Clothes for the unusual

BANGKOK — There are fashion labels that rely on the cult status of the designer as much as the image of their brand (think Marc Jacobs) and there are labels that let their designs speak for what they represent (think Martin Margiela).

Thai fashion brand wwa seems cut from the same enigmatic fabric as the latter.

Asked who is the creative brain behind the label they offered that wwa is “a team.”

The initials were culled from the first letter of the names of the designers.

Their concept for the brand is “to develop products for common usage in daily life in order to escape from definitions (and) restrictions, (be it) function, type, usage, name, culture, society, or belief.”

Seems like a mouthful, but apt for a label that churns out unusual cuts and pieces with vestigial fabrics devoid of apparent function. Or so you’d think.

There are hairy bags. One garment has holes for a missing limb. A skirt could be turned into a dress or a blouse. Clearly, they have an obsession with clothing that can be used in a myriad of ways simply by buttoning, tying, or tucking some parts of the garment.

Most of wwa’s clothing pieces can be mind-boggling in terms of wearability and how they’re used.

They explained, “People who wear wwa think about the relationship between humans and clothing while the people who seek them will find the relationship between humans and society. To understand our concept is not important. Understanding occurs by just believing in our concept. What’s important is when people see (the clothes) and think. We want people to be touched and to find the answer on the day that they wear wwa.”

For Fall/winter ’09, wwa explores the relationship between clothes and places. Transformable pieces can be styled according to the condition and need of the wearer at a certain place and particular time. One great example is a long dress that can be turned into a sleeveless blouse. Wear the dress for dinner then turn it into a blouse for dancing at the club. Quite ingenious, don’t you think?

Asked what is the goal of wwa, they replied, “We make clothes for everyone who seeks a different way of living.”

Not surprising coming from a label that thrives on celebrating the unusual.

wwa is at 258/17 Siam Square Soi 3, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand.

View their websites at www.wwa-bangkok.blogspot.com or www.wwaonlineshop.blogspot.com.