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Hauteculturefashion.com new website
Mai Chau is a seeming easy 150km cruise out of Hanoi. Only a 3-4 hour drive they say! Hmmm well, Im currently sat in my idyllic stilt house listening to White Thai women sing their folk songs in harmony with the crickets, but it didn’t start out that way. For those of you the don’t follow me on Facebook yet please click the link to read the funny story that matches the picture below of what actually happened on the first day of the rest of my life. (Reading time 4 mins)
Ready and raring to roll! Me leaving Hanoi at 12am.
Traveling at the break neck speed of a turtle, with one nights stop over in Hoa Binh and this being my first solo motorbike trip and all, I was paranoid as hell the majority of the ride from Hanoi. I was obsessively focused on scanning the road for any and all lumps, bumps and ditches, and continuously singing the Beegees song “Ah ha ha ha staying alive, staying alive” like a mantra in my mind. I avoided lorries like the plague and checked Google maps literally every 2 kilometers. At one point I stopped to take some pictures and the kick stand slipped beneath me and the bike tumbled on the floor. Turns out im not strong or skilled enough to pick it up on my own yet! So lucky for me I waved down a kind gentleman who helped me go from horizontal to vertical once more. When I finally cruised down Mai Chau’s mountain road and into the valley it felt nothing short of a miracle.
Happy Home Stays
Once I arrived in the town a local guy call Tu followed me on a motorbike for over 2 km (standard) to come and stay at his home stay. I eventually caved in and the following morning without request was rewarded with a White Thai weaving lesson by his wife Tiet on her handmade home loom. I’m thinking i’m in the right place.
After breakfast I took a walk around the village and in the top right corner hidden away in a palm treed garden, over looking the rice paddy fields and forrest laden mountains, I found the home stay i’d been fantasising about. The family have a separate stilt house for guests and I’ve got the place all to myself which i couldn’t be more chuffed about.
Just Chillin
This blog post is not a guide to Mai Chau, I can’t be bothered to explore every nook and cranny on this trip. My priority as stated in my previous post Fears, Farewells and Fernweh is to take it easy and see what comes my way. It’s a relentless 35 degree heat by 11am gradually increasing until the sun starts setting at 5. This morning I confidently drove the bike to a near by village market at Pa Co 30km away, but the majority of my time I spending sleeping, reading, hanging out with the local women and thinking about where to go next.
Where to Stay
Home stay number 2, in the top right corner of Poom Coong Village, (turn right before Mai Chau Lodge) 70.000vnd / $3 per person per night. Food or kitchen facilities not included, I just took a 10 minute walk into the town.
Home Stay Map
How to get there by motorbike
Hanoi to Mai Chau
So it’s the evening before I leave Hanoi after 2 years. It’s been a while since I blogged and I feel this deserves a brief update just to ground myself, keep those who are interested in loop and quite frankly step back and observe. To say my life has been ridiculously insane in the past 2 weeks doesn’t quite cut the mustard.
(Reading time 6 mins)
London College for Design and Fashion Annual Fashion Show 2015 Finale
I’ve left my first ever full time job. I saw my beautiful and talented / pain in the ass students host their exhibitions. I watched in awe as their arduous creative endeavours strut down the catwalk on 6ft models to an audience of over 900 guests. They hugged me backstage and after I cried with exhaustion, pride and love for those little monsters, and they did the same. It was extremely emotional time for everyone when I had to say farewell. Teaching at LCDF has taught me more about myself then any of my students probably ever learnt from me.
Immediately after (like the next day) I was offered the opportunity of a lifetime to be a guest judge on Vietnam’s Next Top Model in Ho Chi Minh City!!! Sounds great huh? Reality behind the shiny Instagram filters is that I have always secretly suffered from severe pre flight anxiety. I had to seek support through councelling, hypnotherapy, natural (and not so natural) drugs together with a lots of hand holding to just board the plane. I’m embarrassed to admit that I literally feel like I’m going to die every time I fly. I’m proud to say that I faced my fears and came out the other side stronger, richer and happier for it.
Alive and kicking in Ho Chi Minh City on my way to be a judge at Vietnams Next Top Model
I returned to Hanoi and I said good bye to my best friends and colleagues, moved out of my gorgeous little house and reduced 95% of my accumulated possessions to fit in a mere 20 litre back pack. I checked my bank account today and surprisingly I’ve saved enough cash dollar to travel for nearly 2 years! Pretty banging achievement if I say so myself. Now is the time to figure out why, how and where I’m going to research cultural costume and fashion around the world. I couldn’t be happier to be pursuing the career that i’ve always wanted.
