Last Friday, I attended an exhibition in River City Bangkok, an iconic building by the Chao Phraya River. The exhibition showcased pieces from the collaboration between fashion brand Chuni Dorji Prive, from Bhutan and Sarran, a Thai jewellery line. Both brands bear the names of their respective designers.
The exhibition was held at Sarran’s flagship store in River City, starting around 2 p.m. with guests arriving promptly after. Oak Kruggerd, Brand Partner for Sarran, shared with me the story behind Sarran. Sarran’s inspiration comes directly from the designer’s childhood: raised by a single mother who he wanted to “cheer up”; Kruggerd shared that Sarran’s motto is to make “Every woman happy,” with pieces that are mostly flower based, from earrings to pins.
The exhibition was a full-circle moment as Sarran was in Bhutan earlier this year, for a similar exhibition. When asked about their visit to Bhutan, Kruggerd took a long breath and smiled.
Symbols behind Sarran’s Designs
Jasmine – mindfulness, the Cape Jasmine –wisdom, and Blue Poppy, the inspiration for the most recent exhibition and Bhutan’s national flower .
Exhibition Theme: Dragon in the Sky
I also spoke with Bleu Dorji, assistant designer at Chuni Dorji Prive. When asked about her thoughts on the exhibition she seemed elated, sharing that her Bhutanese name actually means Blue Poppy.
The Dragon, a reigning theme for the design appears on Bhutan’s national flag.
Dorji shared that the collaborative project took about a year. While presenting one of their pieces, a Kimono style jacket, Ashi Chuni Dorji shared that she wanted to create something that was Bhutanese that others could also wear.
The exhibition saw mostly Thai attendees with few Bhutanese expats like myself. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to purchase anything. Maybe I will make that effort in the future, when my circumstances improve.
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