Bangkok Tale

My trip to Bangkok happened to be in the midst of the Christmas holidays haze, and proved to be a Christmas present in itself.  I came to Thai capital expecting to find sea of knock-offs, cheap glitzy jewelry.  But instead I found a web of tiny streets offering amazingly modern fashion pieces and mezzanines of world-known fashion brands...

I ended up in Bangkok a day after our first Project Lena fashion event in San Francisco. Being on a fashion high, I decided to leave the Grand Palace visit to the last day with my parents, and ordered a cab straight for Bangkok's finest shopping pearl- Siam Paragon Fashion Center.  It was "a-ha" moment when my eye instantly landed on Chloe, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen boutiques.  So, I put on my "fashion expert" face and proudly stepped through the glass doors with hopes to find those bright tights at amazing price considering the dollar to baht rate.  But no, not so fast...they were all sold out, the price tag was more than the exchange rate allowed.  And, as accustomed in Thailand, a soft-toned Thai sales girl told me with the big smile "We have been sold out before they got into stores".  It is 95F degrees in Bangkok, who wears tights right now?

Bangkok proved to be incredibly fashion-forward, modern, and ahead of its time Thailand's fashion center.  This was the first place I actually enjoyed being stuck in traffic, because I could not take my eyes off millions of stylish street walkers, business people of all ages and races.

The treasures I brought back did not have brand names, but instead they were made of the highest quality of alligator skin in the most beautiful eye-popping colors, delicious and strong green tea, beautifying rice face masks and massage crocodile oil to keep my nails and dry spots nourished!