Phnom Penh Designers Week is set to return with its Fall/Winter 2024 edition, themed “Fashion in a Changing World”.
Despite the relatively small size of Cambodia’s fashion industry, this bi-annual event has become a crucial platform for local designers to showcase their talent and creativity.
Scheduled for December 7, the event will take place at the community hub Connexion on Koh Pich, and features six new collections from some of the city’s most renowned fashion designers.
Filipino fashion designer Don Protasio, who co-founded Phnom Penh Designers Week in 2013, has been the event’s creative director since its inception.
Under his guidance, the event has been held twice a year, providing a vital stage for both local and international fashion talent.
“Phnom Penh Designers Week is important for the designers, models and creatives involved. It is a community that wants to celebrate fashion with respect to what is possible in Phnom Penh,” Protasio told The Post.
The theme “Fashion in a Changing World” reflects the complex and evolving nature of contemporary culture and aesthetics, influenced by irony, nostalgia and the current societal and political climate of our post-pandemic world.
Amoury is wearing Christine Gauthier’s collection for PPDW Fall-Winter 2024-2025. Supplied
This year’s collections promise to capture this transformative spirit, offering a glimpse into the future of fashion.
The event will feature a diverse range of styles, from the feminine glamour of SCT to the boho chic of A.N.D. and minimalist designs by Protasio himself.
Protasio praised A.N.D. for their use of cotton ikat fabrics, highlighting designer Alan James Flux’s efforts to promote this traditional material.
“They’re really doing something that I think is quite amazing for Cambodia: making a product that Cambodia can be proud of,” he noted.
The menswear section will include urban styles from Ambre Men, a softer pastel palette from Drewe Taylor and Christine Gauthier’s witty takes on men’s fashion.
Protasio commended Gauthier for her innovative use of vintage and locally sourced materials.
Florence is wearing A.N.D. Supplied
“Christine really knows her way around: she knows the market, and she knows who to get the materials from. She has tonnes of beads, unique materials, whatever. She’s great to talk to: she can always suggest stuff just for you,” he said.
Phnom Penh Designer Week is produced by Fashion Lab, in partnership with Connexion, OCIC, Minerva TV, Samai and Luxee Academy & Beauty Center.
Th event serves as a platform for fashion designers and brands to establish their identity, develop solid business strategies and expand their market reach.
Florence is wearing SCT. Supplied
“The fashion community is very small in Phnom Penh and as such we don’t consider it as an industry. Designers in Phnom Penh are fighting for their fashion and style to be seen and appreciated,” Protasio explained.
“They have to nurture their own community of supporters and clients who buy from them. But it is not a big market. That’s why PPDW wants to support them through organizing a fashion show and exposing their work to other audiences besides their own customers,” he added.
As the fashion world continues to evolve, Phnom Penh Designer Week remains a beacon for showcasing the creativity of local designers, proving that even in a small market, fashion can thrive and inspire.