BANGKOK, Thailand – Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya has appeared wearing a kimono crafted from Mudmee Thai silk featuring the butterfly pattern. The silk was produced by members of a Thai arts and crafts foundation in Nakhon Phanom province, demonstrating the adaptation of Thai textile heritage to Japanese traditional dress.
The kimono was created through the Thai Kimono Project, a collaboration between OMIYA Company, the Sustainable Arts and Crafts Institute of Thailand, the Office of Commercial Promotion in Tokyo, and the Department of International Trade Promotion. The project builds on the Don Koi and Na Wa models, developed under the guidance of Princess Sirivannavari, to advance environmentally responsible textile production and comprehensive craft development.
Over a year, Thai weavers and designers refined traditional silk techniques to meet the structural and aesthetic standards required for kimonos and obis. The work included adjusting fabric width, minimizing unused margins, softening Mudmee motifs to suit Japanese tastes, refining raised warp details, creating new heddle patterns consistent with Japanese design traditions, and adapting color palettes to match seasonal wear.
The result places Thai silk within the world of Japanese ceremonial attire, extending its cultural presence beyond Thailand and furthering the exchange of craftsmanship and textile heritage between the two countries. (NNT)
