Fresh Faces: Zin Min Thike
Driving the Myanmar fashion landscape forward
By Sharrona Valezka
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.
Zin Min Thike is the founding designer of his emerging Yangon-based label, nri. After graduating from Pratt Institute in New York with a BFA in Fashion Design in 2018, he returned to Myanmar and established his brand two years after. nri’s collections are constantly influenced by the diverse culture of Southeast Asia, including Zin’s own Burmese roots. With nri, he hopes to drive the local fashion landscape forward by using clothing to create meaningful expression.
Zin Min Thike.
To start, could you talk about your background? What or who are the main influences your work draws upon?
My interest in fashion sparked in middle school, where I often sketched my friends in various outfits. This passion persisted, and I consistently pursued it even when my family was against it. I was initially enrolled as an interior design student at Pratt Institute in New York. However, due to my strong desire to pursue fashion, I transferred to the school’s BFA in Fashion Design programme after my foundation year.
I like to draw inspiration from various sources, including nature, art, and human experiences, but my primary influence is the rich and diverse culture of Southeast Asia. This cultural backdrop has had a profound impact on my design philosophy and creative process.
nri’s debut collection, 2020. Photo by Aung Kyaw Tun and styling by Chaw Chaw Su San. Image courtesy of Zin Min Thike.
‘A Retrospective Vision of Burmese Archival Portraits’, 2021. Photo by Zicky Le and styling by Swannie Dean. Image courtesy of Zin Min Thike.
How did the initial process of creating your label come about? What was the story behind it?
When the possibility of returning to New York became slimmer due to the challenges posed by the pandemic and political escalations, this setback pushed me to re-evaluate and reignite my creative pursuits. I transformed a small room in my house into a creative space, which marked the beginning of the transformative journey I find myself on today.
When developing my brand, I consciously chose not to associate it with my name. This decision aligns with my ethical stance, as a brand thrives through collective effort and cannot solely bear my name. Instead, I opted for a name that encapsulates the essence I aspire to create.
The name nri stems from a Southeast Asian Buddhist folklore centred around the kinnara and kinnari, mythical creatures embodying a profound and boundless love between them. These creatures, part-human and part-bird, carry diverse interpretations in various countries, with my hometown, Loikaw being the birthplace of the story in Myanmar. Within this narrative, nara and nari translate to man and woman respectively in the Pali language. Inspired by my passion for women’s fashion, I named my brand nri, derived from nari. It symbolises both my personal connection to my roots and my creative devotion to womenswear.
‘Leik Pyar: Butterfly’ collection, 2021. Image courtesy of Zin Min Thike.
I would like to know more about ‘Leik Pyar: Butterfly’, your capsule collection launched in 2021, which uses the metamorphosis of butterflies to symbolise the Burmese people’s spirit of liberation. What was the inspiration behind it and what did you wish to communicate through the collection?
In the aftermath of the brutal hardships brought about by the coup in Myanmar, I felt a compelling need to channel my emotions and experiences during these times of turmoil. The collection was shaped by the colours black, white, and red, which were used during the resistance movement. Black and white represents the profound divide that emerged in our nation, and red encapsulates the essence of the Burmese people's struggle for freedom and justice.
Coincidentally, I discovered a species of butterfly called the Diaethria Clymena, also known as the Cramer’s eighty-eight. This species mirrored the precise colour combination and displayed the number eighty-eight on its wings. The numerical symbol of '88' holds great significance in our country's history of political resistance. This discovery ignited a journey into the realm of textures and opacities, evident in the composition of the garments. Each piece aimed to convey transparency and contrast which was achieved through a juxtaposition of constricted fabrics sewn with elastic threads alongside free-flowing, flared materials.
The collection began to take shape by combining these textural and tonal contrasts with silhouettes inherent to traditional Burmese attire. It serves as a powerful embodiment of the emotions and aspirations that have emerged from our country's tumultuous circumstances.
“The collection began to take shape by combining these textural and tonal contrasts with silhouettes inherent to traditional Burmese attire. It serves as a powerful embodiment of the emotions and aspirations that have emerged from our country’s tumultuous circumstances.”
Development process of creating a collection. Images courtesy of Zin Min Thike.
Could you share more of the creative and technical process of creating a collection in general? What are the biggest challenges you faced and how do you solve them?
The process of crafting mood boards and assembling references is a significant step for me. As designers, our visually-oriented nature drives us to engage with these tools. Within this creative framework, colours, moods, silhouettes, and textures converge to create a garment with each element harmonising to convey a distinct vision.
I think that the main challenge in creating a collection is to execute and communicate the story solely through the garments and inter dialogues among the looks. During these challenges, I would seek guidance from my most trusted peers as their diverse creative journeys aid in refining my approach. This shared creative space helps to elevate my work, as well as to form the aesthetics and the depth of meaning I strive to convey.
‘Leik Pyar: Butterfly’ collection campaign, 2021. Photos by Zicky Le and styling by Swannie Dean. Images courtesy of Zin Min Thike.
You worked with your frequent collaborator Yangon-based photographer Zicky Le in executing the ‘Leik Pyar: Butterfly’ collection’s campaign photos. What was the concept behind the images? And how do they tie in with what you aim to communicate through the garments?
Our consistent collaboration is driven by our shared interest in creating contemporary fashion works inspired by our culture. Zicky's practice, which explores femininity and gender identities, has created an impact in the creative sphere. His lens provides a space and platform for individuals with strong cultural context, and his ability to create subversive fashion imagery helps bring out my garment in a more stylised manner, giving the garments personality and presence as a result.
As a young emerging designer in Myanmar, what are some of the key challenges you face and equally, opportunities that you seek?
Having studied fashion design in the United States, I have encountered different challenges in Myanmar. Navigating these challenges requires a good understanding of the local dynamics since the Burmese people's relationship with clothing is vastly different.
During these two years of observation and experience, I have noted that the individuals here mostly invest in custom dresses, particularly for wedding events— a cornerstone of the local economy within the fashion and creative sectors, including makeup artists and hairstylists.
One significant hurdle is the scarcity of fashion magazines and platforms that cater to local creatives. There is also a lack of institutional support to nurture the creative community. Most of the time, people rely on neighbourhood seamstresses to craft custom-fitted garments for events, which is a common practice in the local fashion scene.
What are your hopes for your local fashion scene, and in Southeast Asia as well?
In order to sustain ourselves, it is important for the entire creative community to firmly assert our presence, address our challenges, and educate our clients, who usually have little knowledge about our line of work. I believe fashion is more than just about aesthetics as it is also about creating a statement. When paired with substantial meaning, this statement has the power to create a long-lasting impact through our creative endeavours.
Our goal is to thrive in the industry through a collective effort that can catalyse change. With this, it will propel our community forward, and raise awareness about the value of fashion as a transformative force that creates meaningful expression.
“Our goal is to thrive in the industry through a collective effort that can catalyse change. With this, it will propel our community forward, and raise awareness about the value of fashion as a transformative force that creates meaningful expression.”
nri’s Resort collection 2022. Photo by Zicky Le and styling by Roxy Owan. Image courtesy of Zin Min Thike.
Finally, what are your plans for your label moving forward?
With nri, I have expanded my practice to custom bespoke fashion to cater to the distinct fashion landscape in Myanmar. However, the main focus of the brand remains on creating ready-to-wear pieces.
With this vision in mind, I am prepared to start a new chapter in my career, starting with an upcoming runway collection showcase in October this year. Through this collection, I hope to evoke emotions, provoke thoughts, and create a connection between the wearer and the stories embedded within each garment.
See more of Zin’s work on Instagram at @nri.ygn.
