In an interview with HYPEBEAST, rising jewelry designer Nok Salirathavibhaga talks of her origins and her inspiration for her collections.
"I’m from Thailand, Salirathavibhaga said when asked where she's from and how it played a role in her creativity. "I was born and raised here in Bangkok and I feel like where I’m from shaped me. My parents aren’t super strict Asian parents. They have suggested things, but I’ve always felt different in a way because I knew that I wasn’t going to do something that was expected of me. So, when I decided to go to art school it wasn’t truly a choice my parents would have made for me but, I feel like I’ve always felt different in my surroundings. But because of my upbringing and my parents were really chill, I was able to pursue what I really wanted in life."
When Salirathavibhaga was asked about where most of her clientele live, she said, "It’s interesting actually because when I started [Pattaraphan], I didn’t really think Thai clients would understand the brand. We didn’t really have this kind of brand, where it’s in between fine and fashion jewelry. So, when I started it was really difficult for people and the factories to understand the ideas. But, now Thai clients are actually one of our biggest bases and we do have clients overseas in Asia, Japan, Singapore, New York and throughout the U.S. basically. It’s interesting how [my brand] has transformed and I’m happy to be a part of the change that is happening in Thailand right now."
"I feel like now that I’m thinking about it, I have a lot of inspiration from my childhood for the concepts or collections," said Salirathavibhaga when asked if being in Thailand has inspired any of her collections. "I decided to make lockets because I read this Thai novel a million times and the main character is a really strong, independent woman [who I named the lockets after]. I wanted to do something in an intimate form and I thought of lockets. I like to get inspiration from dating life and just living basically. I feel like [my inspirations] are a mix of childhood memories and also finding inspiration everyday."
Information originally sourced from HYPEBEAST.