Retail
The Decorum, Phaya Thai
What started in 2017 as a sharply dressed side hustle for its two co-founders has grown into Bangkok’s foremost menswear retailer. The Decorum (pictured above) has a growing number of shops across the Thai capital with an expanding own-label collection and an active calendar of trunk shows. The original Ari flagship is worth a visit if you’re after well-made casualwear. Its sister shop, Club Luminaries, is on the same street.
Onion, Watthana
Hidden down a quiet alley in Ekkamai, this independent, multi-brand store and adjoining coffee shop pulls in a fashionable crowd. Stocking bags and sunglasses as well as shoes and clothes, owner Sorasak Chanmantana offers a selection of Japanese and Thai outfitters with some fashion-forward Korean brands. Onion’s own label focuses on wardrobe staples suitable for everyday wear. A concession recently opened at Central Chidlom but the original shop is still worth a visit.
Philip Huang, Pathum Wan
Model Philip Huang and his wife Chomwan Weeraworawit started this fashion label in 2016 to combine modern design with Northern Thailand’s indigenous textile crafts, organic fibers and handmade textiles. The latest collections of menswear and womenswear, available at the pair’s Phloen Chit showroom, are going beyond the brand’s indigo roots to make use of newly developed natural dyes.
Patcharavipa, Pathum Wan
Patcharavipa Bodiratnangkura began designing jewellery as a teenager before getting a degree from Central Saint Martins and setting up her own brand. Patcharavipa’s flagship showroom in Bangkok also houses the brand’s atelier, where the founder sometimes works alongside her goldsmiths; rings are her speciality. There are Patcharavipa collections for both men and women.
Open House, Pathum Wan
This lofty, open-plan bookshop dominates the top floor of Central Embassy, a high-end shopping mall. Open House takes pride in its carefully curated selection of English titles and international magazines, while an array of comfortable seating and semi-secluded nooks encourage perusal. Neighbouring coffee shops provide ample room for conversation and there’s usually a retail pop-up to browse.
Paya, Watthana
Thailand is full of beautiful textiles and this family-run fabric shop in Ekkammai is the best place in Bangkok to buy a colourful length of cloth. Located in a standalone house, Paya’s custom-design service is popular with Bangkok residents but there are plenty of pillowcases, blankets and wall hangings to walk away with.
Good Goods, Pathum Wan
Thai retail giant Central Group created this contemporary fashion accessories-to-food brand to lend a hand – and some design nous – to Thailand’s traditional craft producers and artisans. T-shirts and zip bags share the shelves with ceramic mugs, Chiang Mai coffee beans and Thai honey.
JBB, Pathum Wan
Designer Jirawat “Bote” Benchakarn launched his JBB menswear label in 2007. Originally producing the kind of well-cut shirts that he wanted to wear himself, Benchakarn quickly expanded to his signature blazers and pleated trousers. These “Made in Thailand” silhouettes are available at JBB’s flagship boutique in Gaysorn Tower, alongside more casual cuts and looser fits.
Pañpuri, Pathum Wan
Vorravit Siripark founded Pañpuri in 2003 with the intent of creating a luxury Thai spa brand to match the country’s reputation as a wellness destination. More than two decades later and Pañpuri has a boutique in each of Bangkok’s top shopping malls and it’s known around Asia for its natural oils, uniquely Thai ingredients and bestselling Andaman Sails aroma.
Pronto & Co, Khlong Toei
By transferring the grit of heritage denim into numerous Bangkok malls, Chnanon Sachdev has seemingly done the impossible with Pronto Denim. Today, the business is considered one of the world’s most successful purveyors of raw denim. Sachdev’s shops display tasteful vintage items, while a team of denim aficionados add to the atmosphere. Head to the Pronto shop in Empshere and pop by Soup, Sachdev’s mini-department store concept.
Chabatree, Pathum Wan
Homeware brand Chabatree is committed to using exclusively Thai wood at its factory in northern Thailand. Founder Phan Takkavatakarn is an engineer by training but a designer by inclination, combining both elements to create perfectly weighted cutlery and highly functional salt and pepper grinders. Collaborations with artisanal metal brands from Japan and Germany have extended Chabatree’s wooden range to kettles and cooking pots.
Beams, Khlong Toei
Known for its casual, everyday clothing for men and women, Japanese brand Beams chose Bangkok for its first outpost in Southeast Asia. The Tokyo-based label relocated the original Emquartier boutique to a bigger and brighter space in nearby Emsphere, where fellow Japanese retailer United Arrows recently opened its first multi-brand shop in the region.
