Sretsis: Sisters Act
Most sisters grow up playing dress-up together, but only a few, like Pim (head designer), Kly (marketing/PR) and Matina (accessories) Sukhahuta of the Thai label Sretsis, get to build a worldwide following doing what they do best — “playing” with clothes and accessories.
For celebrities like Rachel Bilson, Katy Perry and all those in the know, Sretsis is the go-to label known for playful, whimsical clothing interpreted from vintage inspirations. Girly details like bows, tiers, Peter Pan collars and capelets are features of their designs.
Their seasonal collections are also known for turning fantasy into reality, with each season based upon a strong concept conceived by the sisters’ imagination.
For instance, their current Fall 2008 collection, entitled Parallel Universe, “evokes a dreamlike landscape with wild animals, expansive skies and mythical beings.”
Piece after piece, this collection is truly out of this world. Think custom lace embroidery and digital prints of Alaskan deer, owls, panthers and unicorns on silk chiffon and satin. All these textiles were locally developed and produced in Bangkok mills, by the way.
Pim explains their aesthetic. “My early fascination with fashion was vintage silk chiffon Flappers and the legacy Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel left for the fashion world. For Sretsis I want it to be what is relevant to now but still fused with our own imagination or point of view.”
Seeing their work, one can just imagine what a charmed life these sisters must have had. It is a charmed life indeed to confess that they grew up enjoying each other’s company.
But their foray into fashion was not initialized until Pim realized while studying at a university that an MIS degree wasn’t for her. She eventually enrolled at Parsons School of Design in New York, and by her junior year in 2002, opened her first boutique in Bangkok.
She came up with the name Sretsis, because she says opening her store “was like a tryout and I didn’t want to use my name but rather something that would have a secret meaning to me. So, I came up with ‘Sretsis’ which is derived from s-i-s-t-e-r-s spelled backwards. They were one of my early influences. Sometimes there will be pieces I make for myself or especially for my sisters that end up complementing the collection perfectly.”
Pim says working with her sisters “makes things easier in some ways and harder in others. Like, we know that when there’s a tough time like putting together a fashion show, or look-book shoots, or a launch party we’ll be prepared for stay-up nights together. And we get to travel in a trio. But then work can get overwhelming and becomes the only thing we talk about, which can be sad.”
It comes as no surprise, though, for work to be a constant topic in their conversations these days. From one store in Bangkok a little over five years ago, Sretsis is now a recognized fashion label in major cities worldwide, carried by Odin, Owl’s Lab, Albertine and TG 170 in New York, Loveless in Tokyo, Seibu in Hong Kong and specialty stores across Australia, Singapore, France and Spain.
Pim says, “We started without a plan and it gradually grew without us realizing.” Up to now, she admits she still finds it surreal that Sretsis is sold across several continents, and worn by socialites and celebrities.
While all the success seems to have just fallen into their laps, it is apparent that their talent, imagination and their special bond have drawn them a cult following. In the Sukhahuta sisters’ parallel universe, they simply grabbed the mythical bull by its horns, and created their own fashion legacy.
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In Bangkok, Sretsis is available at the following locations: Sretsis Boutique, Gaysorn Center, 2nd Floor; Sretsis counter at Emporium Center, 2nd Floor; and Sretsis counter at Central Chitlom, 3rd Floor.
