When Bhutanese premier luxury fashion brand Chuni Dorji Prive and award-winning sustainable Thai jewellery brand Sarran joined forces, their cross-cultural collaboration produced a truly extraordinary and exquisite collection. Supported by Bhutan's Department of Tourism through the Global Environment Facility's Ecotourism initiative, the collection was inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Asia and bridges traditional and innovative craftsmanship.
The collaborative collection was initiated when Sarran Youkongdee, founder and designer of Sarran, and Chuni Tshering Dorji, founder and designer of Chuni Dorji Prive, were introduced by a mutual acquaintance. They then decided to team up to create a special collection which showcased their artistic pieces at fashion shows in Bhutan last year and recently in Bangkok.
Chuni Dorji Prive is a legendary fashion house in Bhutan. Bleu Tshering Dorji, assistant designer of the brand, shared that Chuni Dorji Prive is a Bhutanese based brand which specialises in women's fashion.
"All designs by the founder and key designer, Chuni Tshering Dorji, are an ode to the country's culture and people. It is a modern take on Bhutanese clothing. While the design isn't traditional, the embroidery and other elements are based on traditional motifs. Working on this collaboration was exciting because there had been no collaboration between a local and an international brand in Bhutan before. The collection is so beautiful and exquisite," said Bleu.
Courtesy of River City Bangkok
Created by Sarran, a renowned Thai jewellery designer, this collection is titled Dragon In The Sky because it was inspired by dragons, a Bhutanese symbol.
"During our first discussion, I felt that our collaboration should go beyond simply using each other's items. We wanted to experiment with a more integrated approach and merged our elements. Last year, I delved into information about dragons because 2024 is Year of the Dragon. Thus, when I learned that a dragon is featured on the Bhutanese flag, it sparked my interest," Sarran explained.
Sarran explained that the colour palette of this collection was inspired by Bhutan's vibrant blue skies and the slightly greenish hue of its lush forests. The collection features shades of blue, light blue and white with subtle hints of green to represent the reflection of the trees on the sky.
"Dragons play a symbolic role in this collection. Since Bhutanese clothing has a distinct style, I wanted to create jewellery that could be paired with any kind of Bhutanese outfits. The key piece of this collection is a brooch that tells a story of Bhutan through dragons. These pieces were inspired by an imagination of how dragons would live if they truly existed," explained Sarran.
"This collection also poses a question to Thailand that if Thais don't attempt to preserve their environment, will the sacred beings that Thai people worship continue to reside in the trees, skies and rivers?"
A dragon brooch.
Bleu shared that she was impressed with the theme Dragon In The Sky.
"Bhutan's traditional name is called Druk yul which literally translates to Land of the Thunder Dragon. Thus, the theme is beautiful. It is the perfect name with the perfect design."
In addition to the theme Dragon In The Sky, another key piece are head pieces which were inspired by both Bhutanese and Thai cultures.
"I used jasmine, a signature flower of Thailand. Personally, I think the colour and scent of jasmine best represent Thai femininity. In Bhutan, the royal blue poppy is iconic. Therefore, I use these two flowers to create a colour palette ranging from white to blue. This was a challenge as I am more accustomed to working with small petalled flowers, but the royal blue poppy has large petals. I had to learn entirely new floral anatomy and mechanics," Sarran explained.
To match Sarran's jewellery in the Dragon In The Sky collection, Chuni created many pieces with the same theme.
"Chuni came up with a bunch of dragons on different pieces of clothing. There are dragons on capes, stalls, shawls and jackets. Bhutanese wear a tego, which is like an outer jacket. Chuni modified the tego so that it could be worn with Western wear as well. Since Sarran's colour is blue-based, our brand picked up on it and used it in our clothes," said Bleu.
"All the motifs are hand embroidered and all the clothes are hand stitched. No machine was involved. Every piece that was created under Chuni Dorji Prive was chosen by Chuni. There is not a single piece that didn't pass through Chuni's hand, so our products are very detail-oriented."
Each designer conducted research on each other's culture and style. At the first fashion show in Bhutan, they met only a few hours before the photograph session to pair jewellery and clothes. Although they encountered challenges because some jewellery pieces and outfits did not match, their professionalism helped them adapt and overcome difficulties.
"I initially believed my jewellery could complement any outfit. However, when I arrived in Bhutan, I realised that some pieces didn't quite fit with their outfits. As a result, I had to adjust the proportions and create additional items to ensure a better match with specific outfits. To prepare onsite adjustments, I brought an extensive collection of jewellery. While the Bhutanese team requested 10 pairs of earrings, I prepared 30 pairs to offer flexibility," said Sarran.
"We weren't worried when some designs didn't match because Sarran has designed a lot of jewellery before and Chuni has created many outfits. We just had to make sure that there were enough pieces to match. Everything sort of worked out in the end," Bleu added.
Due to their talent and effort, the fashion show in Bhutan received a positive reception.
"It was the most exciting event since we actually saw all the pieces come to life. All our hard work and effort paid off because the fashion show went well. It was a very fluid show where models weaved their way among the guests and interacted with them and the audience loved it," said Bleu.
Sarran added: "I was glad to have an opportunity to work with Bhutanese women. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I created pieces that narrated stories of Japan and China and the brand had to use models in Thailand.
"When I narrated Bhutanese stories through this collection, I wished to see Bhutanese women wearing this jewellery. I felt like my mission is complete because Sarran's slogan is 'Every woman deserves elegance'. With Sarran's pieces, Bhutanese women are beautiful the way they are and proud of being themselves."
Jewellery pieces inspired by jasmine and the royal blue poppy.
The Dragon In The Sky collection is now available at Sarran Life Studio at River City Bangkok. Working on the collaborative collection for months has been an invaluable learning experience for Sarran.
"I expanded my knowledge of sizing, shapes and functionality. Additionally, I explored new crafting techniques and problem-solving methods. This experience helped me to understand the limits of what I can achieve. It has been truly rewarding and enjoyable," he said.
"I discovered that I want to explore places that I have never visited and these places may not be on the destination list for most travellers. I am open to working with any country and have already received some inquires, but I'm unable to disclose details at this time."
Collaborative looks by Chuni Dorji Prive and Sarran.
