PATTARAPHAN is a Thai-based jewelry brand that is dedicated to creating original pieces that are made by hand and pair effortlessly with any wardrobe. I caught up with the founder, Nok Salirathavibhaga, who shares how she started her company, how the brand is sustainable and how she has been navigating this current time period.

Given all that is happening in the world, how are you navigating this time both personally and professionally?

It is definitely a strange time for everyone! During the lockdown in Bangkok a few months ago, I actually had so much more free time because I didn’t have to sit in traffic for hours, and most projects were put on hold. All that free time in combination with the weight of the pandemic was actually super stressful for me because I felt really unproductive. However, once I stopped worrying so much and learned to enjoy having time on my hands, my free time became freeing, rather than taxing. It gave me a chance to connect more with family and loved ones at home and virtually. My twin sister, who is still in New York, and I began talking more every day to help each other, bouncing ideas off of each other for personal and professional projects. I also had time to watch so many documentaries and films that I never had time for. This personal adjustment ended up making me super inspired, centered, and calm.

As for PATTARAPHAN, adapting was really challenging at first. Like any other brands, we were dealing with this unknown world. I had to make sure that PATTARAPHAN stay afloat, while enforcing new procedures to ensure health and safety of our team members. Production was particularly difficult, as I couldn't stop by the factory to oversee projects in person and had to completely change many campaigns we had planned. However, since everyone is dealing with the same issues around the world, I decided to not be so hard on myself for not achieving all the goals I had for PATTARAPHAN this year. For someone who is constantly thinking about what I and the brand can do better, this lesson is one of the most important lessons I learned during this time -- staying centered, being grateful for good health, and thanking myself for small victories or for just pushing through are so crucial to my life and the brand now.

What were you doing prior to launching your brand?

I studied Jewelry at Pratt Institute and I actually started PATTARAPHAN around the time I was finishing up my senior thesis. Because of my studies, I had been designing and making my own conceptual art jewelry. But towards the end of my degree, I started to think more commercially because I knew I wanted to start my own brand. So even before I graduated, I was already designing and producing a few PATTARAPHAN pieces. After graduation, I interned at a few places, in fashion wholesale and jewelry production, and eventually worked at a boutique jewelry store in Brooklyn. This time right after graduation was a brief pause for the brand. Looking back, this break was necessary for PATTARAPHAN’s growth, as I gained fashion business insights from so many talented people. In 2018, I returned to Bangkok and this is when PATTARAPHAN really came to life.

I love how the brand is keeping the earth at the forefront when it comes to design especially when it comes to plastic. Can you share more about your philosophy and approach to sustainability?

In my daily life, I am very conscious about sustainability. However, as a small independent brand, we currently have limited resources and capabilities. Thus, although sustainability is at the core of many things that we do, we do not call ourselves a fully sustainable brand – mainly because we are always learning and are definitely not where we want to be yet. I believe that all brands, including PATTARAPHAN, can do better for the Earth. Businesses do not have to label themselves as “sustainable” to take day-to-day actions—no matter big or small—to better local communities and our planet. I truly believe that individuals’ and businesses’ actions combined can help shape our future.

Thus, we are always looking for creative sustainable solutions that we can use and slowly implementing them. For instance, since day one, we have always produced locally in limited quantities to limit the amount of resources we use, while ensuring that we never ever overproduce. Since early 2019, our factories have been using paper to wrap finished products instead of putting pieces in plastic bags the way most jewelry productions around the world practice. Our paper jewelry boxes and shopping bags are not coated in plastic so they can decompose naturally. Our paper mailers are recycled, and our next step is finding alternative materials for our jewelry pouch. We are currently exploring deadstock and upcycled materials, as the pouch has to be tarnish-resistant to help our clients care for the jewelry.

As the founder and designer, I try really hard to educate myself and find more solutions. Thus, we are looking to incorporate circular business practices so PATTARAPHAN can one day be a circular business. I guess my approach really is to simply be conscious when it comes to your impact and what you can do to improve. Be active in finding solutions, be ready to experiment and change, and believe that one day you will get there. These ideas are quite new to Thailand and I'm glad to be part of the change within the industry and society.

I think most people look to fashion as doing harm to the environment. Do you think that the accessory sector also has to be more aware of their environmental footprint?

Until all businesses are circular, any sector has its share of leaving negative impact on the environment and must do better. The jewelry sector is no exception. It would be ideal for us to all use recycled metals, but not every brand can afford to do that yet. However, there are many other ways to be more conscious when it comes to our footprint, such as not using express shipping, which uses more resources than regular shipping, having the ability to design and produce high-quality products on your own terms without mass-producing, and educating your team members as well as supporting them to make better choices for the environment professionally and in their personal lives. The list is endless!

All of the pieces are handmade in Bangkok. Why was it so important to produce the pieces in Thailand?

As much as we are a contemporary edgy brand, PATTARAPHAN is unapologetically Thai. My Thai heritage has been in PATTARAPHAN DNA since the beginning. I guess it is an influence from both my maternal and paternal grandmothers, who fiercely loved Thailand and supported Thai artistry in their own ways all their lives. I grew up really appreciating Thai arts and traditions and could see how they were slipping away in today's world. So, it was very natural and important for me to support local artisans, culture, and community. Another core value of PATTARAPHAN is quality and Thai craftsmanship epitomizes this quality like no other, so basing our production in Thailand was never a question.

When you are looking for inspiration to design a new collection, where do you turn?

All of my collections stem from my personal experiences from discarded soda tabs to a Thai national animal. But in order to see how my experiences may fit into other people's lives as well as to contextualize my ideas into objects that people can wear, I love traveling and going to galleries and museums. I often find new shapes and forms that I can use for my designs when I get out and see more things. Inspirations that come from my own self for the concepts and inspirations that come from the outside world really go hand in hand for my collections.

What do you do if you are stuck creatively?

I would do anything else besides creating. I would talk to my friends and family, watch a really really good film, or just listen to music. Letting your mind wonder without having the pressure to work, design, or create is one of the best things to do when you are stuck!

What are you most proud of about your company?

I think authenticity. We make quality designs and decisions that are unique to us and this comes through in everything we do. Even the simplest designs mean something to me and came from somewhere that is truly authentic to me and PATTARAPHAN. We make a design because it means something. Staying true to who you are is a quality to be proud of no matter what you do.

PATTARAPHAN in three words?

Unpretentious, tender, and rebellious.

Images courtesy of brand

Behind the Brand | PATTARAPHAN Founder Nok Salirathavibhaga