|
 Remember that Bangkok Fashion City Project (BFCP)? I hear you reply, "what Bangkok Fashion City Project? ...Oh yeah, that time when there were zillions of boring fashion shows every week." Well, after being scrapped late last year and costing much more than 1.8 billion baht, what is there to show for it?
Was this money-hungry, over-zealous, debacle of a campaign really ever going to achieve the naive dream of making Bangkok the fashion capital of Southeast Asia? Or more amusingly, 'the world' as they were hoping for in 2012? And what did the global fashion world think of our 'famous' BFCP? Well, let's just say, the international media were hearing crickets about it.
It seems things were done in an awful hurry, a whirlwind of glitter and cash. And before you can say, "darrrling", it's the aftermath and all that is left is tattered posters, pouting models and a lone tumble weed flying down the catwalk. The hi-sos didn't even bat a false eyelash as they moved on to the next envelope opening to guzzle down the free champagne.
Let's not sweep this under the Thaksin carpet just yet and look at some of the obvious clues that could have prevented this daft misuse of funding.
For starters, many critics have complained that Thailand was no where near ready for a 'super-size me' fashion campaign. As the old saying goes, 'learn to crawl before you walk'. The quality and product standards of Thailand's fashion industry were simply not up to scratch and the manufacturing efficiency was inept for the international scene. Even one of the project's advisors has stated that, "Thai fashion is not mature enough to enter the international market".
 With that said, it is not the fault of Thailand's fashion industry. The BFCP was an idea that should have been executed very differently. The budget clearly wasn't spent wisely. Instead of promoting Thailand's fashion industry with a charade of 'smoke and mirrors', the money should have been put towards getting the standards up to scratch first and fixing the long-term problems that cripple the industries' true progress.
One such problem is the booming counterfeit trade here. For Bangkok to become a serious fashion hub, fakes need to be abolished, otherwise it's just like a slap in the face for the international industry. How can global brands trust Thailand to properly care and ensure their intellectual property rights are protected? Just imagine top international brands using Bangkok as their fashion hub while all their stuff is being sold in Patpong for a few hundred Baht. Brands also have to face the constant paranoia that all their gear is being siphoned out the back door of the Thai factory. Even the so called 'crack downs' by law enforcement on vendors peddling fake goods are soon forgotten and it is business as usual the very next day. This loose approach by the law and turning a blind eye is just not going to cut it.
Let's face the fashion facts here, Bangkok is a hot, hot place. Mustering up a morsel of enthusiasm through the relentless lethargy, is not generally spent on fashion. If you look on the streets, you see many preferring the baggy t-shirts and slippers over a sweaty silk number. Even putting on a pair of stilettos in Bangkok is a bad idea. A woman's grace immediately disintegrates, as you see her with her eyes glued to the ground, working her way along the jigsaw puzzle pavement, looking like she is walking a tight rope.
 On a positive BFCP spin, local designers have felt warm and fuzzy in Uncle Thaksin's embrace. It was a chance for young and up-and-coming designers to get a taste of designer life, to showcase their talents and generally feel they had the government's support. The industry also saw Thai consumers spending more, with fashion businesses reporting stronger annual sales. This aside, it's a far cry from the initial goals of the campaign. Boudoir's Creative director, Disaya Sorakraikitikul, feels the campaign had both positive and negative aspects. She explains the benefit of BFCP in terms of its promotion and support of the local fashion industry. "The launch of the project brought in a greater interest from the general public towards the fashion industry and, in return, created a greater understanding," she said. "Fashion is exposed to the public like it has never been before and people take in the fact that the industry is split into many facets, from mass-producers to hi-end designers." "As for me, 'Boudoir by Disaya' and 'Disaya' have been supported in many ways, especially when marketing our products abroad," she adds.
Disaya believes that although they received much needed support, the campaign could have been executed differently. "The project itself is a good initiative, industry-wise, however, it is the matter of how it was being implemented that determined the success or viability of the project," she states. "There are always steps to make things better." "I think the biggest flaw was when a huge fashion parade was organised in the hope of branding Bangkok a 'fashion city'.
"As well as this, it needed the right people with the right mindset and knowledge about fashion, from a global perspective," she said.  Although Thailand is not ready to conquer the Asian fashion scene just yet, it has the potential to stand out from the crowd and make a mark of its own. With a natural talent for aesthetics, good Thai designers have a unique cultural perspective that shines through a lot of their designs. This is where designers need to stay on track and show the critics they don't just copy European designs, they have their own individuality. Designers need to continue generating truly creative and original designs that reflect the culture to become an identity of their own in the fashion arena. Only then can the industry begin to beat their own fashion drum.
 |
