Namtan Tipnaree Makes Her BONIA Debut in Kuala Lumpur
Thai actress and singer Namtan Tipnaree made her first official appearance in Malaysia this week as the Autumn Winter 2026 Brand Muse for BONIA, and the campaign she fronts is about to open to everyone. The House of BONIA at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur runs a public activation weekend on 19 and 20 September, from 10am to 10pm, so shoppers can walk through the same experiences the muse launched.
A Thai star at a Malaysian house
Namtan, known across Southeast Asia for her work with GMMTV and, more recently, as an entrepreneur, appeared at a private afternoon at the House of BONIA for members of the media, VIP guests and winners of a social media contest. A crowd of fans gathered outside the boutique to see her arrive. For the occasion she wore a look pulled from BONIA's forthcoming Spring Summer 2027 collection, an early glimpse of the label's next season.
She is the latest regional face for a homegrown name. BONIA is a leather goods house founded in 1974, better known to most Malaysians for its bags, footwear and accessories than for celebrity campaigns. Putting a popular Thai talent at the centre follows a route other labels have taken to reach Southeast Asian audiences, much as RIMOWA did when it took its Never Still bags through Bangkok with four Thai stars.
Four rhythms to move through
The campaign runs under a line BONIA calls #LiveToMyRhythm, built on the idea that life need not move at a single pace. The afternoon was shaped around four personalities: The Dreamer, The Explorer, The Minimalist and The Muse. At a station called Vibe On, guests collected NFC charms shaped like CDs, each linked to a curated playlist. Mementos offered leather tag personalisation, Secret Scent ran a perfume discovery corner, and Ring For A Treat added a surprise. A #BONIALive social wall pulled in posts from visitors, one of whom stands to win a Lysandra satchel bag.
"Style is deeply personal, it evolves with who we are and where we are going," said Datin Sri Linda Chen, Chief Creative and Marketing Officer of BONIA, on why the house chose Namtan. At the centre of the room sat Namtan's Picks, a selection of ready-to-wear, leather goods, footwear and accessories from the Autumn Winter 2026 collection. Namtan also chose two fan winners during the afternoon, each receiving a signed merchandise set and a bag from the same range.
Retail as an experience
The format says as much about where mall retail is heading as it does about BONIA. Personalisation stations, scent discovery and a live social wall turn a store visit into something to photograph and share, an approach Kuala Lumpur shoppers have met in other recent openings such as the beauty floor at The Exchange TRX. BONIA used the day for a cause too, handing RM10,000 to Shelter Home for Children, presented by Datin Sri Linda Chen to the home's general manager Chris Fan and its head of public relations Winnie Quah.
How to catch it this weekend
The public activation is at the House of BONIA, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on 19 and 20 September, from 10am to 10pm. Visitors can browse Namtan's Picks and the Autumn Winter 2026 collection, and join in customisation activities, perfume discovery and personal colour analysis, alongside promotions, gifts with purchase and a gashapon game, all subject to availability. Namtan's signed commemorative panel stays on display through the weekend. The collection is also stocked at BONIA stores nationwide and online at bonia.com.my.
