Tracing the threads of batik, craftsmanship and the evolution of Thai heritage through Marionsiam.

Some traditions remain relevant because they continue to find a place in people’s lives. Crafts and artisans reflect where we come from. Its future depends on each generation finding new ways to interpret familiar techniques without losing their original spirit.

Last week, our journey took us inside a temple through the story of Krachok Kriab. This week, we return to the same place, though from a different perspective. Leftover temple candle wax becomes one part of a wider conversation about craftsmanship and the ways Thai traditions continue to evolve for contemporary life. 

Tayida “Pat” Ounburanawan founded Marionsiam with the belief that traditional craftsmanship belongs in everyday life. The Thai fashion label transforms time-honoured textile printing techniques into contemporary garments. We travel to her studio in Ayutthaya to explore the batik approaches behind her work, the philosophy that shapes each collection and her vision for the future of Thai craftsmanship.

The Beginning: Finding Her Medium

“I remember taking a careers test at school when I was young. It asked what I wanted to be in the future, and I wrote down ‘designer’. Even then, I already knew.”

Her interest in art began at an early age. Although no one in her family worked in the creative industry, she had a clear ambition to become a designer. That conviction led her to study fashion at Chulalongkorn University. While fashion became her chosen path, her family nurtured an appreciation for craftsmanship and Thai culture.

“My family loved visiting OTOP fairs. My mum, my grandmother and my relatives all enjoyed Thai crafts and traditional art. We’ve always appreciated Thai culture and the craftsmanship behind it.”

Batik, however, was never part of the original plan. Textile pattern design did not come naturally to her and she had little confidence in creating prints. Her strengths lay elsewhere, particularly in silhouette and garment construction.

The direction became clearer when it came time to choose a research topic for her thesis. She reflected on what she loved most and the skills she wanted to further develop. Drawing had always been one of her strongest capabilities, yet she felt she had never fully explored its potential.

“I started researching different techniques and realised there was one craft that sat perfectly between everything I loved. Batik combined art with my passion for fashion. Every pattern begins as a painting by hand and that immediately caught my attention.”

Her graduate collection marked the combination of hand-drawn batik and contemporary fashion and brought her thesis to life. During the graduate exhibition, an industry professional recognised its commercial potential and encouraged her to take the collection beyond the runway. That conversation later became the foundation of Marionsiam. 

The Language of Batik and Marionsiam

Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique in which hot wax prevents dye from penetrating selected areas of fabric. The fine wax lines are its most recognisable feature. Every pattern begins by hand and she draws each one with a tjanting, a pen-like tool filled with hot wax. 

Alongside hand drawing, Pat uses traditional printing blocks for larger pieces. Her university research took her across northern and southern Thailand to study how batik varies from one region to another.

“Most batik reflects its surroundings. In the South the patterns often come from the sea or local flowers. In the North they look completely different, even though the technique is the same. When it came to creating my own style, I drew inspiration from architecture.” 

Growing up in the city, Pat found inspiration in architecture. Details from buildings, temple fences and Western architectural forms became the basis of her designs. She simplifies those elements into the patterns that define Marionsiam.

“I simplify the details I see on buildings until they become my own patterns. Some even resemble flowers, but they all begin with architectural forms.”

She also uses the crackle technique. A layer of wax covers the fabric before it is gently cracked and dyed. The dye settles into the cracks and creates the fine lines that distinguish the technique from tie-dye. Alongside hand drawing and block printing, it gives her another way to experiment with texture and pattern, expanding the possibilities of batik while remaining rooted in its traditional process.

Tradition Grows With Every Generation

“My parents came up with the name Marionsiam. They loved The Siam Renaissance (2004), and there was a scene where the main character was called ‘my Marion’ in French, meaning ‘my beloved’ My name, Tayida, has the same meaning, so it felt right. I wanted to create something people would fall in love with.”

(Marion originates of Hebrew and the Bible as a French variation of Marie or Mary).

Like its name, Marionsiam stands between heritage and the present. Pat uses traditional techniques as a foundation, then develops her own visual language through contemporary clothing.