August 5th 2015 officially unemployed
After a disastrous start to the year back in January, I feel truly blessed to say I fell happily in love once more, but sadly at the most inappropriate time of our lives. Amid this madness I’m trying whole heartedly to let go with peace but everyday is heart breaking as we walk in opposite directions and the distance between us grows. And now my 7 month long plan to travel with a dear friend from the UK is currently on hold because I literally feel like I cant tell the difference between my head and my arse.
As for Haute Culture i’ll figure all that out on the road. Get ready for tribal encounters, sartorial street style snap shots and traditional textiles galore. My first priority is to redesign the blog and get up to date with a back log of fashionable events and adventures that are yet to be published. (Actually thats not true, my first priority is to sunbath, sleep and be kind to myself at the moment, the blog is a super close second.)
Vision wall opposite my bed counting down the last 7 months
I recently came across a new word “Fernweh” (n.) An ache for distant places; the craving to travel.
I’ve been literally counting down to this day for the last 7 months! I have no idea when I’m coming back to the UK. So i’ve finally I’ve come to the conclusion that all I need is a bigger, better, and more badass looking motorbike. Tomorrow morning I will ride off alone to Mai Chau on my spanky new Lifan, with very little idea of where I will go next. As my mate Dan would say “be a leaf in the wind”. I have wifi speakers to play music on the road, a hula hoop to re-bond with, a real map!! (as well as google maps) and a first aid kit just incase.
All I know right now is that I can totally do this. I can travel, research, write and be totally fucking awesome at what I do (whatever that turns out to be), and despite my previous doubts I’ve realised once again that I don’t actually need to rely on anyone else. Im feeling brave and a bit erratic, but I’m ok with that, I think it’s only natural right?
Please send me love, light and luck as I embark on the adventure of my life. I thank you all for your support with my whole heart and invite you to join me all the way???
Thank you to everyone who completed Haute Culture’s online survey, I’m so greatfull. Your feedback is so important to me as it aids me deliver more of the exciting and interesting content that your actually here to see. If you still want to have your say click here, it only takes a couple of minuets.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that 60% of Haute Culture’s readers would love to see our very own online shop! This got me seriously thinking that selling tribal trinkets collected along my adventures through South East Asia (and beyond) is a bona fide excellent concept. Ideas are still in the generation stage and there is no shortage of inspiration, but the plan is to sell original, unique, handmade cultural and ethnic jewellery from each country and tribe I visit. This is both a practical (in a space saving backpacker kinda way) and profitable way to fund the Haute Culture project over the coming years.
So stay tuned in as my full time escapades begin in less than 2 months time. I hope to have a online shop up and running by the end of August! In the interim here’s some inspirational ethnic adornments to inspire your imagination.
Photo credits: Fulani Man, Datoga Woman
Photo Credits: Jabal Nafusa, Drokpa Lady
Photo credits: Nagaland tribes woman, Bonda woman
Photo credits: Tibetan Man, Maasai Girls
Last month Vogue published Tim Walker and Karen Elson’s epic expedition into the Kingdom of Bhutan. The editorial explores the striking Himalayan scenery, astonishing Asian architecture and the colourful composition of the countries rich cultural costumes.
Titled “The Land of Dreamy Dreams” the shoot explores a folkloric journey into the wilderness of the beautiful Bhutanese landscape. Couture collections from Céline, Loewe, Prada & Valentino are theatrical styled by Kate Phelan to embrace the drama of the costumes worn in the Cham dances of the monthly Tscheu festivals.
Traditionally part of Tibetan Buddhism (where the Tscheu festivals are now banned), the Bhutanese festivals are large religious social gatherings held on the 10th day of every lunar month. Seen as a form a meditation, Cham dances are performed by Buddhist monks who chant sacred mantras from beneath their costumes. Different dances tell the tales of local gods, myths and legends and are caricatured through garish, comical and often horrifying costumes and masks.
