Khoman Room aims to restore art and craft to fashion

It's no secret the streetwear market has grown to dominate the contemporary and luxury sector. Trying to stand out from other streetwear competitors can prove to be a challenge. However, there's an emerging streetwear brand that has managed to stand out from the crowd by helping give voice to other artists and build on craftsmanship: Khoman Room.

Founded in 2016 by designer Wow Patamon Khoman, the contemporary streetwear company is dedicated to incorporate both art and design into her collections to bridge a new gap in men's fashion. The brand works collaboratively with emerging creatives, allowing them to showcase their work through the medium of fashion.

Khoman's designs are inspired by not only fellow artists, but also her upbringing which was split between the U.S. and Bangkok, Thailand. At the age of six, her family moved to Eugene, Oregon where she learned English. After three years there, they moved back to Bangkok where Khoman attended Shrewsbury International School. It was there she discovered her passion for art and design, in addition to music and performing arts. After middle school, she returned to the U.S. to attend the prestigious Hotchkiss School.

Khoman Room wants to bring art and craft to streetwear

During her sophomore year at Hotchkiss, she decided to further her passion for designing by attending a summer program at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). This led to her pursuing her undergraduate degree in apparel design after graduating from high school. RISD would also provide her the network she needed for discovering artists to collaborate with and build her brand essence.

During her time in college she focused on ready-to-wear design. After graduating with a BFA in Apparel Design in 2015, she was only a year out of school before she decided to start Khoman Room. Her goal is to develop a company focused on art and craft in fashion, and create products that are meaningful and different without sacrificing practicality and style.

“When you get dressed, you are preparing to be the person you’re going to be that day. Even though you actually see yourself less than everyone else you come in contact with, these choices are not necessarily about them, because you feel your clothes and the person you imagine for yourself. So when you settle whether by choice or not, you’re settling for just a portion of who you are," she said. She added that, "The greatest designs are borne entirely from the designer’s own universe, which makes them unique and captivating. But otherwise, they have nothing to do with the designer, because they are supposed to be for other people at the end of the day. Therefore, the common denominator isn’t the designer, but is instead everyone and everything.”

Photos: courtesy of Khoman Room