Stylist So Matsukawa's personal guide to Thai markets.

Stylist So Matsukawa,
A very personal way to walk around the Thai market.

In an age when social networking services and AI can suggest fashions without you having to look for them, you have to walk around on your own feet to find them. It takes time, you may make mistakes, and you may not be able to see the future, but the elation you feel when you find something is irreplaceable. I thought about this as I spent two days with stylist So Matsukawa touring markets in and around Bangkok, Thailand. We started at Chatuchak Market in the middle of the night, when most of the markets were closed, and ended at Si Nakhalin Railway Market, one of the best used clothing markets in Thailand. We hope you will enjoy the photos taken at the markets and the interview with Mr. Matsukawa after his return to Japan to find out how he came to acquire the astonishing 36 items he purchased. The niche scale that only Mr. Matsukawa can provide is also a must-see.

Photo_Kai Naito

Text & Editit_Yuri Sudo

Chapter 6_Matsukawa's purchases and summary.

Below are a total of 36 items of clothing and miscellaneous goods purchased by Ms. Matsukawa in Thailand. The total purchase price was about 16,000 baht (about 80,000 yen). The stylist's appetite for material goods and desire to own is astonishing, as she refrained from buying even with this amount.

The weather in Thailand has made my T-shirts more cheerful patterns (laughs).

Accessories, etc. The pack T-shirt with two ducks is from a Thai body brand called Double Goose. The quality is good and affordable.

Triangular shade "Nonrah" and Indian "Dhoti". They may appear in Mr. Matsukawa's styling in the future.

Since this is your first time in Thailand, what was your impression of the country before and after your visit?

Matsukawa: I had heard from acquaintances who had been to Thailand and from the media that there was a tremendous overflow of secondhand clothing. I had an image that there were a lot of expensive band T-shirts, or I thought that the prices of American vintage clothes were skyrocketing. However, after actually coming here, I am happy to report that the issue of whether the clothes are fake or real, or where they come from, is not important to me, and that you can enjoy vintage Thai clothes from other perspectives as well. I hope this article will help you enjoy it from a different point of view. Because I would be happier to get this much stuff for the same price of 80,000 yen than to get 2 or 3 vintage T-shirts. (Laughs) And in terms of music and fashion, I felt such a sense of style that I think Japan will one day be eclipsed by Thailand.

The market in Thailand is not only for those who are familiar with vintage clothing, but also for those who are not familiar with it, visiting a place like this will give them a chance to find their own scale.

Matsukawa: I like to do research even when I am in Japan, so I think that people who like to do that kind of digging would be interested in this country. Nowadays, many people buy what celebrities and influencers recommend, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think you can find a different way to enjoy clothes in Thailand.