Tim Walker: Karen Elson wearing Gareth Pugh for Vogue May 2015
Tim Walker: Karen Elson for Vogue May 2015
Tim Walker: Karen Elson wearing Simone Rocha for Vogue May 2015
Tim Walker: Karen Elson wearing Alexander McQueen for Vogue May 2015
Photography TIM WALKER
Styling KATE PHELAN
Makeup SAMANTHA BRYANT & hair DUFFY
Model KAREN ELSON
Useful references
http://www.timwalkerphotography.com/
http://www.vogue.co.uk/voguevideo/2015/4/21/watch-tim-walker-bhutan-shoot-karen-elson-video-diary
http://fashioncow.com/2015/04/karen-elson-in-the-land-of-dreamy-dreams-by-tim-walker-for-vogue-uk-may-2015/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tshechu
http://www.drukasia.com/bhutan/bhutan-festivals-calendar-2015/
http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/tim-walker-karen-elson
A few months ago I was invited to join a photography project exploring the identity of international residents living in Hanoi. The only mandatory obligation was that the model must wear a headdress of some kind in a bid to disguise their traditional appearance. Intrigued I agreed to participate as I saw it as a rare opportunity to appropriate my Vietnamese hill tribe accessories with contemporary fashion trends for a credible cause. (reading time 10 minutes)
“This series of photographic portraits by Alisher Sharip represents the diversity of Hanoi, an amazing ethnic and cultural melting pot that is home to people from all around the world.
Moving from portrait to portrait, the viewer’s eyes go on a journey of individuals shaped not only by the communities in which they grew up but also by life in cosmopolitan Hanoi, an environment that often triggers creativity and allows a person the chance to develop abilities otherwise repressed by the demanding social-economic reality of the places they came from.
Life in Hanoi challenges identity at all levels, professional, social, religious and cultural. By stepping out of the stream of daily routine and creating unconventional images, the participants question the concept of ethnicity itself and demonstrate how contemporary cities eliminate ethnic boundaries and create global citizens.” For more information visit the event page on Facebook.
On Wednesday 3rd June 2015 my portrait and 20 others will feature in a photography exhibition titled Babylon 21, exploring how contemporary multicultural living in the 21st century can challenge, change and create continuous conversation questioning who we perceive people to be based on their appearance.
Babylon 21 photography exhibition opens on Wednesday 3rd June 2015 at 6pm at Chula 43, NHAT CHIEU , 396 LAC LONG QUAN, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Happy Birthday Ho Chi Minh! Vietnam’s revolutionary communist leader who would have been 125 years young today. Still residing in state in his own mausoleum, Hanoi has seen a week long precession of celebrations and festivals in his honour. To commiserate this special event the department of culture and commerce wanted to celebrate the cultural diversity and creative collaboration in Vietnam today by hosting a special show combining both Vietnamese and international fashion designers and it’s residents. 4 mins reading time.
Ao Dai for All
The Ao Dia is a high neck, slim fitting 5 panel dress, with side splits to the waist and generally worn with palazzo style trousers. It is the symbol of Vietnamese women and can be seen almost everyday in Vietnam as it is often worn for formal and special occasions by women of all ages. French, English, American, Russian, Australian, African, Spanish, and Vietnamese beauties proudly paraded down the catwalk in front of government officials, local and national residents and curious tourists. It has been along time since I have done any modelling, probably over 10 years, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. It was 35 degrees in blazing sunshine, I was slightly shell shocked and extremely sweaty after 6 hours of fittings, rehearsals, hair and make up, but all the other models, organisers and friends made it such a fun and memorable experience. I felt proud after two years of living in Hanoi to be offered such a special opportunity to wear Ao Dai, the symbol of Vietnamese feminine beauty, and the pride of the Vietnamese people.
Photo by Morgan Ommer
Photo by Morgan Ommer
With special thanks to my friends Hoang Minh Chau, Diego at Chula and Nhat Duong for making me feel beautiful, and Morgan Ommer for his lovely photos.
Useful Resources
Hanoi Connecting Five Continents (Vietnamese language)
Ao Dai Cultural Celebration
A Brief History of Ao Dia
Chula Fashion
Morgan Ommer Photography
Beating the usual stroll to work on a monotonous monday morning, today the streets of Hanoi where I live were packed to the rafters with the sound of drums, rainbow coloured costumes, flying flags and dancing dragons! Reading time 2 mins, short and sweet.
At homes, throughout villages and across the depth and breadth of the country, Vietnamese people are consistently enthrawled with traditional customs and cultural festivities that take place all through out the year. Today was a special day in the village of Nghi Tam where I live. At the start of spring each year the local residents parade joyfully through the streets, honouring and celebrating the village gods and their families ancestors. Historically a farming community, Nghi Tam’s 2 day festival hopes to deliver prosperity and good luck to all that live in the area during the harvest season. Happy spring everyone! Summer soon!
Heaven’s Gate, Quan Ba District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam.
