Fresh Faces: Nok Salirathavibhaga

Thai jewellery brand PATTARAPHAN is a nod to the designer’s own lived experiences
By Wei Ting Wong

FAM FRESH FACES is a series featuring young Southeast Asian fashion practitioners, where we speak with them about how they embarked on their careers and what propels them as creatives.

PATTARAPHAN, meaning “beautiful skin” is the Thai jewellery brand helmed by trained metalsmith, Nok Salirathavibhaga. PATTARAPHAN’s designs are the perfect blend of minimal style infused with Salirathavibhaga’s unique sense of storytelling inspired by her childhood and lived experiences in Thailand. 

Nok Salirathavibhaga.

In 2017, Salirathavibhaga graduated from Pratt Institute based in New York. She went on to intern at fine jewellery brand, KatKim, which gave her an insight into the industry she would become a part of. Since then, she has steered her company to new heights, opening a flagship store in the Thonglor district of Bangkok in 2023 then followed shortly with an online exclusive with British online retailer Mr. Porter, a big win for an independent designer. 

A signature from PATTARAPHAN is their locket series which was first spotted on celebrity Hailey Bieber. It has since become a mainstay for the brand. 

Baby Locket Necklace in Amethyst. Image courtesy of PATTARAPHAN.

Pavé Tagged Necklace in Amethyst. Image courtesy of PATTARAPHAN.

To start, could you talk about your background? What or who are the main influences your work draws upon? 

I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. I studied in New York and worked there for just under a year. I graduated with highest honours and was also given an outstanding student award from Pratt Institute, where I earned a BFA in Jewellery. My five years in New York has shaped my practice and the way I work.

I take inspiration from my own experiences and mundane everyday things. My interpretation of Thai heritage and culture plays a vital role in my designs and concepts and my main influences are indeed amalgamations of my own experiences.

While I do draw inspirations from paintings and art, this changes from collection to collection and they are only used to support my personal concepts. For instance, my Remnants series drew inspiration from bone paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe to highlight a period of heartbreaks. And my lockets are a nod to a Thai novel, Pritsana, which means mystery, that I loved reading growing up.

Could you describe the initial process of creating your brand, PATTARAPHAN? What was the story behind it?

I was finishing up my thesis year at Pratt Institute and was having a chat with my roommate in our living room. I told her I wanted to start my own brand. She told me to go for it, and that I could do it. That was the push I needed, as naive as I was. It’s funny how a seemingly small moment was the spark and the start of everything!

Pavé Baby Locket Necklace in Diamond. Image courtesy of PATTARAPHAN.

Nainate Garnet Ring and “Forever Young” Soleil Engraved Signet Ring. Image courtesy of PATTARAPHAN.

Ying Multi-Stone Bracelet. Image courtesy of PATTARAPHAN.

PATTARAPHAN recently launched an exclusive set of jewellery with Mr. Porter. Can you talk more about the process of that and what it means for the brand? Are there any specific elements of the designs that you would want people to pay attention to, and why?  

Launching on MR PORTER was definitely a milestone for us as a small independent Thai brand. On top of that, to be the first Thai jewellery brand to be on MR PORTER was even more of an honour for me.

For the first drop, we created a selection of exclusive styles for MR PORTER and simultaneously offered new gemstone variations and colours for our signature pieces. For instance, the popular Ying Bracelet was offered in multi-coloured stones for the first time on MR PORTER. Nainate Ring also debuted on MR PORTER. The ring showcases a large red garnet that sits on a setting with a slit across both sides of the setting while mimicking the shape of the eye, hence the name “Nainate”  that I made up, using the words “nai,” meaning “within” in Thai and “nate,” meaning “the eye.” It was a fun process to expand our collection and create these new pieces and I’d always love to point out all these minute details that can be traced back to my heritage and personal experiences.

Shroom Locket Necklace and Pavé Pritsana Locket Necklace in Amethyst. Image courtesy of PATTARAPHAN.

Could you share more of the creative and technical process of designing jewellery in general? What materials or techniques are your favourites to work with?

I don’t have a specific process per se. Some pieces are designed on paper, and some are created in CAD. Some prototypes are handcrafted and some are 3D printed and hand assembled and finished. Some pieces are completely new designs while others I expand from existing pieces, giving myself another type of challenge to grow each motif into new variations. I think that’s the fun of it. There is no fixed process, and I get to adapt processes and techniques depending on the design. Still, what is true across the board is the attention to detail for all of our pieces, the concept that goes into the seemingly minimal designs, and how I work closely with our vendors to create our prototypes.

I love sterling silver and the colour silver. Recently, we have been adding gemstones into our designs for our classic and newer pieces. It’s exciting to try out different stones, and add more colours to our offerings.

“There is no fixed process, and I get to adapt processes and techniques depending on the design. Still, what is true across the board is the attention to detail for all of our pieces, the concept that goes into the seemingly minimal designs, and how I work closely with our vendors to create our prototypes.”

As an emerging Thai designer, what are some of the key challenges you face and equally, opportunities that you seek?

On a day-to-day basis, I’d say running a business while being a designer means I am working 24/7. There is always something to solve and you have to constantly make sure you are leading and supporting your team in the most productive way.

At the same time, looking at the bigger picture, it’s definitely more of a challenge to expand globally being far away from big fashion cities. I try my best to travel for any opportunities that may arise, and keep pushing for more and more visibility for the brand. The team and I are heavily invested in the brand’s growth, and we want to keep pushing internally and externally.

What are your hopes for your local fashion scene, and in Southeast Asia as well?

I’m excited to see more brands being their most authentic selves and achieving great things locally and globally. I think we have many great talents in Thailand, and we are becoming more of a bigger player in the Southeast Asian region. People and brands overall are embracing their heritage, and not shedding our Asian or Thai identity so much anymore. I think that’s wonderful because our unique stories truly set us apart. It’s great when designers celebrate their identity and culture.

Rym Signet Rings and Ying Multi-Stone Bracelet. Image courtesy of PATTARAPHAN.

Finally, what are your plans for your label moving forward?

I’d like to focus on growing with longevity – our team, customers, partners and experiences. We opened our first flagship store last year. In June this year, we will celebrate the first anniversary of our grand opening. It’s been a special time for us, and I’d like to keep focusing on crafting a meaningful and rewarding experience for our clients at the store and across our channels. This will always be our focus. We are also expecting to expand our global retail partners, which I’m very excited for.

See more of Nok’s work here and on Instagram at @_pattaraphan_.