Picture: Fashion shop It happened to be a closet in Bangkok.
In the sleek world of retailing, commercialism, marketing and advertising rule and it is easily forgotten that in the beginning of any successful products comes a visionary, passionate and dedicated individual, an individual who follows their own rules against common wisdom. When my friend Ann took me to heir sister’s fashion shop cum restaurant cum hair saloon cum bakery called “It happened to be a closet” the look and feel of the place immediately enthused me. And or in a website, I got really interested. The owner and visionary of the project is Ann’s sister (whose name I did not find out). Under the label “It happened to be a closet” she has her own funky fashion label and calls the shop that is housed in an older house of Khao San Road, Nero, as the house is black with gold-trimmings. She sells fashionable clothes in bright colors for 70$ upwards (a hefty price-tag in Thailand) and the Mediterranean food served in the restaurant is absolutely mouth-watering. One can choose to sit either right-smack in the middle of the shop, in the kitchen or in a living room. I asked my friend Ann why the shop is located on budget-traveler-Mecca Khao San Road and she said that her sister believes in that among the many budget travelers are also affluent ones. The from the outside rather sinister looking house is inside beautifully decorated and one feels like in a different, creepy world where Johnny Depp might come around the corner any time. Unfortunately the staff has also a mysterious and creepy edge to them, as they are mostly mute and evasive, as I felt sometimes like an intruder and that the place is just run for a closed circle of friends. And there lies also the challenge: can you go so much against any commercial wisdom and still prevail? Where does vision became a problem of distorted view? But then again, maybe the whole shop is not meant to make money and only a hobby of a visionary woman, who knows?
Picture: The house Nero is off Khao Sarn Road next to True Café.
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