A weekend adventure motor biking around the mountainous province of Ha Giang in North Vietnam. 1000 metres above sea level Ha Giang boarders the southern Yunnan province of China. At last count over 60% of Vietnams hill tribe minorities call Ha Giang home, making it a culturally diverse and naturally beautiful destination to explore. There I met with local men and women on the markets and at their homes whom took great pleasure and pride in adorning me with their costumes and customs. Reading time 13 mins or scroll down to the bottom for my travel tips and advice on Ha Giang.
“HA GIANG”, “HA GIANG” I heard the guy yelling in my direction. I woke up to realise that there was only myself, the driver and bag boy left on the coach. I got down from my bunk bed, gathered my belongings and stepped out onto a flood lit derelict construction site. Wicked!! I sarcastically thought to myself, time to jump into action and figure out what to do next. It’s 4:30am. I hear sounds of chattering over the wall ahead and see an exit leading out onto a road. Looking like a rabbit in the headlights, I sense the local men sat outside the station are laughing at my expense. I hear a guy wolf whistle which instantly puts me on tenterhooks, Vietnamese men don’t normally do that, I thought. Another “wit whooo” comes my way and I’m feeling really uneasy. I look left and right for my friend Esteban, “Wit whooooo…..DONNA!” I breathe a sigh of relief, it was him all along.
Ha Giang City is No Sapa
I spend my first day in Ha Giang City just chilling out with some friends who are living there teaching English. They were working all weekend and I was hesitant to travel up into the mountains on my own. For one I don’t think I would get that far and I felt a bit paranoid about getting lost or in an accident. As a solo female traveller and don’t want to take unnecessary risks. I read online and my friends confirm that there is a guy in town that offers motorbike tours, normally for 3 or 4 days. So I set off to convince Jonny Nam Tran to take a day out of his normal adventurous schedule to chaperone/babysit me for a day. As I wondered around I realize Ha Giang City is nothing like Sapa. In Sapa everyone is a “Del Boy“. You can’t go to the toilet without someone asking you if you want to do a homestay, go on a trek or buy a bracelet, bag or blanket. Elaborately dressed Hmong and Dao women with children strapped to their backs line the streets with handmade ethnic textiles, crafts and jewellery. Coaches, buses and motorbikes wizz through the busy streets as tourists sip on their lattes in the French cafes overlooking the chaos. It’s full on, but at least you know you’re in the right place. Ha Giang is not set up for tourism at all, I only saw a couple of very basic hotels, cafes and convenience stores. Getting around to see the sights would not to be that easy without Jonny. No one is trying to sell me anything, no one gives a crap that I am there, and from what I can tell there is nothing to do apart from make my plans to head for the hills.
Ankor Wat at Sunrise, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Occupied by monks and monkeys, and surrounded by tropical forests and flourishing gardens, Siem Reap in Cambodia is famously home to some of the most mesmerising archeological architecture in the world. The UNESCO protected Angkor world heritage site houses the astonishing ancient capitals of the Khmer Empire. Dating back to the 9th Century the site covers a colossal 400sq kilometers and is literally littered with temples and Tuk-tuks. I had 3 memorable days of meeting musical monks, learning to spin silk with local artisans and temple trekking. I fell in love with it’s colourful and cheery people, fascinated by the meticulous attention to detail of the dramatic masonry, and got lost in the wondrous awe of the diverse ancient architecture. Siem Reap is hand’s down my favourite destination so far, lets see why…. Reading time 10 mins.
Temple Trekking
Before the crack of dawn, there is 4am. This is the time your alarm will go off if you want to see the sun rise behind the magnificent silhouette of the world’s largest religious monument, Angkor Wat. What you don’t want to do, is drink a skin full the night before (just saying). It was my birthday and to celebrate I booked a long awaited weekend from Hanoi to Siem Reap. My friend and I arranged a Tuk-tuk to collect us at 4:30am. It was pitch black and surprisingly very cold driving to the entrance of Angkor Archeological Park which was about 25 minuets away from the city centre.
When we arrived I was naively shocked by how many people were there. Hundreds of Tuk-tuk drivers, motorbikes, coaches, tour groups, families and backpackers, all pushing in line to get their entrance permit. We arrived at Angkor Wat with just enough time to find a good spot for sunrise. The energy was electric with the anticipation of seeing the building shrouded in darkness in the near distance. Known as the 7th wonder of the world, nothing can really prepare you for just how beautiful it is, maybe I’m romanticising over my memories but shear scale of Angkor cannot really be described.
Built by King Suryavarman II the monument was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It’s outer walls are ornately decorated with stone carvings of stories, myths and legends from life time lived long ago. The design itself is meant to represent the cosmic world and the universe on earth. The five peaks in the centre of the building correspond to the five peaks of the mountain Meru located in the Himalayas in India, and the 200 meter wide moat is surrounded by flooded gardens, ponds and rivers to symbolise the ocean. It took over 30 years to construct and spans over 500 aches.
