What if a hoodie was stuck on a desert island? This is the question VeniceW, real name Venice Wanakornkul, asked when imagining her SS23 collection, Question Mark Island? Featuring a gang of “living hoodies”, each with their own unique personalities, the Thai designer’s latest release combines bubbly, rounded silhouettes with cutesy cartoon details to imagine a fantasy world where garments run amok. “They don’t need food nor water like we do. But in VeniceW’s world, the hoodie is hallucinating about having its own imaginary hoodie-friends to hang with,” she says. “Some have funky mohawks, some grew canopy-esque fringes, almost like a sun protector. Some seem antisocial while others seem talkative.”
With slouchy designs that feel as if they’ve been plucked from the recesses of a child’s imagination, Wanakornkul’s collections often come accompanied with fantastical campaigns, ranging from a Stone Age delivery app to a sleepy London transport-themed shoot, intended to pull wearers deeper into her visual universe. “I like that all VeniceW clothes look very friendly,” she says. For the SS23 collection, she took inspiration from the surrealist game Exquisite Corpse to create modular items consisting of a head, body, and legs. These are then translated across a selection of head pieces, hoodies, and skirts to be mixed and matched. “Looking at the hoodie, I see the hood as a head, sleeves as arms, and the body as a living energy. So it made sense to try character building hoodies with a fun design process.”
Out of all Wanakornkul’s designs, perhaps her oldest and most recognisable is the Flying Bag, which has gained It-bag status among certain dedicated circles. Once described to me as ‘the Telfar of alt girls’, the whimsical tote is a recurring item across VeniceW’s collections and has garnered instant cult appeal for its giant, cartoon eyes and a playful three-fold flap. “It’s inspired by the lunch bags used by elementary school kids,” she explains. “Those bags usually look just like animal cartoon characters and always come in a bright colourway. I thought it would be fun to turn them into an adult’s handbag version, more serious, grown-up and elegant looking.” Below, we get to know Wanakornkul on a deeper level, her internet obsessions, and biggest misconceptions.
When did you first become aware of the power of fashion?
VeniceW: When I was torn between staying in Thailand to study fashion design or leaving my home country to study in the UK, my mom asked me, ‘Do you want to be wearing a university uniform every day for four years while studying fashion design?’ I made the decision within a second.
Please share the most recent note from your notes App!
VeniceW: Circle line smells like Mac D
Smells like fries. Tantalising
VeniceW Emoji Set
Update website
The day after hangover day feels like re-born.
Print TV, fireplace, mirror/, carpet, paintings, calendar, clock
Laundry mountain, VeniceW
What would your ghost outfit be?
VeniceW: Invisible ghost! [Not showing up]. Just kidding, perhaps the Sadako hoodie from our latest collection.
What’s your star sign and are you a typical one of that star sign?
VeniceW: I’m a Libra and I think so, I’m rooting for balance and fairness!
We are known for being indecisive but I think I could be very decisive these days, as a fashion designer, we have to make decisions all the time.
What’s your weirdest internet obsession?
VeniceW: Online shopping, I could look at eBay for hours to see what’s good.
What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given?
VeniceW: Take Tube instead of bus [only when you’re not in rush though].
What are people’s biggest misconceptions of you?
VeniceW: Nationalities can be confusing. Sometimes people think that I am American and that I have a fluent American accent. I was actually born in the US, but I’m Chinese by blood, and Thai by nation – I have a Thai accent 😛
What would the line-up be in your nightmare blunt rotation?
VeniceW: Bran Stark, the Gringotts Bank’s goblin, and Harry Potter under his invisible cloak.
