From African Roots to Global Streets: My Thailand Fashion Week Experience

Fashion Week isn’t just a show, it’s a mirror. And last week, it reflected back exactly who I am. The fabrics moved like stories — silk whispering, chiffon dancing, colors clashing and then harmonizing. Every designer reminded me that fashion is never just fabric. It’s memory, identity and rebellion stitched into form. What stood out most was how global fashion is shifting, designers aren’t playing safe anymore. They’re mixing eras, bending borders and redefining what ‘runway-ready’ means. For the first time, I didn’t shrink myself to blend in. I expanded. That’s what color does, it gives you permission to take up space.

Walking into Thailand Fashion Week with Max, both of us dressed in Mandala Bloom, felt like stepping into a quiet sea dressed as the sun. Everyone around us was in black. We were the few who weren’t and trust me, people noticed.

For a second, I questioned whether the stares were good or bad. But this is how we dress at home. Color is culture. Color is confidence. So I let my African fashion take the blame, lifted my head and owned the moment.

Once the show began, everything changed. The runway became a world tour of cultures speaking through fashion and I felt every designer in my own way.

The Crowd

Before even looking at the runway, the crowd caught my attention. There were photographers everywhere, they came in all ages, all styles, all backgrounds. Max was included. It truly felt like a union of nations, a reminder that fashion brings people together.

And the people seated?
They looked so stylish it almost felt like another runway. Everyone wanted to be seen. Everyone sat like they were already posing for a picture. I had to adjust myself so many times — legs crossed, chin up, shoulders back — trying to fit into the postures that felt right for a space where style wasn’t just worn… it was performed.

It was fashion energy from every angle.

Designers Who Shifted My Perspective

Nario Sato
Opened with Japanese kimono fabrics pieces transformed into Tokyo street style. I felt every piece, the blend of tradition and youthfulness made sense, just like how African prints evolve while holding their roots.
The way each garment moved felt intentional, tradition treated with a modern pulse, a bridge between old-world reverence and street style boldness.

Tish
Brought an all-white collection that felt “shaky” to me, not shaky in quality, but shaky because my African-trained eyes weren’t used to that silhouette. I wasn’t sure if the models were comfortable or if it was simply my own unfamiliarity. Most likely, it was all in my head.
But that’s what minimalism does, it challenges your eye to slow down and observe. It whispered where other collections shouted.

Don Cristobal
Changed the energy completely — colors, boldness, unique see-through fabrics and a lineup of models from old to young, slim to full-figured. That inclusivity reminded me of home. Everyone fit. Everyone belonged.
His work felt loud, proud and beautifully human.

Wichuda
Introduced a summer-sexy vibe with soft, airy silhouettes and warm, easy movement. Her pieces had a relaxed elegance that felt perfect for the season. Somewhere in the mix, I even spotted a headscarf tied in a way so different from how we do it back home — a small detail, but it caught my eye and made me smile.

Immerse Fashion Academy
Came in with raw creativity and bold ideas, thinking completely outside the box. Their expressions felt fearless and refreshing. Their fabrics spoke for themselves.
Their presentation had an unfiltered boldness — the kind that doesn’t explain itself, it simply lets creativity speak.

July Archives
Gave elegance in loud form: rich fabrics, dramatic presence, and a style that screamed, “Where is the wedding at?” Too much? Yes, but the good kind of too much. The couture kind.
It was maximalism at its best — intentional, dramatic and impossible to ignore.

Issabelle C
Followed with calm colors and bold designs. It was bold meeting calm in a perfect balance, the kind of fashion I expected to see on a runway and also the kind I would be honored if I got to wear.
Her pieces felt like confidence done quietly and strength folded into softness.

Luxe
Risk-taking, daring and full of power. Designed by a Black woman, the collection carried a god-like vibe, unapologetic and commanding. In my next life, I want that level of confidence.
Every look walked with its chin up. It was divinity sewn into fabric.

Immerse Fashion Academy 
After Luxe, Immerse Fashion Academy returned for a second round and they kept the fire burning. Most I expected them to fade after their first appearance, but they didn’t. They had more to say and they said it well.
Their second appearance felt intentional continuation rather than a repeat. 

Sheira
A young Indonesian designer walked her cultural pride down the runway with rich Indonesian fabrics, strong colors and the feeling of someone flying her country’s flag boldly. It reminded me of myself and what it feels like to represent where you come from.
Her work felt like identity in motion, heritage worn loudly, beautifully, unapologetically.

Demo
Brought a calm streetwear collection of soft tones, easy silhouettes and a comfortable Hong Kong vibe. It made street fashion feel peaceful and wearable.
It was streetwear that chose ease over effort, simple, intentional, lived-in.

Mikael D
Closed the show with a beautiful wrap-up that was polished, grounded and a perfect end to the runway journey.
His finale felt like a gentle exhale, the right tone to close the fashion experience.

People Who Made the Experience Even Better

Somewhere between trying to figure out where to stand and where to look Max and I met many beautiful souls.

Sonali Fernando, a stylist from Perth, Australia, wore confidence layered so boldly I don’t even have words for it. Her style lived in its own creative world. We had a short conversation about Mandala Bloom and she even took a picture of what I was wearing. All I could think was: What could she create with a ZHF piece?

Then we met Simmona Coelho, a rising global creative and storyteller behind The Coelho Collective. Our conversation flowed naturally: fashion, identity, the future we want and the kind of work we dream of building. By the time we said goodbye, we had already imagined part of a runway one day. It didn’t feel like fantasy. It felt like a beginning.

✨ Reflections

Walking out of Thailand Fashion Week, I realized something simple: confidence is a language and today I spoke mine boldly.

I left energized, with my vision for ZHF sharper and my path clearer. I’ve made friends in fashion and my mindset has shifted from turning down colors to fit in, to turning up colors because they are who I am.

I may not have blended in with the all-black crowd, but I represented exactly who I am: African, colorful, confident and ready to take ZHF to the global streets.

Thailand Fashion Week wasn’t just an event. It was a reminder that the world is ready for new voices, new colors, new stories. And this time, I’m not dimming anything. I’m turning the volume all the way up.

And the after party?
Did I mention the after party? No? Okay then… it didn’t happen. 😉

To see Thailand Fashion Week through Max's lens, view the photo story here