Veteran Thai Designer Kai Ukas Revives Samui Textiles
The article is about veteran Thai designer Kai Ukas (Peerumaka Worarasetthap) reviving Samui textiles. Key points: 40+ years experience, Golden Thimble Award in France 2000, now based in Koh Samui creating contemporary fashion with local Sa
If the West has Coco Chanel and John Galliano, Thai fashion has "Kai Ukas" — KAI UKAS or Peerumaka Worarasetthap, a female designer with over 40 years of experience in the fashion industry, with outstanding works across many eras and a creative identity that never stops creating.
From international fashion stages to designing uniforms for Abu Dhabi Services and creating distinctive fabric patterns, KAI UKAS is one of the Thai designers who brings experience and creative thinking to multidimensional works spanning contemporary fashion, culture, and local identity.
From the French stage to the pride of Thai designers, a major career milestone was winning the Golden Thimble Award from the French fashion stage in 2000, a significant pride that remains part of the experience shaping her design perspective continuously.
She never disappeared, just kept creating in her own way. While many may wonder "Where has Kai Ukas gone?", the answer is she continues working in fashion continuously, with Koh Samui as another important base for creating works including fashion clothing, uniforms, and Samui-patterned fabrics designed to convey local charm through a contemporary fashion lens.
Her works have earned the trust of leading hotels on Koh Samui, including Melati Beach Resort & Spa, Chaweng Regent Beach Resort, and Six Senses Samui, as well as fabric design projects for the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Eastern Region, which showcased her works in a fashion show at the "Thai Tiew Thai" event at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, honored by Kanokkittika Kritwutthikorn, Director of the TAT Eastern Region, who wore the designs.
At the same time, Samui-patterned fabrics have drawn interest from local agencies and activities, from tailoring staff uniforms to presenting fabrics to cruise ship captains visiting Koh Samui, and producing over a thousand shirts for the island's Chak Phra festival — another example of bringing local identity into practical use.
Fashion without boundaries, connecting art, music, and diversity. KAI UKAS's works also link to the entertainment world, with singer Geng Thachaya among the artists who have worn her designs for performances both in Thailand and abroad. Additionally, she has designed costumes for female DJs at Tomorrowland events in both Thailand and Belgium.
Throughout her career of over 40 years, KAI UKAS — "Kai Ukas" — has created works ranging from fashion apparel and evening wear to uniforms and fabric patterns, while striving to promote and elevate Thai textiles from various provinces into contemporary fashion pieces with distinct identity that are genuinely wearable.
