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Eric Raisina, Siem Reap
Author: Anothertravelguide.com
No words can describe the things that this Madagascar-born and - since 2002 - Siem Reap-based designer can do with silk. In his hands the delicate fabric is transformed into sea foam so soft it can actually make you almost physically addicted: you need to touch it, to feel it... He can also turn it into "fur" for shimmering handbags, the colour scheme ranging from vivid psychedelic tones to all imaginable shades of white. It's not a coincidence that the French-educated designer (who worked as a trainee for Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix) can count the designer Loulou de la Falaise, the muse of Yves Saint Laurent, among his fans. Although things designed by Eric Raisina can be obtained in the Heritage Hotel and Amansara shops, a visit to his own showroom in Siem Reap is a must; it is located in Raisina's house, not quite in the centre of the city. Do announce your visit in advance - after all, it is not really a shop in the traditional sense of the word.
And another thing: Eric Raisina's showroom is a destination most certainly not included in the usual tourist routes offered by the majority of tuk-tuk drivers; be sure to ask a hotel employee for directions before you go - although even that does not guarantee that you will find the place. Tuk-tuk drivers are famously loath to admit their ignorance and therefore are very likely to keep nodding - albeit not very convincingly - even if they have no idea of the whereabouts of the destination. When after a half-hour's drive you find yourselves somewhere in the outskirts of the city, scarcely able to breathe for the terracotta dust, do ask again if the driver is really sure of where he is going - just in case. - Sure, - is the likely answer, only to be continued half a minute later with: - ...if you are interested in silk, I know of a few places much better and cheaper. - As often as not, the whole odyssey ends with you having to call the "unfindable" showroom again, and finally a girl runs out to meet you with a wide smile and shows the way to the front door a city block or two farther. It is very much like any other proper home: you are first greeted by dogs which are then shushed, and finally you find yourselves in an oasis of colours and textures. Everything you see is handmade - from clothing items, shawls and jewellery to home accessories. Superb quality! You feel a bit as if you had entered a real treasure vault. There is an adjoining workshop and a makeshift changing room, slightly reminiscent of a storeroom. You won't leave empty-handed - and each item is lovingly packed in an elegant natural silk bag. What a pleasure!
Veal Village, Wat Thmey
Phone: 855 (0) 12965207
Mobile: 855 (0) 12965207
Keywords: Siemreap, shop, silk
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