For those of you who have been through South East Asia, you know what elephant pants are. Every backpacker has them, they are made of terrible fabric that is basically garbage, and wearing them around is a clear message to any local that you would love to pay 3x the normal fare.

Elephant pants, among other questionable decisions, are all over Cambodia. Like those decisions, they often become a representation of SE Asia to those who don’t know the area. The other common sartorial option seems to be a bad versions of a bandage dress that DOES NOT provide enough coverage for you to be riding a moto like that, young lady. When I landed here, I was not impressed with the fashion scene, local or foreign, but it is getting so much better. There are more and more interesting designs coming out of the region, and I am excited and inspired by people that are putting new ideas into the market here. A lot of those ideas are coming out of Thailand right now. Thailand has great art schools and a strong enough economy to provide funding for the design and fashion. The three designers I am highlighting below do not begin to capture the talent coming out of Thailand, but it’s a peak into some of the cool things that are happening. Enjoy!

More here.

More here.More here.

I love the diversity in the design style of these three players. From the super-sleek, slightly scary lady at your office party, to the funky party girl who will wear whatever she damn pleases, to the other chick who has probably seen the Hunger Games too many times, I’m into all of it, and happy that it comes from my neighborhood.

Photo by National Geographic