Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host,
Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my students and
I bring you content that's informative, positive,
fun, and uplifting. This podcast is created and
produced with the help of students from the International
Community School of Bangkok. Today, we are stepping
into a world where fashion, patterns, and fabric
aren't just about what you wear. It's about what
you remember. In an era of fast fashion, there
is a quiet, powerful movement happening right
here in Thailand that prioritizes the slow, the
deliberate, and the timeless. Today we are talking
with Khun Tatim, one of the creative forces behind
Atelier Pichita, a brand that has spent over
four decades weaving the story of Thai identity
into the global fashion narrative. I'm also joined
by co -host Highlight and Esther. But before
we get into our first segment, let's hear our
quote of the day and get some headline news.
Contour means that there is more than what meets
the eye. It's an experience that lingers. It
reflects a quiet confidence where design speaks
through intention rather than excess. Each garment
tells a story shaped by craftsmanship, restraint,
and purpose, forming a lasting connection between
the designer and the wearer. True elegance isn't
loud or fading. It endures. It lives in the memory,
feeling a piece leaves behind long after it's
been worn. And that's our quote of the day. Now
on to some headline news. Thank you for the quote,
Esther. I'll be doing the news today. Now here's
some headline news from around the world. Our
first headline comes from Italy. Milan Fashion
Week continues to shape global fashion by setting
the tone for how craftsmanship is valued in contemporary
design. By spotlighting traditional techniques
on an international stage, the event influences
designers, brands, and consumers. to see couture
craftsmanship not just as decoration, but as
a powerful form of storytelling. This influence
reinforces the idea that fashion evolves from
reinterpreting heritage rather than abandoning
it. Our next headline takes us to New York City.
Held in May 2026, just weeks before major fashion
events in Asia, the Met Gala once again proved
its importance as a global fashion bellwether.
Beyond its red carpet spectacle, the event will
influence design direction, cultural conversation
and industry priorities by spotlighting craftsmanship,
history and innovation on a worldwide stage.
Its timing and visibility help to set the tone
for fashion narratives that resonate throughout
the rest of the year. And finally, our last headline
comes from Bangkok. Thailand's fashion scene
is set to gain momentum as Thailand Fashion Week,
September through February 26 -27, scheduled
for late May 2026, brings together established
and emerging designers. The upcoming showcase
will highlight couture and ready -to -wear collections,
reinforcing Thailand's growing role as a regional
fashion hub that blends innovation with refined
elegance. And that's our headline news for this
episode. Okay, it's time to get into our first
guest segment. Today we are incredibly lucky
to have a guest who represents the very pinnacle
of Thai craftsmanship and fashion heritage. Esther,
go ahead and get us started. Welcome to the show,
Khun Tatim. Could you please introduce yourself
and a little about what you do currently? Okay.
Thank you for having me. First of all, my name
is Tatim and I am the third generation of the
brand Atelier Pichitta. I am currently the managing
director, also like a brand director of the brand.
That's amazing. Thank you for sharing about your
position and role there. Could you please share
with us the meaning behind the brand name Atelier
Pichitta? All right. So to begin with, my mother
studied in Paris. So her French is her second
language. And she learned a word atelier during
the time where like such as the brand Christian
Dior, they were doing a workshop or craftsmanship
in the studio. So ideally, the word atelier in
English is like a workshop. design workshop or
design studio, basically, but usually associates
with fashion or high fashion. That is amazing.
Thank you. So how would you describe the legacy
of Atelier Pichita in your own words? Well, first
of all, I would say that the legacy of the brand
is by continuing to do what my grandmother started.
She was using Thai silk as like she was actually
back then called a dressmaker and did Miss Universe
outfits. So my grandma then passed down to my
mother, Pichitta. She continued to use that Thai
silk, but more into like lifestyle. What it is
to us, legacy is mean keeping the like the core
of the brand and continue to use it till today.
And making it relevant in today's world, basically.
Wow, that must have been a journey, a family
journey. So how has growing up in your family
shaped your creative approach today? So basically,
I grew up in the piles of fabric. When my mom
was working, the office was our home back then.
