KongArt Week

2. The Designer's Client

DAY 2 - Shopkeeper AU

Being a world-renowned fashion designer at the age of 25 was unusual for the world to see, and yet Arthit Rojnapat made that possible. He was able to focus his career path on the eve of his college years, already being scouted by different stylists from different parts of Asia, being recognized as one of the youngest designers in time.

Holding his first needle at age 6 was one of the most memorable days of his life. Being it also the first time he pricked his finger and cried about it, and after a bandaid application, five minutes later, he was able to make his first stitch. It was one of the best things he has ever experienced in his life, and Arthit could never be more thankful that his mom bought the mini sewing kit for him for his birthday. It was unusual for boys to like this field, usually, they would want to have dinosaurs or cars for their toys but Arthit just wanted a needle, a thread, and some cloth. He didn't need anything else.

It was fortunate that his parents never questioned his hobbies, they were skeptical at first but once they saw their son's happiness whenever he held that piece of stitched cloth, they knew it was the thing Arthit loved. Soon, he was able to finish his first piece, which was a pillowcase.

His mother told him that he should start with one of the most basic and useful pieces to make with the cloth, and he doesn't know how to pattern things yet with a model so he went with something as simple as a pillowcase. Until now, that pillowcase still covered his favorite pillow in the home of his condominium suite.

When Arthit finished his first clothing, it was a simple dress. Elegant, in its own way with all sorts of colors and pleated design, intricately sewn gems, and perfectly seamed stitches. He was in middle school, age 10. The money he got to use for the dress was from his own savings as well as the additional things he asked whenever his birthday came up. He went to a fairly ordinary school, but when he brought his dress during class to show his teacher, as a submission for his art project, everyone was in a state of shock at how beautiful the dress was. This was the start of his career.

In his small town, he became the most interesting subject; everyone talked about the talented Arthit Rojnapat and his dress.

From then on, everything skyrocketed. He went viral on the internet, and he made a name for himself. The moment he produced his next work, everyone was already interested in what he can do. Arthit would call himself very lucky because, at that moment, a very famous fashion designer took interest in him and offered him an avenue to pursue his work professionally. So, at the age of 15, he was able to travel to Paris, after having proved time and time again that he was as talented and as skilled as he produced his work. He had extremely difficult times keeping up with the demand, both from his instructors and his small line of clients.

He'd become the apprentice of the legendary Krist Perawat at age 18, after seeing something from him when he worked for his branch in Thailand. After being successful in tailoring a suit for his husband, an award-winning film director, for his first masterpiece, Krist decided to take him in and train him, expose him to the world of fashion, art, and beauty. A lot of things happened along the way, and he was now able to make a true name for himself in the industry, he's traveled across the world and showcased his designs in different runways. He loved every bit of his career, and he vowed to himself that he would inspire a lot of kids who had a passion for this industry.

Now, he was able to establish his own branch in his home country, and this was now honed as his main branch, even after living in Europe for so long. Krist understood his decision, even after encouraging him to stay in Paris, but Arthit respectfully declined, saying that he wanted to go back to his home and inspire others from there.