“All we have is community and our individuality. When I make clothes, I’m making them to bring people together; I’m aiming to let people be seen and not shy away from who they are within” - Pancheewa Jamie Chalmers

 

Ambling down the streets of London or Bristol, you’re bound to spot a ‘DON’T BULLY ME I WILL C*M’ baby tee, or maybe even a ‘Be Gay Do Crime’ graphic shirt. These edgy, screen-printed garments are by virtue of Project Pancheewa, an independent clothing brand founded and run by 21-year-old Jamie Chalmers. 

 

Starting Out

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In conversation with Jamie, she recounted the moments of her life which led her to where she is now. Immediately, Jamie exuded charisma and an infallible passion for her work. Her concern for sustainability and inclusion was very apparent and is imprinted on each of her garments.

 

It shocked me when Jamie confessed that she had intended to pursue a career in dentistry when she was in college, abiding by her parents' wishes. Surely someone so talented and esteemed had nurtured their artistry from a young age? Although she had the grades to follow a scientific route, she realised her affinity for the arts and moved from her teenage home in Belfast to her new, independent life in Bristol. It was in the colourful city of Bristol where Jamie moved her products from Depop onto a professional online store, supported by intermittent pop-up shops. Now, Jamie resides in London, studying Fashion Management at the University of the Arts London, gaining the knowledge and skills to bolster her brand.

 

‘Pancheewa’ is Jamie’s Thai name and was initially a placeholder while Jamie began establishing her brand in 2021. 

 

“I used to hate my Thai name. I wanted to change it when I moved to the UK”, exclaimed Jamie, “but my deep dive into the fashion community taught me to love myself and what makes me different from others”.

 

Growing up in Thailand has undoubtedly shaped Jamie’s clothing line. She reflected on Thailand’s open-mindedness to sexuality. At first, her daring slogans seemed nothing out of the ordinary to her, but as her brand grew, many of her customers expressed a feeling of inclusion through her designs. Now, Pancheewa caters primarily to its queer demographic. Another source of inspiration for Jamie is Vivienne Westwood and McLaren’s former SEX boutique, which morphed simple designs and slogans into provocative, cutting-edge attire - a creative process similar to Jamie’s. 

 

The Growing Pancheewa Legacy 

 

Sustainable fashion and workers’ rights are at the forefront of Project Pancheewa. Her manufacturing and marketing processes advocate for slow, conscious fashion.

 

Jamie: “All my products are made to order, which means I never have any excess or wasted materials. Even with garments I’ve messed up on and can’t use, I’ll rework them, cutting them up and printing on top of them to make grungy reworked garments, which my customers love. And the fact that I’m consciously and deliberately making specific orders to ship to specific customers makes the whole process more intimate”.

 

However, sustainability isn’t Jamie’s only priority; she also aims to infuse her brand with political messages wherever she can. Her brand advocates for queer rights through slogans, queer models, and prints of drag artists. Further, one of her most recent designs depicts Arabic writing with its translation, ‘LONG LIVE THE PALESTINE REVOLUTION’ underneath, and profits from this shirt are donated to charities supporting war-torn families situated in Palestine. When I asked Jamie about this design in particular, she said:

 

“Fashion should be political if you can make it political. So many people don’t have voices nowadays, but there’s a lot to say about this world and a lot of opinions that should be put out there … When I first started posting about Palestine, Meta slashed my engagement on Instagram, and that was really hard to see as a small business. But I just had to keep pushing through, reminding people that there is a human being behind Project Pancheewa, and that there are human beings around the globe that need our attention”.

 

Jamie’s suppressed social media presence is only one of the challenges that she has faced in her entrepreneurial journey. Balancing a self-sustaining business alongside being a full-time student is no easy feat. Her biggest takeaway? Asking for help. Something as seemingly simple as reaching out to one’s peers has changed how Jamie functions in quotidian life. In the early days of establishing Project Pancheewa, Jamie was overcome with imposter syndrome. She felt too young and inexperienced with too much on her plate to be running a successful brand of her own. Fortunately, by relying on her friends and the environment she had built around her, Jamie conquered her insecurities and stabilised her business to be her only source of income instead of relying on part-time jobs. 

 

What’s next for Project Pancheewa?

 

Jamie: “I would love to move back to Thailand! It’s my home; it’s where my people are. Obviously, I would need to set up a small-scale factory or studio in the UK to keep Project Pancheewa alive, but I also want to bring Project Pancheewa to Thailand … I want to start creating jewellery and source the materials locally, providing well-paying jobs for locals in Thailand. And I want people to know who made their products; buying items someone has worked hard on should be more emotional. It should make everyone care about each other and form more communities”.

 

Jamie Chalmers certainly has a promising future ahead, and if you’re looking for alternative, striking garments made ethically, then Project Pancheewa is the perfect place to start.