Siem Reap’s svelte fashion designer Eric Raisina flagged the opening of his new store at FCC Angkor with the launch of a week-long exhibition of his work at McDermott Gallery last Thursday.

The new store, to open at the end of this month, will be the first retail outlet outside of his fashion design workshop, and will feature his best items.

Madagascan-born Raisina presented his latest works and examples of “haute texture” at his short-run McDermott Gallery exhibition titled “If Love is Silk”, which finished last night.

Vivid, colourful clothing and accessories made from silk were on display and for sale, while video clips of his most recent international fashion shows were shown.

His busy year included a showing at Bangkok International Fashion Week in March, where his collection, “Grace of Silk” was dedicated to singer Grace Jones.

In June he showed at the Johannesburg Arise Fashion Week, and as a spin-off he showed at New York Fashion Week in September as part of the Arise Promise of Africa Collective. His collection was titled “Honeymoon in Madagascar”, with some of his garments worn by US model Chanel Iman.

Coming up next month is a big fashion show in the Bahamas, and after that a small, private show with two other designers in Senegal with the theme “Magic of the Desert”.