Not Street Style (yet).

Okay last post on BIFF&BIL, promises (actually it probably won't be, but let's pretend).

This was from the TGMA & Textile show, so all pretty casual ready-to-wear.

I might just have really bad timing with my shots, but a lot of the models look less than excited to be wearing this stuff. Oh wait no, they're just looking 'fierce.'

And this was TGMA's Young Fashion line (we know because they walked to "Call Me Maybe").

I would totally wear this (maybe with different shoes). 

The guy still looks sad, but I feel like she knows she's rocking that outfit.

She maybe less so. 

But she definitely does. 

And then the most bizarre show, with clothes people can never wear in Thailand because it is too hot here. 

Which I guess would be fine, because of like, traveling and international buyers. Except isn't this also all pretty last season?

We were pretty confused by it all. 

We missed pretty much Yosafat Dwi Kurniawan's entire show because we got distracted at the snack station (free pastries!). 

So we ran backstage and asked the models for a picture instead. They didn't seem at all annoyed about having to put their heels back on... No, actually they were all super sweet to us! One even gave me a heads up that I had crumbs all down my shirt. Just kidding. (Maybe).

No Circus

We still have so many BIFF&BIL photos, oh my goodness, bear with us.

Did we mention how much we enjoyed BIFF&BIL? The runway shows were beautiful and some of the displays were ridiculous. But of course we were really there as street style bloggers, so you know that we were kind of most excited about eying the other people around us. Most were actually dressed pretty subdued (lots of black business attire), so maybe the fashion week circus, where the clothing on the attendees has become as newsworthy as that on the models, hasn't quite hit Thailand yet (seriously though, click on the link and check out Anna Dello Russo's sunglasses and Bryanboy's hat).

But that's not to say that there weren't still some fashionistas wandering around who couldn't help looking amazing (Fashion Mensa anyone?), perhaps without the near desperate attention seeking happening on streets outside other fashion weeks. Like this guy.

I kind of want Diaz Parzada, creative director for Jakarta Fashion Week 2013, to be my new bffl (also whoa, bffl is just a shortened version of BIFF&BIL, coincidence?!) So sweet, and so stylish! Plus, in just a couple of minutes he managed to convince us that Jakarta Fashion Week 2013 is going to be a huge fashion yes, definitely not to be missed. Like, New York, London, Milan, Paris, Jakarta. 

LOVE. 

Spotted

The search has come to an end! We have looked high and low, near and far, read through thousands (zero) of the applications (there weren't any)! After much deliberation, fashion yeses and fashion noes we have found my fashionable friend! It was truly love at first sight, well more like I spotted legs wearing my pants and hunted them down like a jungle animal. More like my mom did. If I was a jungle animal I would be like the monkey that makes a lot of noise, but when it comes down to confrontation I grab my bananas and go! Didn't inherit my mama's tiger technique.

I would also be the monkey who was dropped from the tree at birth because I totally forgot my fashionable friend's name and the piece of paper I wrote it on. What I do remember though is that he was the choreographer of some of the fashion shows at BIFF&BIL!

He clearly is a lot more fierce than me, but hey I am the 5secondmemory monkey binging on bananas in the tallest tree so somebody has to be the king of the fashion jungle!

Re: Additional Information

Our inbox was inundated with fashionable friend applications last night (obviously), many of which requested a little more information about Julia's looks. I mean, the pictures you guys have of her are small and only of her face. But don't worry! While at BIFF & BIL in Bangkok I totally got a sneaky photo or two of her. 

Coloring all wrong? Are you rocking something more of the ghostly pale blonde thing? No worries, maybe you can be my fashionable friend instead!

Okay here's a photo of the two of us for real though, posing up against a wall. Everyone totally thought we were there as models.

Clearly.

Okay, fine. Maybe the general reaction to us was a little more, "Who are those tall white chicks and why do their business cards look like they were made in an elementary school art class?" (homemade is trendy again, no? Or... no?)

And I think we really impressed everyone by completely geeking out when Dian Pelangi talked to us. She is so sweet and gracious!

But... what's THIS?! Has Julia actually ALREADY FOUND her fashion twin?!?!?!

 Remember, they don't just need to dress alike, they have to look alike too. More on this tomorrow! 

Wanted: Fashionable Friend

 Dear readers, it has become very clear that the biggest trend in Chiang Mai is to dress exactly like your friend. At first I thought it was cute and coincidental, but now I really don't think it is. Honestly, the number of people I see, well dressed or not, who look like the people in their entourage is impressive. And it's not like just matching tee-shirts or they are both wearing sunglasses, no sir, these people have meticulously matching outfits. I mean check out these ladies: wide rim hats; coral item made of light-weight fabric; white top, large shoulder bag, maxi skirt/dress. Plus their faces are so similar too (that is not a racist comment because they are both Chinese, it is because they actually look the same)

So our lovely, readers I send to you a proposition, I am looking for someone to be my fashionable friend. (I would ask Silvia but if you have ever seen a photo of the two of us, we don't look a like, like at all) Requirements include: looking like me, and ability to create matching outfits that we can wear around Chiang Mai. The selected candidate will be remunerated by the approval of fashionable Chiang Maiians (That's not a real word, I made it up) and you'll feel the pleasure of being trendy. So please send your letter of motivation and CV to us here at HighThai

 Here is a game: spot the difference between the two photos. Send us your answer and we'll post you a Quiznos club card (maybe) Terms and Conditions Apply (not really)

Birds of a feather

You know when you see some people and you think "That person could be picked up and moved to any major city in the world and they would still be considered fashionable by the local population"

Well even if you haven't, this girl is one of those people. Her style is chic but effortless; put her in New York, London, Seoul or Dubai she'd still impress the foreign fashionistas!

 

Just make sure you put her in a city with warm weather!

 

We're moving to Jakarta

Here are the rest of our photos from Dian Pelangi's collection (well, the ones that weren't too blurry to post. We might have to work some more on our photography skills...). We were seated next to the designer's husband, who was acing the role of overexcited hubby, trying to both photograph and film the show at the same time, even though he knew there were professionals already on top of it. Seriously, they must have the cutest family albums. He also chatted with us a bit about the collection, explaining a little about Muslim fashion in Indonesia and the importance of accessories and headpiece styling when presenting modest outfits.

All we can say is, it worked. Seriously, culture and religion aside, we want this entire collection in our wardrobes, like now.

So who else is going to go out right now to buy some flowing dresses and pants and twirl their hair up in colorful scarves? And those parasols? Fashion yes please!