PASSION, UNMASKED
In overseeing costume design for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 28th SEA Games, Saksit Pisalasupongs and Phisit Jongnarangsin have reached a milestone in what is shaping up to be a storied partnership and career
It was a moment of great pride for Saksit Pisalasupongs and Phisit Jongnarangsin when their eye-catching apparel, worn at the opening ceremony of the 28th SEA Games in Singapore last week, received rave reviews. It took the Thai designers one-and-a-half years to create the 100 designs for the opening and closing ceremonies. This entailed overseeing everything — right down to the stitching — involved in creating costumes for over 5,000 performers.
Saksit and Phisit, childhood friends and the founders of clothing brand Tube Gallery, said it was a great honour to take on the job. They were chosen by Beatrice Chia, creative director for the SEA Games’ opening and closing ceremonies. Saksit and Phisit received the Best Costume Designers Award from the Straits Times in 2012 and 2014 for their work in Singaporean musical theatre.
“While there is always room for improvement, I would say I am happy with the outcome of the opening ceremony,” said Saksit. “Teamwork helped us ensure that everything went smoothly.”
The opening ceremony, which was broadcast across the region, highlighted Singapore as a “garden city”. It was logistically challenging, according to Phisit, because of the large number of performers and props.
An LED display played a vital role during the first act, titled “DNA”, which focused on what makes people unique and their roles on Earth. Adding spice to the costumes, Phisit and Saksit conceptualised performers as extraterrestrials.
For the second act, titled “Children’s Dreams Have No Boundaries”, Phisit and Saksit created a theme steeped in fantasy, because they wanted the costumes to stand out onstage.
“With stage costumes, it is always [best to create something] that looks good from a distance,” said Phisit.
“We sat down with our team in Bangkok to figure how we could best depict the fact that children’s aspirations are limitless, and that they are free to create their futures. We decided to let our imaginations go wild, which resulted in a colourful collection of cartoon character designs.
“For the third act, ‘Youth Expression’, we had to showcase designs celebrating the voices of our youth, their hopes and dreams. The costumes portrayed the passion youngsters have for sports, music and the arts. We worked on outfits that would be somewhat outlandish, giving the act a dreamlike touch to complement the props. Details, such as the swirled wings of butterflies, were inspired from our travels.”
The designers were able to successfully pull off a project of such magnitude because they have worked together for more than 15 years. Saksit brings conceptual ideas to the drawing board, to which Phisit adds details. For the SEA Games, they were given scripts for each act, for which they created costumes that focused on themes such as inspiration and imagination.
The 28th SEA Games is especially important for Singapore, Phisit said, because it marks the 50th anniversary of the nation. The emphasis of the opening and closing ceremonies was on the solidarity of the nation and its presence in the Asean community.
Phisit said creating the costumes for the last act of the closing ceremony was a particularly challenging task because they were so detailed.
“In this act, we are telling the audience the story of Singapore’s multicultural history through the use of stamps,” said Phisit. “Every detail had to be taken into consideration. One in particular was getting the oil-painted skirt of the woman in the stamp just right in the replica we were making. We had to use actual oil paint on the skirt.”
Saksit and Phisit are also each other’s biggest critics. Fine-tuning each design to serve multiple purposes involved hours of discussion. A Thai touch was also subtly added to the costume, as the designers’ signature of sorts.
Saksit said that 95% of the costumes used in the ceremonies were designed especially for the production, while 5% were traditional designs that did not require much alteration.
Fashion designers and costume designers each design apparel, Saksit said. But their creations serve different purposes. Fashion designers create pieces inspired from a limitless number of sources, while costume designers have less freedom because they are given a script to guide them. Phisit said costume design is about offering physical and emotional support to actors, enhancing their characters.
“The costume must look good up close and from far away,” he said. “Besides offering comfort, flexibility and durability, costumes should visually support the theme of the production.”
“When it comes to creating costumes, it is really about what we can bring into the designs,” said Saksit. “The inspiration behind most of our props came from art and culture found in the region. Our work did not end with creating outfits and props; we had to work closely with everyone, from the 3D graphic designers to the contractors who created the giant steel props. It was very hands-on. We worked closely with the choreographers and performers every step of the way. Our job was to teach the artists how to dance with the props.”
Saksit and Phisit said they do not expect their lives to drastically change after the SEA Games project, but nevertheless anticipate what the future may bring.
“We were able to get the attention of the SEA Games organisers because we had built a portfolio in Singapore’s theatre scene. It takes time and perseverance to reach each milestone, so we are in no hurry to be signed up for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Asian Games or the Olympics. If we put our hearts to it, nothing is impossible. At the moment, we are taking it one day at a time.”
Their ultimate goal as designers is to see Thailand recognised on the world stage for its artistic talent. To reach that point, Saksit said designers have to work hard, value creativity, be visionaries and receive support from government-initiated programmes. It is a win-win situation, they said, because the Thai fashion industry can help pull tourist dollars into the country.
So what, exactly does “success” mean to the designers?
“Achieving what one sets out to accomplish in a given amount of time,” Saksit said.
Phisit’s response differs, but much like their partnership, is complementary: “Success is not so much about being rich; it is more about doing what you are passionate about.”
And we’ll get to see the duo’s passion again at the closing ceremony on June 16. Even after all the action in the arenas, Thai talents will still have something for us to look forward too. Stay tuned.
The inspiration behind most of our props came from art and culture found in the region