For this time, we’re invited Tatsura, the founder of Frank Garcon, which is the lifestyle store in Bangkok. This store has became one of the hottest spot in Bangkok with its retro anime style visuals and a wide variety of high quality items. Asian Voice Project is produced by Nana, the brand director of SIXTYPERCENT, will be interviewing fashion directors from around Asia to find out more about popular local spots, street fashion and hip hop in their countries. Let’s take a look at some of the up coming icons from the local culture where highly sensitive designers gather.
Nana : Hello! Can you tell us about your brand?
Tatsura : FRANK! GARCON is a lifestyle brand located in Siam, and the name of the brand is based on how to express the mood that FRANK! FRANK means both “playfulness” and “humility and sincerity”, and GARCON is a French word that means a boy’s body at play!
Nana : I was curious about the meaning of GARCON! Did you come up with the design idea for FRANK!
Tatsura : Yes, I did. The fashion market in Thailand is surprisingly lacking in brands for teenagers, especially for boys. So we decided to focus on youth as the identity of the brand. FRANK! stores carry many brands launched by Thai designers, so we aim to become a hub to support Thai artists and designers. to be a hub to support Thai artists and designers.
Nana : Can I ask you a little bit about your fashion career?
Tatsura : FRANK! was founded by Paula, Loucksorn, Urm and myself. Paula and I have owned another leather shoe store called London Brown in Siam for about 10 years. Looksorn has a women’s fashion apparel business, Urm is a senior art director at Oglivy and does advertising.
FRANK! is a hub for Thai artists and designers, bringing together many brands with their own unique personalities
TATSURA from FRANK! GARCON
Nana : I’ve never heard of a founding team of 4 people! By the way, do you have any Asian hotspots in Bangkok that you feel are worth mentioning?
Tatsura : Speaking of Asian hotspots, I would have to say Jatujak Market! It has a very unique atmosphere. It’s a place where you can get inspired by the fusion of local and new cultures. Siam Market is also a favorite of mine. I think foreigners must visit Siam Market when they come to Thailand. The BACC and the Art & Culture Center in Siam Market are one of the main spots in Siam Square.
Nana : FRANK! is also located in the Siam area, please tell us the main concept of FRANK!
Tatsura : FRANK! is a hub for Thai artists and designers, bringing together many brands with their own unique personalities. We aim to be a place where people in Thailand can easily access art and fashion. The variety of brands and products is also quite diverse, and I think many customers will remember FRANK! as a lifestyle store rather than a fashion store.
FRANK! is like a showroom where many shining stars in the field of fashion and lifestyle gather, including streetwear, lounge wear, vintage, sartorial, and workwear. The challenge for us is how much we can pursue a balance between that showroom-like appeal and the ease with which we can easily fit in with art and fashion. I think it is important for people to feel that they can actually purchase the products while enjoying them with their eyes. I think this is also linked to the brand name of “FRANK”, which is a sincere and friendly boy.
Nana : Are there any places that inspires you by ?
Tatsura : Books I read, music I listen to, people I meet, and places I visit are all sources of inspiration for me. There is no boundary of inspiration within me, and every single encounter I have leads to an idea for a design. I think Bangkok is a place where there are so many points of inspiration in general!
Nana : I think FRANK!’s unique worldview through SNS is very appealing.
Tatsura : Of course it’s my goal to expand FRANK! I feel that it is very important for us, as the main space, to think about how we can let people know about Thai design through FRANK!
