Recently I got a chance to visit a series of stores that I never thought in my life I would step into.

Royal Project Stores.

Just in case you didn’t know, to put it simply, these shops are a part of different foundations and projects initiated by, you’ve guessed it, members of the Thai Royal Family, and each of the stores were set up to support different causes and groups of people.

Out of the ones I went to, I was most impressed by HM the Queen’s SUPPORT Foundation store at the Grand Palace. The project aims to give rural people in Thailand a secondary income by giving them training in handicrafts so they can start their own business. The project will then buy the products made by people in the program and sell them in the stores. The money then will go into the foundation that goes on helping mre people taking on their own handicraft businesses.

The SUPPORT Foundation is called “Sillapacheep” in Thai. Mention this to any Thai you know and they’d go, “Oh my god, that’s so baan baan,” evoking the image of something outdated, corny, traditional–boring.

But not anymore apparently. Despite the cliche location, the store is awesome. Unlike the Grand Palace and Wat Prakaew their area it is sitting on, you don’t need to cover your ankles going shopping here. Come in shorts and flips flops if you want, you’re welcome nonetheless. And unlike many stores in town when anyone with a camera is almost considered a criminal, here you can get all snap happy. They even encourage it.

And why not? When the store offers a lot of things they’re proud to show off.

Thai textiles like silk, woven fabrics, cotton and hemp are dyed, patched, stitched, mixed with other materials creating a wide range of beautifully unique items. Like earrings made of silk worm cocoons, “pha khao ma” rag dolls, silk evening clutches and chic home decor pieces. I got myself a Japanese-esque drape top, made from Northern Thai cotton fabric in electric blue. Electric blue. Sillapacheep does electric blue! No more brown, grey, burgundy, or any other big-haired ladies’ favorite hues.

I got a chance to talk to the manager, who explained to me that it was actually the store’s main goal to take on these changes. They want to promote the products not just to tourists, but also locals who have a rather negative image of local crafts being unfashionable and of poor quality. And that’s why they have taken on a team of new generation designers to help come up with the range of products made from folk materials by the villagers.

If you have a chance, do check out the store before the end of December. They’re currently holding an exhibition on Thai fabrics in a very interesting way–by asking Thailand’s best designers to choose their favorite kind of Thai textile and create a couture dress in their own style. Yes I’m talking Sretsis, Greyhound, Disaya, and more, even my lovely Tipayaphong, all participating in this exhibition.

And yes those dresses are also for sale. But unlike the villagers made pieces, these ones go for about B20-30,000 a dress.

Don’t you think this pink Disaya one just makes a perfect birthday present for me? It’s for a good cause, you know?

*hints to certain people reading this*