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THE FASHION PACK
THIN LEI WIN MEETS FOUR OF CAMBODIA’S TOP FASHION DESIGNERS WHO ARE ADDING COLOUR AND COUTURE TO THE COUNTRY’S STYLE PALETTE
CAMBODIA MAY BE BETTER KNOWN FOR ITS CULTURAL AND ARCHITECTURAL treasures, but in the past few years an intriguing mix of local Khmer designers and international couturiers have opened up shop, especially in Phnom Penh. While the quantity of boutiques may not be on par with its more established neighbours, this city offers quality labels with a distinctive style and identity.
Designer Eric Raisina is a keen observer of Cambodia’s fashion scene. He trained with Christian Lacroix and Yves Saint Laurent in Paris and keeps an eye on the hottest style makers. “Cambodia is not like Bangkok or Singapore where there’s a fashion week,” he explains. “But the country is putting out more and more interesting labels, and if you’re talking about workmanship, we are making some really beautiful things.” Raisina is especially impressed by the works of four designers, all of whom are bringing their homegrown labels to the world’s high-profile catwalks. Here, the four designers tell us more…
DESIGNER: ROMYDA KETH
LABEL: AMBRE
ADDRESS: 37 RUE 178, PHNOM PENH
SIGNATURE: BRIGHT COLOURS
Paris-trained designer Romyda Keth may be diminutive, but her collections are big, bold and vivid. Using an abundance of cotton, organza, jersey and Khmer silk, her head-turning designs feature intricate embroidery, smocking and signature touches, whether it is the cut of a double-breasted fuchsia silk coat or the addition of pink and orange straps on a backless jersey number in violet.
Keth’s fans range from Carole Bouquet, one-time Bond girl and wife of French actor Gerard Dépardieu, to high-powered executives and blushing brides-to-be from around the world. Her 13-year-old label is available in Paris, La Reunion, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo and Bogotá, to name a few. At the end of last year, she launched a classy menswear line. Keth considers herself a fan of “timeless clothes”, but laughs off the suggestion that she has been integral in putting Cambodia fashion on the world map, saying that her secret is in creating designs that she wants to wear herself.
She started her business with just three couturiers in a makeshift workshop in a corner of her home. Now she has more than 70 staff at her flagship Phnom Penh boutique, Ambre, a two-storey colonial building where rooms are continuously re-painted in colours that match her latest clothing line.
Despite her many achievements, Keth is in no hurry to take over the world. “I like to take things as they come,” she says, looking nonchalant. “My favourite collection is always the most recent one that I’ve done. I don’t think of the future or of the past. I just need to create every day.” And that’s exactly what she’s doing.
DESIGNER: SYLVAIN LIM
LABEL: KEO
ADDRESS: 9 STREET 222, PHNOM PENH
SIGNATURE: SHARP TAILORING
One of the first Khmer designers to make a name for himself, Sylvain Lim has rubbed shoulders with the who’s who of French fashion. He worked at Christian Dior and Balmain, and was personally advised by Guy Laroche to pursue a career in fashion.
After 32 years in Paris, the one-time Khmer classical dancer returned to Cambodia to set up Keo boutique in 2003. “I want to spend the rest of my life in my homeland,” he explains. “My dream is to start a fashion school one day to teach Cambodian people about clothing design.”
Located on the ground floor of Sylvain’s house in central Phnom Penh, Keo is his pet project and a labour of love. The minimalist space has few outfits and even fewer mannequins. Lim only keeps samples and makes the items once customers have chosen their preferred designs.
What he lacks in quantity, he makes up for in quality. Keo’s ready-to-wear collection is full of solid colours, clean lines and classic designs such as crisp white shirts, belted dresses and beautifully cut trousers that never go out of style.
His haute couture designs, made only by request, are much more vibrant and avant garde, featuring fabulous Khmer silk with detailed stitching and embroidery.
Lim says his designs are always guided by where he comes from. “Each time I create something, I always think about my Asian influence. Sometimes it is the material, sometimes it is the design. It’s always subtle – but I am Asian after all, and that always comes through in my creations.”
DESIGNER: PHON SREY POAN
LABEL: THREADS
ADDRESS: 56E1 SIHANOUK BOULEVARD, PHNOM PENH
SIGNATURE: CASUAL CHIC
The daughter of a rice farmer, Srey Poan has come a long way. Known as “Linda” by her mostly expatriate clientele, the designer’s modest one-room shop at the top of a flight of spiral stairs reflects her humble beginnings.
It was her friends who first encouraged her to open the store. They loved what she did with her own clothing and thought there was a market for her creative designs. They were spot on: her cotton, linen and silk creations are a hit and the boutique has amassed a steady stream of customers. She now has two employees to help her run Threads.
Getting the brand to where it is today was not all plain sailing. Without any formal training, Linda combined her background in art with her love of fashion and taught herself everything she needed to know about designing and making clothes.
Her creations, perfect for the stylish working woman, reflect her practical and fuss-free approach. She specialises in soft , breathable fabrics in bright prints that suit the tropical Asian climate. Her comfy trousers, simple shift dresses and well-tailored shirts are a hit in sizes that go up to extra large.
For her, being a good designer is about helping customers choose what works for them. She says, “Sometimes my regular customers aren’t sure what they want. I know their tastes well and I know what will fit, so I suggest some ideas and help them to make up their minds.”
DESIGNER: KULIKAR SOTHO
LABEL: KAMBUJA
ADDRESS: 165 ANG DUONG BOULEVARD, PHNOM PENH
SIGNATURE: EASTERN ELEMENTS
Sotho’s designs are an arresting mix. There is a pair of hipster pants with a striking red dragon embroidered along the length of the leg. Other outfits feature rice stalks or rambutans. Even the intricately beaded belts straddle the line between trendy and traditional.
“Our collection is a blend of Western design and Eastern mystique,” says Sotho. “It evolves all year to take into account changing seasons here in Cambodia and beyond.”
Launched in 2005, Kambuja is a collaboration between Kulikar and American designer Lauren Marrie. Before starting the label, Sotho ran a successful second-hand clothing store at the Central Market. Now Kambuja is housed in a duplex boutique as elegant as its collection, glowing with soft light and the sheen of lovely Cambodian silk.
The designer draws inspiration from the people and cultures she encounters on her travels, but she doesn’t have to look far for fabric. “Cambodia has exquisite silk, it’s considered some of the finest in the world, so there is no limit to the creative possibilities when designers open their imagination,” she says. “The future of Khmer couture is to concentrate on our unique resources to make beautiful silk creations that draw on boThtrend and tradition.”
Unsurprisingly, the bulk of Kambuja’s clothing is made from Cambodian silk, which is used for everything from comfy casuals to make-a-statement evening wear. The occasional splash of organza and satin adds different textures. Having just become a mother, Kulikar has been inspired to start a children’s clothing line, which should be on the racks by the time you read this article.
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