“Working for these brands helped me to gain confidence and gave me a very sharp eye and [the opportunity to] work at that level in the real industry,” she says. “I wasn’t just a princess, I actually worked. Work means actually working. I was very hands on and I wasn’t the first assistant, but the fourth or fifth, so I learned fast and I had to be tough.”

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A big moment for Sirivannavari

“I wanted to come back to Paris, but I wanted to make a statement and be more confident and mature,” she says. “I took my time and practised the craft like an athlete who trains before the Olympics. I decided to move to a bigger stage, but I had to train my team so they could work on a great collection [and so that I] could feel ready for this very big step.”

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A return to the city where she learned her craft

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in fine and applied arts at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, Princess Siri headed to Paris’ L’École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne to study fashion. And while her time at university was important, she says it was her experience at fashion shows that really ignited a fire inside her.

“Every time I would go to a show, I enjoyed the atmosphere and carefully looked at [designers’] ideas and how they mixed and matched, and at the mood and the lighting and the whole presentation,” says Princess Siri. “I didn’t just sit at a show and think, ‘Oh, I want to buy that thing.’ I was already coming up with ideas. It was a good opportunity to actually absorb and pick up ideas, not to copy, but to be inspired.”

She’s incorporated subtle traditional Thai elements into her latest collection

A long-time supporter of the Thai silk industry, Princess Siri incorporated some traditional Thai elements into her latest autumn/winter collection, which is notable for its contrasting sharp tailored pieces and feminine gowns, reflecting the way Princess Siri herself likes to dress. “It’s very me, it has to be me,” she says. “I have some Thai elements but I don’t want to be screaming, ‘I’m a Thai brand, a Thai designer.’ It’s just a little touch, it’s not screaming.”

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Princess Siri, who started out as a visual artist before being bitten by the fashion bug, says that while she’s always impressed by the edgy looks she sees at the shows, her true fashion icon is still her grandmother, Queen Sirikit.

“She is very iconic and my big idol and the most inspiring woman for me, both for her style and her personality,” she explains. “Her style is very different from mine but until now she’s still beautiful.”

As for what the future holds for her brand, Siri doesn’t hide her ambitions. “I want to come back to Paris. It has to be more than one season,” she says. “I have a plan and I want to be a very successful designer. I’m a fighter and I want my designs to be at department stores and shops. It has to be about the brand and the clothes, not who I am. I also want to show that a princess can work. This is who I am. I want to work.”