The Only Son
Cubical design, contrasting color of black and white, unisex apparel and sporty illustrated line are the reflection of Au Ekbutr Udomphol in his brand The Only Son. After graduating from fashion course at the Sydney Institute of Technology, he began a modeling career for the Ksubi denim and later on putting his creative urge into design for the cult brand in 2002. His career in fashion prolonged by designing for Sass & Bide and followed by Tara Subkoff that led him to the city that never sleeps, New York.
After leaving his hometown for almost half of his life, Udomphol opted to go home to Bangkok and designing for his own brand there. In Autumn Winter 2010/11, his first collection launched assorted of men’s, women’s and unisex clothing and accessories. The collection is evocative of the fashion recession yet being true to the current trends. The Only Son itself is the English translation from his name Ekbutr. He likes that it gives a boyish attitude and women could choose the same pieces in the collection as men’s and mix it up.
His jewellery collection for Autumn Winter 2011 is also intriguing with design remind us with letters on the typewriter. The inspiration is derived from 19th century, such as French poet Arthur Rimbaud and writers’ stacks of papers. They are edgy and make a strong statement as jewellery consolidated with thoughtful and smart inspiration. Udomphol’s design recreates art in a special way in which fashion are free to explore creatively. One of his fans is the fashion blogger from London, Susie Bubble.
He elaborates how his experience in the fashion industry so far in a statement, “I learned a lot about the business and commercial side, a process that may not be every designers dream but is a crucial part of the job. So my perspective on the value and quality that goes in each collection and my work ethic have been effected by those experiences. I also gained understanding about both market places.”
For inspiration, Udomphol visits London and other parts of Europe, the fabric fairs and London Fashion Week/Paris Fashion Week. He hopes in the near future to participate in London Fashion week or shoot the look books in the city.
Below are few part of his interview in Dazed Digital with Rachel Walsh.
DD: How would you define your style?
Au Ekbutr Udomphol: Utilitarian meets sportswear, Future meets tradition.
DD: Which designers/stylists did you admire growing up?
Au Ekbutr Udomphol: Azzedine Alaia, Raf Simons and Helmut Lang. Joe Mckenna, Simon Foxton, Melanie Ward, Panos Yipanis and Carine Roitfeld when she worked a lot with Testino.
DD: Who do you design for?
Au Ekbutr Udomphol: Strong women and open-minded men.
(Images from Dazed Digital)
