rooted in Isan collection draws on Metal’s childhood in Roi Et, using handwoven, mud-dyed pha khao ma from a community enterprise in Kalasin. The cloth’s uneven natural colour and texture give each piece its character. Find the collection and other upcycled drops at @angel.maed on Instagram.

Buriram-based Ketsarin recuts the pha thung, a familiar sarong-style wrap, into short and long skirts. It mixes Indonesian batik with Thai-printed fabric and works with local artisans to make pieces to order, so you can choose your fabric and size. Look closely at the hand-sewn beadwork on the hems; limited-run prints mean some skirts are one of a kind. The label has found customers overseas largely through Instagram, where @ketsarin.official takes orders directly.

Sirimon pairs London design input with tailoring and production in Thailand, using traditional Thai garment structures for polished pieces intended to work year-round. The label focuses on preserving Thai silk craftsmanship and says its production follows fair, ethical practices that support the weavers. See its sourcing and collections at @sirimon.official on Instagram.