The government will continue promoting Thai silk as part of its efforts to make Thailand's soft power conquer the world, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam in his capacity as chair of the committee organising the 11th Celebration of Silk, Thai Silk Road to the World, on Saturday.
Guests from about 100 embassies and consulates gathered last night at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall, near the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, for the annual Thai silk fair, organised for 11 years now to honour Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother for her dedication to the development of Thai silk and the promotion of silk products at an international level.
The government appreciated the cooperation of embassies and consulates in supporting the promotion of Thai silk, including their use of Thai silk in designs of their national costumes, said Mr Wissanu.
A total of 227 designs have been submitted to the 3rd Big Silk Designer Contest, held as part of the annual Thai silk event, said Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome.
Designed by more than 200 fashion design students from universities and colleges around the country, the Thai silk collections were displayed last night at fashion shows.
The contest not only showcases Thai culture and heritage attached to Thai silk but also attracts young Thais interested in traditional fabrics and encourages them to incorporate Thai silk into modern fashion design. This could become a new area of Thailand soft power, said Mr Itthiphol.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Thailand each year invited a huge group of international fashion designers to take part in the annual event designing and displaying their Thai silk collections.
One of the highlights at last night's event was a fashion show in which the permanent secretaries of all 10 ministries displayed on the catwalk Thai silk collections designed and produced in recent months.
Diplomats, as well as professional, amateur and guest models also presented new collections in another show as part of the same event.
