“The sky before sunrise is soaked with love and light, but she ultimately chooses to see fear and darkness. She’s like the Queen of the Night.” – Busardi Muntarbhorn, Creative Director of Busardi

Following Busardi’s resounding success as the first Thai label to show during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week last season, a metaphorical mood takes over once again for Autumn-Winter 2015. A white flower blooming once a year in the dead of the night, Epiphyllum Oxypetalum, or ‘Queen of The Night’, captures a brief moment of glory where love expels fear, light expels darkness, and good expels evil, in which the collection takes root.

A black brocade cape and dress adorned with feathers and Busardi’s signature Guipure lace appliqué, embodying fear, sets off the collection with the unbloomed Epiphyllum, portentously reinforced by draped feather masks which enthral the face. Lavish profusions of dark purple feathers on a cape drive a subversive romanticism, whilst rich brocade, cloqué and duchess satin cocktail dresses with fur trims and lace appliqué are offered in an array of light and midnight hues: playing on the image of the encroaching night which pervades the show.

Textural and amplified layering of Guipure lace floral appliqué over Chantilly lace dresses mimic aquatic weeds spilling across the Gila River in the Arizona, by which the Epiphyllum dwells; echoes of the river return in draped turquoise chiffon over autumn-hued printed jacquard which give an unstructured rippled effect. Terror then battles with light as the turbid charge of an Arizonan storm is captured by electric blue and black embroidered tulle thorns, which snake malevolently up from the bottom of floor-skimming dresses before the storm clears and gives way to glimpses of light hues in elegant pink, peach beige and sky blue embroidered tulle gowns, where fear is discarded for love and light and the Epiphyllum reaches full bloom. The palatal metamorphosis however, proves to be fleeting as the ethereal moment created by layering of diaphanous tulle skirts pale hues is replaced by opulent and opaque fabrics such as heavy brocade and silk. The trademark organza cape returns, black rose appliqué sprouts alongside a decadent embroidered fur trimmed dress, and a more sinister romance takes hold.

While light recedes and darkness falls again, the vespertinal bloom ceases and electrifying queens materialise in the final looks. A virtuous queen in a fully-bloomed Epiphyllum lace appliquéd Thai silk gown sees a reflection of her stronger wicked manifestation, the Evil Queen – radiant in her Chantilly lace gown with a long organza tail, and embellished with embroidered floral appliqué and a formidable collar of feathers by Austrian designer, Nora Rieser. Fear resumes as an unkindness of ravens conquers, nodding to the re-entrapped ‘Queen of The Night’ as it silences itself for another year.

Fabrics: Brocade, Guipure lace, duchess satin, cloqué, organza, Thai silk, Chantilly lace, floral printed jacquard and embroidered tulle.

Colours: Black, dark purple, navy, pale pink, silver, violet blue, dark navy, violet red, royal purple, turquoise, wisteria, blue-green, electric blue, pink beige, peach beige, sky blue and burgundy.

Our Story:

Co-founded in 2009 by mother and son, Busardi and Tuck Muntarbhorn, Busardi is a semi-couture label based in Bangkok, and is the first Thai label to show during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. Prior to launching Busardi, Busardi Muntarbhorn was creative director and head designer at family-owned Yoswadee, Thailand’s oldest surviving fashion house, founded by Busardi’s mother. Grounded in couture roots, Busardi’s collections are produced and embellished by highly skilled artisans in the heart of Thailand.

Collaboration between NORArieser and Busardi for Autumn/Winter 2015

Up and coming Austrian designer Nora Rieser works closely in collaboration with Busardi to produce unique custom-made showpieces, shown in Paris during Haute Couture Fashion Week for the first time for Autumn/Winter 2015. Goose shoulder quill, rooster trim and rooster saddle feathers are all individually cut, draped and shaped by hand before being sewn onto tailor made calf leather bases. For the masks, the feathers are attached to custom made perforated leather hoods which are closed by invisible snaps at the front. Spanning wild berry red, electric blues, flashing black and virgin white – the pieces are rich in colour, complimenting the dresses they accompany. On NECKWING, the formidable shrug, are black rooster feathers with a hint of green, also draped and sewn on a soft tailored napa leather cape with an elegant stand-up collar in Busardi’s closing look, the Evil Queen.

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