Recently we spent the entire day shooting at Howie’s Homestay, one of the most gorgeous private properties I have ever visited! Howie’s is a boutique hotel tucked away in the the lush green Himalayan foothills in northern Thailand near the Burmese border. We saw acres of gardens and hidden walkways through ponds with lilypads and infinity pools — even hidden infinity hot tubs! I absolutely loved this home, which is also available for weddings and private honeymoons.
It was the ideal setting to photograph the new NOVICA catalog shoot with stunning Uzbekistanian model Misha. She’s wearing all kinds of clothing, accessories, and jewelry that are handmade by Thai artisans.
With so much amazing scenery surrounding us at the hotel, we were totally inspired to create all these nature-themed looks. Most of the accessories you see Misha wearing are made out cotton, natural silk, and even coconut shells. And with the jewelry, you can see a lot of wood and bamboo. (And, of course, a flower in her ear here and there!) She is especially wearing a lot of the collection of Khun Koy, a Thai artisan who specializes in organic cotton blouses and sundresses.
We were also able to put together some great looks featuring batik scarves and shawls. Many of them are from the collection of Vinita, another Thai artisan.
Part of me didn’t want to leave the hotel, but when the day was done it was time for me to be off on my next stop in Thailand — deeper into the Himalayan foothills to visit with the Karen Hill Tribe, which you can read all about in my next blog post!
