by The WWD x Siam Piwat Global Fashion Spotlight held earlier this month in Bangkok brought together fashion designers, top brands and retailers, influencers and industry stakeholders. The event not only put a spotlight on fashion in Thailand, but also demonstrated its role as a global leader in the industry.
The event opened with remarks from Amanda Smith, CEO of Fairchild Media Group and James Fallon, Chief Content Officer of WWD and Fairchild Media Group as well as Chadatip Chutrakul, CEO of the Siam Piwat Group. Siam Piwat Group is a leading real estate and retail business developer, owner and operator of world-renowned projects such as Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery, and co-owner of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok. The company teamed up with KASIKORNBANK, SC Asset and WWD to present the event.
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Chutrakul said her company has nurtured the Thai fashion industry, helping it emerge as a pioneer in the Thai luxury scene.” The CEO said that the company’s malls “have been the birthplace of champion Thai brands for generations and we have played a key role in developing fashion talents and creating an entire ecosystem for the fashion industry.” Chutrakul said the Siam Piwat Group “has also played a key role in stimulating economic activities within the fashion retail sector, directly contributing to the creation of millions of jobs through our initiatives and strong involvement in fashion product innovation and retail development.”
Apart from being a vital force that helps Thai brands prosper on the world stage, Siam Piwat Group and its partners have served the best global fashion and luxury brands – hence the reason behind this event. Smith said by “providing a platform for designers, retailers and brands to connect on a global scale can really elevate this country’s place in the world of fashion as a powerhouse.”
Fallon said you have to visit Milan or Paris during fashion week “to see the crowd standing outside the various fashion shows and screaming the names of the Thai ambassadors of the brands to prove Thailand’s influence on the industry.” Fallon said the country has a long history and is interested in the West and the rest of the work. “And that interest is only growing in terms of fashion and retail. More designers are looking to Thailand for inspiration and more Thai designers are succeeding in the West.”
He added that Thailand “has become an important market for Western luxury brands as they seek further growth regions.” Fallon said this was evident during a tour of the Siam Piwat Group malls, where “every major luxury brand is represented and sometimes there’s not one but two stores – something you don’t see anywhere else.”
Fallon then outlined the day’s event, which featured high-level panel discussions such as “Building Brands for a Global Consumer,” featuring Wannasiri Kongman, Co-Founder & Co-Creative Director of BOYY, Lie Sang Bong, Designer & Founder of LIE. SANGBONG and Octo Cheung Yan Yu, Vice President of Shanghai Tang. Fallon moderated the session. He also moderated “Adapting to the New Luxury Landscape,” featuring Emmanuelle Kouakou, Managing Director Southeast Asia & Oceania for Piaget, Roberta Pellacci, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Bvlgari Japan, Suvadee Phungbunphra, Chief Executive Officer of PP. Group and Orand Puipunthavong, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Business Officer at the PP Group.
The sessions were informative, and provided insight into current and future trends. Afterward, Lily Templeton, WWD’s Watches, Jewelry and Fashion Editor, took the stage for a session titled, “The Power of Global Influence in Southeast Asia,” featuring Heart Evangelista, Davika Hoorne and Nattawin “Apo” Wattanagitiphat, who through ones. of the top fashion influencers from Southeast Asia. The influencers shared their views on the growing influence of the region’s fashion and its impact on the world stage.
Wattanagitiphat told the audience that everyone knows the term “influence” and noted that it was about “pushing something forward, but if you ask me what ‘influence’ means in my perspective, I would give an example from my experience working with global brands such as Dior. and Piaget.” Notably, Wattanagitiphat’s appearance at the Dior spring 2025 show attracted considerable attention.
Evangelista said impact goes beyond what a person wears. “I feel like it’s a complete package. I feel that it is more the language of one’s heart towards another heart that influences you,” she said adding that influencers are lucky “that we have social media, to share this big step with everyone. For me, influence also means being very transparent and just being myself. I try to educate people about it though, or whatever is presented to me through my stories on YouTube.”
For Hoorne, influence is defined by “power and confidence. We can shape the stories and we can make people move through our presence on our platform.” For her, the turning point was when her Instagram followers surpassed 1 million. Hoorne now has over 18 million followers. Hoorne said she started becoming more popular about 10 years ago. “I have to play on, and hold the trust and faith that my fans give me,” she said.
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