The "Sarong Fever" has become a worldwide trend after Thai singer "Lisa of BLACKPINK," or Lalisa Manoban, was seen wearing a cotton shirt and a traditional Thai sarong dyed with indigo, during her visit to the historical sites of Ayutthaya province with her group of friends. She then posted her picture on Instagram, which soon went viral online. This led to an influx of people seeking sarongs to wear when visiting temples in Ayutthaya province. Lisa's donning of the sarong can be considered a "Soft Power," promoting Thai culture through attire.
The sarong that "Lisa" wore is a mudmee (ikat) cotton fabric dyed with clay and indigo, featuring Khor Nok patterns, an ancient design unique to the northeastern Thai people. It's a renowned craftwork from Udon Thani province. The practice of clay-dying fabric originated from the villagers' daily routine of working in the fields, getting their clothes dirty with clay. Upon washing, they found the cloth softer and more lustrous, which led to the present-day mudmee cotton fabric.
As for indigo dyeing, it's a natural color extraction process from the indigo plant, which undergoes fermentation to produce the distinctive beautiful blue color.
The tie-dye weaving technique is a local wisdom passed down through generations. The process begins by dyeing threads or silk in various colors, then tying parts of them to retain certain areas of the original color, starting from the lightest to the darkest hue according to the predetermined pattern. The threads are then put into tubes for weaving, creating patterns on the fabric. This requires great skill in tie-dyeing and weaving.
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