Chomwan has always believed that the path less travelled is the key to unlocking the full potential of creative possibilities. She is at the heart of Bangkok’s cultural scene—celebrating Thai heritage and nurturing a vibrant community of creatives between the fields of art, fashion and food. She is Thai, grew up in London, studied in Paris, worked in New York, and now lives in Bangkok with her husband and three children. As a teenager, she always knew she wanted to work in fashion, yet her first “path less travelled” choice was to study law and pursue a PhD specialising in law and intellectual property at King’s College London. Her thesis focused on IP and the Textiles Industry in Developing Countries.

“A PhD in intellectual property gave me the tools to be able to facilitate artistic vision, make connections, and employ logic and language to change people’s minds and perspectives.”It’s this robust grounding that underpins a wide-ranging career which has always placed culture and creativity at the forefront, being a bridge that honours the profound knowledge of Thailand’s artisans. In 2015, informed by her profound insights into textiles and the ecosystem required to sustain traditional knowledge she co-founded the artisanal luxury fashion and lifestyle brand Philip Huang with her husband.

We spoke to Chom about what she loves about Charoen Krung and Sri Phraya—the culturally charged up and coming areas of Bangkok.

“It’s effervescent, it’s always been vibrant, but now it’s really creating sparks and igniting new conversations.” Of the buzzing energy around food, art and cultural spaces, where many Thailand-born creatives have returned from living abroad to launch ventures that honour the Thai way of life blended with global influences, she says “In this area, in Bangkok as a whole, compared to other cities, rent is relatively cheap, so emerging and young designers, artists, chefs and makers can afford to create.”

Tell us the story behind the launch of the new Philip Huang HQ which will be a shop, workshop space and studio in Sri Phraya in 2026?

“In 2015 my husband Philip and I went on a road trip to Sakon Nakhon province in the Isan region in the Northeast of Thailand to discover more about the indigo plant, which we were told grows abundantly there and the indigo dyeing traditions that come with it. Many villages in Isan are dyeing and weaving collectives, where there’s always a head grandmother,” says Chom.

In 2026, Philip Huang is opening a new space, in a one-hundred-and-twenty-year-old newspaper-printing factory, whose name serendipitously is Prachoom Chang translating as the Meeting of Makers. At street level there will be the first Philip Huang store, an indigo dyeing lab and workshop space as well as a project space for artists. “It’s on a long road of family-owned listed houses and shophouses, these have passed on between the generations, and because they are listed for being over 100 years old, cannot be sold, and must be preserved.”

Much more than a store for the brand itself, it will also serve as an indigo dyeing lab and artisanal craft workshop as well a project space for artists and collaborators. Chom’s “path less travelled” grounding in Intellectual Property has especially informed the idea that the HQ should be an immersive space where people from all over the world can come to discover and learn dyeing techniques and other knowledge from the brand’s collaborators, be it artisans, artists or experts of other realms. Its core vision is to create meaningful connections between craft communities in the Northeast of Thailand and creative communities in Bangkok and beyond by providing a physical space for sharing and exchange. As Chom adds “What I love to do, what I feel is more important than anything, is bringing people together in joy. In a way that finds hope and creates a space of possibility.”

Tell us about your friendship with Saloni:

“We met in London 20 years ago in a nightclub, I knew right away who she was, I had heard about her. We became friends, I have visited all her homes over the world, and we have gone on the craziest adventures together. I’ve only ever been to India with Saloni, and recently Uzbekistan.” “We are joined by fun, friendship and finding beauty (not just aesthetic) but in the small quotidian moments of daily life or when travelling. As a friend she always gives me a sense that anything is possible, it’s the best kind of friend.” “Now that Saloni is living in Bangkok, it feels like coming full circle. It’s an “Endless summer friendship”, that no matter where we have been or where we are in the world, we stay connected.”

Wearing SALONI feels like…

“I discovered the beauty of SALONI dresses when I decided maybe I need to wear more dresses and dress less like a boy! In SALONI I feel like I am sitting straighter, the silhouettes are so structured and sculptural, but I still feel like myself. They make you feel like a more present version of yourself.” Chom adds “SALONI pieces are reassuring, strong yet feminine and I love their malleability, that they can be worn with heels or sneakers and still look amazing!”