The Racha resort; Raya Yai island
Kaarem Wind chime white cropped top, Hien Le embossed alcantara shorts.
Wind chime taupe top by Kaarem, and silk petal grey skirt by Isabell de Hillerin.
Boatneck open back dress by Kaarem
Svilu tennis zipper skirt
Oiseaux lace white top by Bonheur, and suede alcantara surf shorts by Hien Le.
Garden top by Ace & Jig.
Marigold tent dress by Svilu.
All linked clothes available at A Boy Named Sue shop
Not the chic-est duo, Kit and I make. Definitely not the sort of fasshun bloggers seen skipping about the globe in un-creased maxi dresses and perfect hair + makeup, despite our overstuffed vanity cases weighing down the speedboat like cast-iron anchors. ‘OMG Kit, I think I’m blind’, are my first few words at Raya Yai Island – not proud of them, I know – thankfully Kit doesn’t hear over the sound of the spluttering motor and besides, her arms are flailing about trying to comb out the bird’s nest that is her hair. We’d chosen the seats at the very back on the motorboat out of the mainland, silently hoping to role-play an image of two long-legged blondes perched at the back of a Venetian speed boat (think Michael Kors resort)… then the sun-faded orange safety vests goes on + sea wind + water spitting back from the motor… you know the rest. Alas, I’m not blind. My eyes adjust to the new horizon and everything is white, the beach, the boardwalk, the Racha.
A hamlet of white-washed villas and neatly manicured tropics make up the Racha resort, set in a lagoon of the bluest, clearest water I’ve seen in my life. Gatorade Emerald-blue. There are only villas – no rooms – and the interiors reflect the same minimal aesthetics. The facilities encourage an eco-aware stay, a perfect backdrop for our suitcases that are full cute garbs from A Boy Named Sue – purveyors of eco-friendly, sustainable designers and of course, one of our generous hosts in the Far East.
We may be champions of un-chic but Kit and I have got some serious unpacking skills, one of the first signs of tiger mumhood, I fear – within an hour we freshen-up and make homes out of both villas. The energy spills into the rest of the day and by six thirty we wrap up shooting the remaining lookbook images. Kit charges out towards the ocean with her snorkelling gear, I give my private pool a dip and then join her at the beach, hair smelling faintly of Jasmine. The air is different and the sun set into the… cluster of palm trees behind the resort – not sure if it was East or West, it could’ve been Kanye West for all I cared.
Photography and editing by Park & Cube, photos of me by Kit Lee; Huge thanks to A Boy Named Sue and Mr & Mrs Smith for hosting us and the outworldly getaway!
