Growing up feeling like a girl in a boy’s body is a difficult and painful experience for anyone to go through, more so in a conservative, patriarchal country like Myanmar. Despite the stigma, societal pressures, and challenges posed by the military rulers, Mogok Pauk Pauk found her feet in fashion design, incorporating traditional ‘cheik’ fabric into contemporary designs that wouldn’t look out of place on a New York or Milan catwalk. Heartfelt and inspiring.
Mogok Pauk Pauk is a prominent fashion designer in Myanmar known for her revitalisation of the traditional textile patterns and bringing haute couture to the Myanmar fashion world. She is also one of the most well-known transgender figures in Myanmar. Pauk Pauk was born in Mogok, a town famous for its rubies and from a young age developed an interest in makeup and fashion. She started her career as a makeup artist in Myanmar’s movie industry before making the transition to fashion and design and in the process moving to Mandalay and then later to Yangon. In 2006, she took an opportunity to study at Milan’s Burgo Fashion and Design Institute (Istituto di Moda Burgo), an experience that opened her eyes to global fashion. Mogok Pauk Pauk is passionate about preservation Myanmar textile traditions while modernising to ensure their continuity.