So I literally grew up really close. Like in
the movie, I was playing with the... piece of
fabric on the floor inventing things and like
I always get the first hand like experience so
I get to see what my mom was doing it felt really
natural to me I didn't feel like I was had to
learn design just because I really just I saw
everything my mother was doing like from the
design or taking the brief from the client making
it into design that you know fits the client's
body also make them feel like like you know confidence
in what they wear and what we propose them you
know so i think from that it's just learning
how you see um you know getting a brief from
everyone is always different but you learn like
eventually that each person has like uh like
their own unique identity as well how do we fit
that with you so you know we don't change the
brand completely but we meet in the middle thank
you for sharing like it's kind of very interesting
it's so like there's so much things that happening
and then you also got the first experience since
like it was your mom and your grandmother passed
down could you like briefly describe the progress
of the design um all right so first the design
process we always start with um how do we feel
about this current situation what is their like
what is the like not the trend but what is relevant
today and then we take that into consideration
we look at the fabrics that we could use about
Thai silk in case no one knows they are very
hard to make they take such a long time so there's
a lot of limitations into the design process
you think that once you draw something you put
a fabric it's done maybe with other like brands
or fabric Thai silk you need to like calculate
because you know when they the sorry they are
woven or weaved it's always limitation in like
the size you cannot reproduce a thousand meters
of the same Thai silk so this is something inside
like you cannot it's not industrialized that's
why it's always rare every Thai silk you see
it's still handmade right and that's the craftsmanship
And that's also what we are trying to preserve
today. So the design process will have to consider
like, okay, how many fabrics we have? Can it
match with the whole outfit? Can it make one
shirt? Can it make one skirt? Or can it only
make one part? So maybe one sleeve, okay? And
like each Thai silk pieces are very, I would
say, valuable. Just because already the time
they had taken to weave and then passed down
to us, which is the second stage where we start
designing. It's like you already have an art
piece in hand and now it's like another art piece
needs to be made from that art piece. So that's
why we call it like a wearable art or like masterpieces
because it's like everything all like throughout
the process is all art, like all hand artisans
and like. Very detailed and all those skills
required. Sorry, I'm just describing in case.
So to go back to the design, once we gather all
that information, we look at what is relevant
and then we say, okay, let's make this concept.
For example, let me just talk about the design
that you've seen in the 45 years anniversary.
It started off with using Thai silk, but how
do you make it different each time, right? So
we wanted to tell the world that 45 years doesn't
mean the brand is dead. It's also not telling
everyone that we're old. We're not just another
Thai silk brand. We're trying to tell that we're
more elevated and also we're growing through
time. So we came up with the concept. of this
45 years anniversary it's called the golden metamorphosis
which is like in Thai it means like growing new
skin shredding what's old and you know becoming
like this new person but also still you so I
think that was like the concept even though it's
like a Thai silk concept for clothing but we
try to make everything like really um integrate
uh integrated and very thoughtful into it. So
the whole process is not just creating fashion.
I think it's more like creating a story of the
whole collection. Hyper -personalization craftsmanship
can definitely uplift identities of your customers.
And having visited your Atelier exhibitions at
the mall, how do you blend traditional Thai craftsmanship
with modern fashion demands? Well, This one is
easy. I would say we keep the techniques that
we already know from, you know, even from my
grandma that we learned. The techniques were
kept, but we just update the silhouettes or the
style. So it's basically saying like same attitude,
but new soul. Oh, sorry. Same soul, new attitude.
Sorry. Yes. Since you recently held a fashion
show which looked amazing, which recent design
or project are you most proud of and that's like
most memorable? Oh, I would have to say the 45
years anniversary. Like we worked really hard
on like every details. There was like 54 pieces
of runway, like clothes made. And that's not
included the exhibition pieces. Overall, we had...
almost 100 so overall it's like 150 pieces we
worked for like almost two years on this project
so the one that um highlight that you visited
is it was like a really one of the biggest work
we've ever done yeah yeah what stood out to me
most the exhibition was the firefly like costume
with like the glowing lights i think it was for
like a wedding yes right yes i think that was
very like unique and hyper -personalized towards
the customer's context and the beach vibes. I
still remember, right? Yes, correct. That's amazing.
So speaking of craftsmanship, when working with
artisans, what values matter most to you? That's
a really good question. I think when you work
with craftsmanship, you have to have respect,
first of all. Like you need to understand like
this is different than any other clothes you've
seen or any ways they were made. And you need
to understand patience because it takes time.
Like craftsmanship is not fast. Fashion is fast.
I would say there's trends. They're like moving,
you know. But craftsmanship is more about telling
a story and like recorrecting or redefining anything
that's, you know, maybe not perfect, but we do
it with a more refined approach to it. So that's
why I think also, in case you didn't know, but
fashion and luxury are really different. Actually,
that's what I learned in my master's degree.
Like luxury brand management is different to
fashion brand. So fashion, you actually follow
trends, follow like completely what is fully
relevant today. You follow what the mass will
probably, sorry, I'm not finding the word, but
probably purchase, you know. It's more about
like buying and like making business out of it.
Craftsmanship is more like telling a story. You
continue to be authentic to who you are. You
don't really change through time. You adapt,
but you keep what you know, your value, what
is good or your strong suit. You keep that, but
you also try to make sure that you don't stay
back in the past. So that's like luxury. You
just continue to do what you're really good at.
And we don't really concentrate on other things.
You just keep doing what you're good at. And
I think that's the difference. Oh, so the key
for craftsmanship is adaptability throughout
time. Yes. Adaptability and craftsmanship is
the perfect place to pause. We're going to take
a quick break. So stay with us because we'll
be right back for more after this short PSA announcement.
