20 Years of Thai fashion with the Siamese sisterhood, Sretsis

Women who love wearing unicorns and daisies on their sleeves have always gotten their dreamy frills from Thai designer brand Sretsis. A palindrome for the word sisters, the style powerhouse was founded 20 years ago by the Sukhahuta sisters — Klyduan, Pimdao and Matina — while Pimdao was still studying fashion at Parsons School of Design in New York. To celebrate the brand’s two decades of fanciful clothing and rich history, the public can now visit “Into Sretsis Universe”, an immersive exhibition at the hip ATT 19 gallery on Charoen Krung Road.

Shutterbugs of Instagram will find plenty of photo-ops to fill their feed here, where a giant, floral armchair at the first floor entrance introduces the label’s fall/winter 2022 collection called “Dollhouse Hideaway”. Upstairs, visitors can wander through the world of Sretsis, a journey that begins at a labyrinth installation featuring the brand’s most iconic prints. This leads to the cinema room, where you can sit on cushy, floral beanbags and watch “Sretsis Tale”, a film directed by Khamkwan, featuring animation by Terawat Teankaprasith, a long-time collaborator who has designed some of Sretsis’ most memorable prints.

Tales through textiles

In the next room, a stunning display of floor-to-ceiling textile scrolls tell the story of how the brand’s design ethos has transformed over the years. Fans of Sretsis will recognize the yellow velvet Benjarong print once sported by American-Japanese model Kiko Mizuhara. There are also obscure but significant treasures from the earlier eras, such as a print that had led Klyduan to her husband — they first met when she commissioned his studio to design it. While the girly-girl brand might appear saccharine at first glance, their textiles reveal both a tongue-in-cheek playfulness, as well as a mindfulness in keeping with the times. Classic prints like leopard spots get a fun update with the addition of cherries, while roses come in a rainbow palette, a nod to the diversity and pride movements.

The brand’s dimensions and stories are endless, but five themes continue to reappear in various collections. In the Clockwork Craftsmanship room,  five carousels display signature looks from each of the five themes — Language of Flowers, Mythical Creatures, Gentlewoman’s Club, Modern Couture and Sretsis Universe. Flowers and cuddly monsters bring a touch of whimsy to the brand, but Sretsis also specializes on couture suited to everyday wear, as well as on sharp, tailored pieces for the stylish working woman. Then there are maxi-dresses in chiffon, splashed with celestial and astrology motifs — after all, the sisters’ names all translate to phrases relating to the stars in Thai, while Matina means morning in Italian.

20 years of never-ending fantasy

In the main hall, a detailed timeline chronicles the brand’s history, next to mannequins wearing the fashion brand’s popular outfits. It also includes a gallery showcasing portraits of stars — from Lisa of Blackpink to Zooey Deschanel — wearing the brand’s designs.

“We always try to do something new every year, but this full-on exhibition really goes beyond fashion,” says Pimdao, the middle sister in charge of design and creative direction. Her sketchbooks, which have never been available to the public before, are among the show’s main highlights. “We hope to bring an art and educational element to it, to reach those outside the fashion crowd too. We want to share our inspirations and heritage to the younger generations. Dating back to our very first collection, you’ll see our originality is not limited to the clothes, but also in the very textiles we design ourselves. While the five themes help people to learn more about Sretsis so they don’t get overwhelmed, categorizing our heritage that way has helped us to understand ourselves better too.”

The Sretsis Universe keeps expanding

As for the future, the sisters will continue to branch out into other lifestyle segments beyond high fashion. Check out the Nichada Thani housing project for residences featuring Sretsis interiors, or Little Sister, the brand’s junior line for little girls. The Sretsis Parlour tea salon had to close following the Covid pandemic, but a line of tableware and home décor is still available under Sretsis Table. Moving in the direction of sustainability, their Sretsis Reimagined clothing line upcycles and reworks archival stock.

“I hope Sretsis becomes a brand known for its bonds of a Siamese sisterhood,” Pimdao says with a smile. “We may have started out featuring flowers from the West in our designs, but you’ll see how we are looking back to a lot of Thai flowers now. We hope the world sees how our Thai brand is whimsical, with fun and creative designs, while also mixing tradition with the unexpected. We may have studied fashion abroad, but I think that has enabled us to see the best of both worlds.”

“Into Sretsis Universe” is on display from 11am-6pm Tuesday to Sunday until September 30, 2022 at ATT 19. Accessible by car or walking distance from the Saphan Taksin BTS station. The Sretsis flagship store is located at Central Embassy.