MANILA, Philippines?In the words of lead organizer Kriengsak Tantiphipop, senior managing director of the Emporium Shopping Complex, producing the first ever ?Emporium World Fashion Showcase? in Bangkok was like putting several fierce and proud cats in one box and making sure they were all happy enough not to claw each other.

A first in Thailand, and perhaps the rest of Asia, the recently concluded six-day event dubbed by many as the high-end equivalent of Bangkok?s annual fashion week featured the 2008 Spring-Summer RTW collections of such European powerhouses as Chanel, Chloe, Emilio Pucci, Kenzo and Valentino.

?Some of these super brands have done shows here before, but not on this scale,? said Tantiphipop. ?The clothes weren?t just pulled out from their stores in Bangkok. They were flown here direct from Europe a few weeks after they were shown there.?

In the case of Valentino, it was the first time its outgoing designer, the venerable Valentino Garavani, agreed to show his clothes outside Europe. The collection turned out to be his farewell crop of trademark figure-flattering gowns and cocktail dresses.

Ironically, however, the brand has just debuted in Bangkok. People behind the house are hoping that the fashion event would put Valentino in the spotlight as it tries to capture a substantial slice of the Asian market.

Meanwhile, Fendi paid tribute to its iconic Baguette Bag by showcasing ten versions of the same bag in ten ?pure? colors. Giorgio Armani collaborated with Samsung by hosting a party for ?real? people with a penchant for fashion as well as high-tech gadgets like the new Armani phone.

Reputable lineup

?I?m proud of the fact that we were able to attract a reputable lineup of brands,? said Tinakorn Asvarak, managing director of Kudo, the company in charge of producing and directing the shows. ?In a way, this is no longer new to us since we?ve already done shows abroad, including Paris, featuring Thai as well as international designers.?

Since it involved different brands, however, Asvarak and his team had to work double time, as each brand had its own requirements, from the set down to the styling. Most of the time they also had to cast different sets of models depending on the brand?s look and specs.

?Like after tonight?s Chanel show, for instance, we had 15 minutes or so to tear down the old set and make way for a new one. Everything has to be ready by tomorrow morning in time for rehearsals for the next show,? he said.

Indeed, apart from the lure of appealing to Thailand?s younger, more affluent customers, each brand got a featured night all to itself. If anything, the event also attested to Bangkok?s growing affluence and clout as a regional fashion hub at par with Singapore and Hong Kong.

?Demand for fashion, both low- and high-end, is fueled by local as well as foreign consumption,? said Tantiphipop. ?Customers, especially young people, are no longer loyal to just one or two brands. They love to try what?s new out there. These brands have realized the importance of reaching out to more customers through these shows so as not to be left behind by the competition.?

Missing pieces

Tantiphipop came up with the idea of putting together these so-called super brands in one event as early as 2004. In between organizing smaller shows featuring local designers, he was thinking of new ways to drum up interest as the Emporium marked its 10th anniversary in 2007.

?I hit upon the idea since it hasn?t been done before,? he said. ?The super brands were probably impressed with the way we?ve been producing local shows that they eventually said yes.?

The event, in a way, also completes the missing pieces of the puzzle by providing something for every Thai fashionista, from big spenders to those on tight budgets. Through this event, the world now knows what Thais like Tantiphipop have known all along: Bangkok is ready!

According to him, fashion has become a mammoth industry in Thailand with an estimated total turnover in 2007 amounting to $10 billion. In fact, he added, each upscale store in either the Emporium Shopping Complex or its younger and bigger sister mall, Siam Paragon, grosses $300,000 to $600,000 in monthly sales.

No doubt, tourism has had an enormous impact on the Thai economy, particularly on the fashion industry. Tourists account for close to 30 percent of fashion-related revenues, said Tantiphipop.

?Through these events,? he added, ?we also hope to stimulate demand. Fashionistas, especially those with the means, take their fashion seriously.?

Indeed, not a few denizens belonging to Bangkok?s ?hi so,? as Thais call members of the city?s perfumed social set, showed up wearing the featured brand?s clothes, often down to the shoes and accessories.

Strings of pearls and strands of chains and charms, for instance, dangled from the slim necks of not a few Thai women on Chanel night. Several women, including former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova, who?s married to a Thai sportsman, wore ?Valentino red? numbers during the Valentino show.

Fashion symposia

All events, with the exception of Pucci and Fendi, were held at the newly built Thailand Creative and Design Center on the Emporium?s top floor. And to make the series truly an ?uplifting? learning experience, organizers invited a number of fashion students to see the shows.

Organizers also held two afternoon symposia courtesy of Harper?s Bazaar and Chanel. The American glossy, which also has a Thai edition, tackled upcoming fashion trends for spring and summer (see related story on page D4) through its New York-based fashion and entertainment director Kirsten Ingersoll.

Chanel, meanwhile, through its regional marketing manager for fashion Stephanie Donnet-Couette, touched on the brand?s history and iconic emblems, and how they continue to add to its mystique and, of course, bottom-line figures.

Fashion may seem a bit frivolous on the surface, but behind the glamour and glitz attached to it, it?s a multibillion-dollar industry that thrives on image, timing and its insiders? uncanny ability to predict and immediately gratify the fickle tastes of die-hard followers.