From Boardroom to Bedroom: SALTEYE’s Tailoring With Bite
Pinstripe gets undone in Prao Leeswadtrakul’s debut collection - a slow-fashion seduction built on deconstruction, cut-outs, and unapologetic edge.
When SALTEYE debuted during New York Fashion Week in February 2025, it didn’t whisper—it sliced through the noise. Fractured pinstripes, reconstructed silhouettes, and a slow-fashion ethos felt almost radical in an industry addicted to speed. Founded by designer Prao Leeswadtrakul, the New York-based, female-owned label blurs the line between boardroom structure and fetishwear edge, crafting each piece in a Thailand atelier run by six women.
And the debut wasn’t just a presentation—it was a world.
Hosted at the Lower East Side’s The Front gallery and speakeasy Fig. 19, the night was equal parts exhibition, installation, and subversive party. Guests wandered through mazes of deadstock satin drapery and chains, sipping cocktails from latex-gloved “gimp girls,” while suspended baguettes and grapes demanded to be cut down with sewing shears. “The room was alive—loud, fierce, and full of presence,” recalls Prao. Fashion legends, nightlife icons, and curious friends crowded among SALTEYE’s debut pieces, hung from metal rods and framed against projections of femme fatales spliced with moss ecosystems.
Then came the shift. Behind a heavy metal door guarded by Axel—outfitted in a SALTEYE suit—guests discovered the darker pulse of the brand: a shrine of red anthuriums, mezcal bottles, incense, and live shibari. “It was a fuse of worlds—fashion, fetish, underground nightlife, DJs, artists, even a few mildly shocked childhood friends,” Prao laughs. One guest put it perfectly: “Thanks for bringing back Weird New York.”
SALTEYE’s origin lies in contradiction: fetishwear meets corporate tailoring.
“I’ve been drawn to fetishwear since my teenage years—the thrill of expressing power, control, and rebellion while feeling safe,” says Prao.
After graduating from Parsons, she found herself in a corporate role during COVID. Surrounded by grey suits and strict structures, she turned that constraint into rebellion—splitting seams, layering pinstripes, and reimagining tailoring into something sensual and liberating.
The results are silhouettes that fracture and re-form, revealing skin through sharp lines and cut-outs. “These sewn-together layers speak to identity, acceptance, and empowerment—a way of wearing every part of yourself on your sleeve,” she explains. Garter pants slip between office and underground; bi-layered blazers flip from boardroom to club depending on what’s worn underneath.
Even the brand’s name is intentionally elusive. “The true meaning behind SALTEYE is a secret I’ve only shared with two people,” says Prao, with a smile. “If it were a person, it wouldn’t walk into the room. It would crawl—gracefully.”
For this feature, GLITCH received two designs that perfectly capture SALTEYE’s tension between structure and seduction.
The Low-Back Loch Dress—cut from deadstock spandex and satin silk—spills like liquid shadow, its halter plunging into a sculptural, open back tied with knots. “Inspired by nature, it flows like water,” says Prao. “It’s versatile—you can wear it to a pool party, a date, a DJ set, or a formal evening. It transforms from body to body.”
The High-Slit Carabiner Skirt, meanwhile, retools the boardroom itself. Crafted in wool gabardine pinstripe, it sits low at the hip, fastened with a carabiner before slicing into a daring slit. “It’s bold and playful,” says Prao. “You can wear it high on one side or low on the waist—it compliments the body while flowing effortlessly.”
SALTEYE thrives on this duality: versatile enough for the office, radical enough for the night. A blazer layered with a shirt becomes corporate armor; worn bare with leather accents, it’s ready for the club.
Beyond aesthetics, SALTEYE is built on an ethos of slow fashion and ethical intimacy. Every piece is crafted in a small atelier in Thailand by six women, each stitch quality-checked, each seam deliberate. “Working this way brings care and intentionality into the clothes. If one of us succeeds, we all succeed,” says Prao.
Deadstock fabrics fuel both philosophy and creativity. When a fabric runs out, it forces reinvention. “One time, we had to switch pinstripes at the last minute. The new fabric turned out even better—it elevated the design. Constraints push us to experiment.”
This rhythm, built on pre-orders rather than mass production, frees the label from the tyranny of trends. “It gives me space to design with intention. It’s about longevity, not speed.”
At its core, SALTEYE explores femininity as a spectrum—fluid, dynamic, and untethered from gender. Hardware details double as hidden symbols: a D-ring might be a leash attachment, or simply a decorative accent. The “Silver Eyes” dress hides watchful cut-outs, while the Blink corset encodes eyes into its underwire. These details are designed to be activated by the wearer, turning clothing into a dialogue of identity and control.
“Femininity, for me, moves and flows with the body,” says Prao. “It’s not about traditional gender—it’s about self-expression.”
After a debut that blurred boundaries between fashion, fetish, and nightlife, SALTEYE’s next chapter will unfold differently. In September, the brand will present in a curated pop-up at OASES, a wellness-focused café and event space. “The launch was wild, raw, and immersive,” says Prao. “This time, we’re expanding into loungewear and intimates, showing a softer, structured perspective on construction and sustainability. And yes—eventually, we’ll bring it into the bedroom.”
As an independent, female-owned label, Prao knows the uphill climb. Her advice to other emerging designers is simple: “Getting started always feels like the hardest part. Sharing your designs can be intimidating, but nothing is scarier than not putting your work out into the world.”
SALTEYE, distilled into three words? Free. Empowering. Intentional.
And like the name itself, it doesn’t walk into the room—it crawls in, ready to bite.
Written by Fernanda Ondarza from GLITCH Magazine
Words by Prao Leeswadtrakul
