RAISINA CURRENTLY IN BIG APPLE

Siem Reap’s elegantly offbeat fashion designer Eric Raisina continues his assault on New York. He’s returned to the core of the Big Apple as one of five designers selected by United Colors Of Fashion for New York Fashion Week Summer 2012.

The “le plus haut black tie” extravaganza kicks off in fine style this evening with a fashion show for humanitarian causes at the prestigious The Pierre New York, a Taj hotel.

The other four selected designers are Oliver Tolentino, Amparo Chorda, Louda Larrain, and David Tlale.

Tomorrow morning Eric will present a trunk show at the Millesime Carlton Hotel New York.

RIGHT ROYAL DIGS

Former Siem Reap hotelier Rudolf Knuchel has furnished further information about last week’s item on the “Prison Hotel”, as one blogger recently referred to the Amansara Resort. The description was not an attack on the illustrious hotel, but more a comment on the security that surrounds this home-away-from-home for the world’s ultra-rich and sundry celebrities like Angelina Jolie.

Anyway, Knuchel writes, “I was reading the article about the Prison Hotel.

Having been in charge as the general manager of this hotel from 1990-1994, I would like to share some facts that I happen to know about the formerly-known Villa Princière, a name that was retained by today’s management company at Amansara.

“This name, according to Prince Ranaridh, was given to the building by his father in the 1960s when the villa, as it then was, was built for and belonged to the royal family. This is where, according to the prince, he learned how to swim in the children’s pool which still exists today.”

CELEBRATED CHEF STEWS IN JAIL

Siem Reap came to the fore last month in the Santa Clara County Superior Court in the US, when celebrated chef Emile Mooser, former owner of the landmark restaurant Emile’s in the San Francisco Bay Area, was sentenced to 10 months in jail for possessing pornographic images of prepubescent girls.

According to the Silicon Valley Mercury News, during the trial presiding judge Philip Pennypacker said he had received letters from people attesting to the good character and civic service of Mooser.

One of them, from Janet Dashiell of Los Gatos, said she wanted to "vehemently" rebut speculation "that Emile might have become involved in a Cambodian orphanage for personal gratification other than simply doing good for others."

In 2008, Dashiell and Mooser visited a rural orphanage in Siem Reap.

Dashiell said, “On our ride back to the hotel, Emile turned to me and said he would come out of retirement to help raise money for the orphanage. I know without a shadow of doubt that he greatly improved the lives of those children simply because of the hard work and dedication he had to fundraising much-needed dollars for the orphanage."