The park is practically impossible to explore by foot and at $20 per day walking would not be the most economical option either. We had a great Tuk-tuk driver who spoke fluent English and seemed really proud to explain and accompany us around the sights. Temple trekking in Siem Reap was one of the most surprising and impressive experiences that I had seriously under estimated. “You’ve seen one temple, you’ve seen them all” right? Believe it or not (for those at home) that’s how it sometimes feels traveling in South East Asia. People become desensitised through over exposure of everything being amazing all the time. This is fondly referred to in backpacker land as being “templed out”. But NOT in Siem Reap. Every site is completely different. Competition was fierce as each Khmer King had his own memorable mark to make in place of the previous ruler. The diversity of the environment, the design aesthetics, the style of architecture, the stone, the colour, and the craftsmanship is all different, making you feel like Christopher Columbas with every new site explored.
Musical Monks
Although Angkor was built as a place of Hindu worship in the 12th century, the grounds have been recycled over the centuries to accommodate different religious faiths of the ruling king of the time. Currently enclosed within the gardens of Angkor Wat today is a working Buddhist monastery. It was here wondering around I fell completely in love with the kind nature, cheery but peaceful ambiance of both Cambodia and Buddhism.The sweet smell of incense burned gently in the air, and there was a faint sound of wind chimes and mantras being chanted in the distance. Everywhere you turned there was a beautiful kaleidoscope of rainbow coloured paintings, fabric, decorations and shrines, all in honour of Buddha and his teachings.
Set back from the main drag, there was a communal tea room where monks were playing traditional Cambodian musical instruments and welcoming passing tourists to participate. Being the musical misfit that I am, I gladly took part in embarrassing myself just for the experience of having a go and spending a bit more time in their beautiful environment.
Ankor Silk Farm
On day 3 I visited the Artisans of Angkor Silk Farm. As educational centers go it’s pretty well organised and hands on. You can book a free tour on arrival or just walk around and the super friendly staff in each section will explain about silk worm cultivation. You get to go to the mulberry bush plantations where the silk worms traditionally live and feed. Learn about the hibernation and incubation cycle. See them being boiled alive 😦 and even have a go (i specifically requested this) at removing the silk thread from the cocoon and spinning silk like a real life spinster! A life long ambition of mine. After that you can read all about natural dying ingredients before seeing the silk woven into luxurious brocades on the hand looms. There is even an exhibition of traditional Cambodian silk textiles and costume history. Boom! What more could a cultural fashion and textiles lecturer want? I highly recommend this place.
Cambodian Calamity Concluded
A long weekend in Siem Reap was a hard pushed escapade to fit it all in, but I’m so glad I did it. Sometimes we/me can put things off waiting for the right time to do it all at once. Just arriving in Cambodia for this trip was a personal victory for me. In 2011 I had flown into Bangkok and travelled directly to the Thai Cambodian boarder with high hopes of spending a 3 weeks gallivanting around on my first solo adventure. However this didn’t pan out. As I presented my passport to the boarder control officer, the page with my visa attached painstakingly fluttered out and landed on the floor. “You no come Cambodia. You go Bangkok and see you embassy”. Flabbergasted, confused and gutted, I returned to Bangkok and spent 3 days in and out of the British embassy. With an emergency visa in hand my Cambodian expedition had finished before it had even got off the ground, my options were to go home or stay in Thailand. I chose the latter and dedicated my remaining time to traveling Thailand, a previously shunned option.
This trip to Cambodia was just a sweet snapshot of what the country has in store for me. In 2014 I hitch hiked from Thailand to Cambodia on Christmas day to Koh Rong Island, that was an incredible journey but not really suitable content for this blog. On my way back to Hanoi I stopped in Siem Reap City and cycled my way about town taking snapshots of the local street style fashion. My experiences thus far in Cambodia have challenged and inspired me on both a personal and professional level. I’m so looking forward to going back in 2015 and exploring the full potential the country has to offer.
Has anyone else had a planned adventure stopped in it’s tracks and had to adopt a new strategy? If so i would love to hear about what happened in the comments below.
Useful References
Carrie Parry How Silk is made fibre to fabric
Youtube Silk Farm Cambodia: This is how silk is made
Artisans of Angkor Angkor Silk Farm
Tourism Cambodia Angkor Wat
UNESCO Angkor World Heritage Site
Round the world traveler Angkor Archaeological Park
Haute Culture 