Research across northern and southern Thailand became an opportunity to understand the boundaries of batik. Rather than collecting motifs, she wanted to understand the process, the materials and how far the technique could evolve while remaining recognisably batik.

Curiosity soon led to a bigger question. At the time, batik was often associated with beachwear and coastal fashion. Pat wondered why the technique should remain limited to one setting. If other traditional textiles could become part of everyday wardrobes, she believed batik could too.

Her answer took the form of contemporary workwear and tailored pieces, paired with her own architectural patterns rather than traditional motifs. Together, they brought batik into everyday life beyond its familiar setting. 

“When people think of batik, they usually think of wax. But today, some artisans use soybean mixtures, rubber latex or even rice paste to resist the dye. They all follow the same principle. That’s what fascinates me. There are so many possibilities within the technique.”

That openness became one of the ideas behind Marionsiam. Tradition remains relevant through reinterpretation rather than repetition.

The same approach later brought Marionsiam to international audiences, including Vienna Fashion Week, where Pat discovered that her interpretation of batik offered something unfamiliar even to people who already knew the craft.

“I thought people in Vienna wouldn’t know batik, but they did. What they hadn’t seen was batik used like this. That made me realise our work could travel much further than I had ever imagined.”

An Honest Approach to Sustainability

The conversation then turned to another part of Marionsiam: the materials behind each collection. Alongside traditional craftsmanship, Pat also considers how her work can reduce waste within the limits of a small independent brand.

“The first time I came across the idea of sustainability was around 2021 through a design competition. It made me realise that batik is only a technique. The material itself doesn’t have to be fixed.”

That perspective led her to surplus fabrics from textile factories. She expected leftover stock to be old or damaged. Instead, she found unused rolls of fabric in excellent condition, often with higher quality than fabrics available through regular suppliers. The only drawback is the limited supply. Once a fabric runs out, it cannot be replaced, so each new collection requires fresh testing before production.

“I think that’s the charm of crafts. I’ve always loved imperfect beauty. Handmade pieces carry emotional value. You can see the care and attention in every detail, and that’s something machines can’t recreate.”

The same curiosity extended to another essential material in batik: wax. During regular visits to the temple, Pat often noticed leftover candle wax after religious ceremonies and began to wonder whether it could serve the same purpose as commercial batik wax. 

“Our family knows people at a local temple, so they collected the leftover candle wax for me. I tested it and found that it worked. There wasn’t much difference, so I started to mix it with batik wax.”

Today, reclaimed temple candle wax makes up around 80 per cent of the wax she uses, with the remainder made up of conventional batik wax.

Her understanding of sustainability also changed over time. At first, she believed natural dyes offered the only responsible solution. Experience showed otherwise. Natural dyes were difficult to source consistently and did not suit every project.

“I realised I couldn’t make everything completely sustainable. It isn’t realistic. I choose the things I can genuinely do. I use surplus fabric, reclaimed temple wax and keep looking for small changes that make sense. That approach feels honest to me.”

Sustainability, in her view, is not a fixed checklist. It comes from constant curiosity, small improvements and practical choices that fit the way she works.

Curiosity Never Ends

As Marionsiam continues to grow, Pat hopes her work can encourage people to see Thai craftsmanship in a different way. Rather than presenting batik as something fixed, she wants people to recognise how much room there is for reinterpretation.

“I hope people see my work and realise that batik can go much further than expected. If one traditional technique can evolve like this, perhaps others can too. I’m not saying my approach is better. I simply want people to see that these crafts aren’t limited to one form.”

After years of research and experimentation, she feels Marionsiam has established its own identity. The next step lies beyond batik alone. Pat hopes to explore collaborations with other crafts, from ceramics and embroidery to basketry, while continuing to expand the language of the brand.

Clothing will remain at the heart of Marionsiam, but she also sees opportunities beyond fashion. Homeware, interior objects and functional pieces all form part of her plans with the same approach to craftsmanship that has shaped the brand from the beginning.

We look forward to seeing where that curiosity takes Marionsiam next.