You're listening to the incredible story of Atelier
Pichita, a name that has been a heartbeat of
Thai fashion for over four decades. Their work
is more than just clothing. It is a living testament
to the skill, patience, and absolute dedication
of master Thai artisans. But there is a quiet
crisis happening. Did you know that the precise
and intricate techniques required to create traditional
Thai dresses are at a risk of being lost to time?
As the world moves faster, these slow, deliberate
crafts face the threat of disappearing. when
you choose to purchase authentic hand -woven
thai silk or beautifully crafted textile from
atelier pichitta you aren't just buying a product
you're performing an act of preservation you're
directly supporting the livelihoods of artisans
who have carried these invaluable skills through
their bullet lines for generations. In a way,
you become a custodian of magnificent cultural
heritage. You are the bridge between the storied
past and a vibrant future. So look for organizations
and labels that prioritize local waveries and
heritage crafts. Let's work together to ensure
that the golden thread of Thai art history, the
metaphor for our very identity, continues to
be woven for the next 45 years and far beyond.
And we are back with our second part. We are
mid -conversation with Khun Tatim from Atelier
Pichita, discussing the delicate balance between
tradition and the modern market. Let's jump back
into the discussion. Esther will lead us into
our next topic regarding the future of the industry.
Since the craftsmanship trends are always changing
and moving towards the future quickly, what is
the most challenging part of persevering tradition
in a fast -changing industry? For us, I think
it's speed. We actually just cannot catch or
keep up with the current like the fashion world
or how everything's just moving so fast. Fast
fashion is definitely like the option for most
people. So it's like actually completely different,
like opposite to what we do. We are doing craftsmanship
where things takes. like you know time consuming
and it's all about like being very detailed attention
to details so with that it's like a very I would
say a big challenge to balance the two worlds
together the fast fashion and how to how do we
keep surviving in this world when we're like
doing something that takes such a long time you
know so I think that's the main one Yeah, like
keeping up with the fast pacing trends is also
important. So we would like to ask, like, how
do you see Thai craftsmanship evolving over the
next decade in particular? Okay, I love this
question just because I really wish in the future
it is like this. Because as I mentioned, Thai
silk takes a lot of time. It's, you know, made
by hand. And of course, it's full on like...
like handicraft work, you know. So in the next
decade, I would love that we have better innovations
that helps the skills and also maybe create more
patterns on Thai silk, also more global visibility.
So I think, you know, also with Thai silk, the
good thing is we're a natural fiber. Like, you
know, it's basically meaning we're sustainable.
And I think that's what the world needs right
now. We don't need another polyester or, you
know, plastic, synthetic fiber fabric, especially
on your skin that helps, you know, it's actually
not breathable. And a lot of them are causing
like cancer, you know, with the chemical and
everything. With Thai silk, we use a lot of natural
dyes and, you know, everything is passed through
hands. it's all natural process and you know
i think the world is in crisis so this would
be the way to go you know valuing what we have
that is already good but pushing it to the world
you know making people wear actually like good
stuff good quality and appreciate the you know
the craftsmanship when people wear your pieces
what message or feeling do you hope they experience
um so Ideally, I would love that everyone who
wears pichita feels confidence and they feel
like it's not just I look good, but this piece
that they're wearing has a story to it. They
feel like they're participating in something
that's pushing a local artisan to have a job
or a brand that values. sustainable fabric and
also heritage everything you know it's all combined
into one piece and i want them to feel like they're
wearing like a wearable art or a masterpiece
what advice would you give to a young person
who would like to join this industry of luxurious
craftsmanship okay so first um I would say it's
important to really know that you really want
to do this. So once you want to go forward with
this, you need to learn every basics because
that's the ground base where it will make you
learn all the skills, all the details, and then
you will find your own path. of where you want
to go. Just similar to the journey I had as a
student when I learned multimedia design. I learned
graphic design, 3D web design. So the same, it's
like giving you a chance to learn and then you
move forward to knowing what you really want
to do. From that, you need to learn also crafting
your own skill. Once you choose that, choose
your skill and then move forward with how can
we build that skill to make it last and become
yours, you know. So that's how you create your
own identity into what you already learned as
a base. And the last thing I would say, talent
is, I would say it opens doors, but discipline
keeps you in the room. So very important. Thank
you. Quinta team, thank you so much. That is
such great advice. I like what you just shared.
Talent is what opens doors, but discipline is
what keeps you in the room. Such a good piece
of advice. It's been an honor to have you in
the studio today. To our listeners, we hope this
conversation gave you new insight and a new perspective
on this unique world of luxurious fashion and
the creative forces behind it. We've seen today
that couture is more than a luxury. It's an act
of preservation. By valuing the work of master
artisans, we ensure that these incredible Thai
traditions continue to weave their way into the
next generation. Thank you for tuning in and
make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
And if you found today's show inspiring, please
leave us a review. Until next time, I'm Mr. Jason
reminding you that style is temporary, but craftsmanship
is forever. And as always, this podcast would
not be possible without the hard work and support
of our international student production team.
All music and sound effects are courtesy of Pixabay
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we are signing off until next time. We are Students
Incorporated because your voice matters.