The best fashion accessory is still a gay friend.

We were just in Bangkok last week on a nonworking trip, and it occurred to us that what makes Bangkok so different now from Metro Manila isnt its share of tony malls or bustling network of flyovers, or not even its skytrain but its cleanliness. Even the roadside eateriesthe table-and-chair affairs with hawkers cartsneither stink nor are filthy. They seem to know how to dispose of their litter. Even the sidewalks arent covered with used plastic bags or cigarette butts. It is as if cleanliness in Bangkok is no longer just a policy, but a peoples habit as well.

The Oriental Hotel hasnt updated its look to be in step with other modern hotels in the big cities because it doesnt have to. Its lure is its heritage, in an era of hotels with cookie-cutter design. Its walls, in muted eggshell, call up the images of the great authors and artists who had stayed there.

The measure of a mature city thats worthy of its christian louboutin   place in todays world is its sense of heritage. You cant bring a promise of the future unless you have a sense of the past. Pride of placethats what you bring to the global table. I looked around and saw the high-end tourists at The Oriental who were there undoubtedly to soak in this ambiance flavored by the past.

Dynamic woman

A friend introduced us to a dynamic woman who must be waging one of the most daunting business campaigns in Bangkok. Pannin Kitiparaporn is the CEO of the $41-million culture park in Bangkok that seems like a mini-city in itself. Pannin built the park and the humongous theater in it (with the highest proscenium in the world) that can seat 2,000.

Coming from a family that runs movie theaters and given her experience in amusement parks, she sank in $41 million in this project, mounted an 80-minute show called Siam Niramit, like a journey to Siam, which is staged every night. The show has state-of-the-art special effects that can compete with a Cirque du Soleil, with live elephants and farm animals onstage to boot.

Pannin had seen one too many Vegas louboutin   shows and told herself she would do something better. Siam Niramit is being sold as an attraction to tourists and to the Thais themselves. Will Pannin recoup her investment? She hopes to, but for now she says she gets a good psychic lift whenever the Thais tell her, Youve made us love our country more.

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Weekend: Out of the closet: What's in your wardrobe? A chef, an actress/model, a Hollywood star and two rock gods' daughters reveal where they go shopping, why they dress as they do - and their top tips for looking good.

Kelly Osbourne

Musician, performer and TV presenter (pictured with Prudence the pug)

What are you wearing today? The dress is from Milly and the louboutin shoes are from Gina. I have the sparkly Ginas in every colour they've done, and they eventually rip. I've been through so many pairs that they fix them for free now, and they made a special pair just for me.

Describe your style It's very eclectic. It's weird, but I theme-dress depending on where I'm going. I've always been such a fan of Madonna, and it's really the way she dresses, too. She'll film a sexy video and be wearing a sexy outfit, or she'll launch her children's book wearing a floral Prada dress. It's the way Japanese kids dress, too. If I was going to dinner at a Chinese restaurant, I would wear a kimono - it makes it more fun. You should wear what you get excited about.

Where do you shop? I've got tons of designer clothes, but I am a big high-street shopper - I think that's where you get your solid, everyday pieces, like a good pair of black shorts or an Oxford shirt. I love Topshop, H&M and Zara. If you have a pair of Christian Louboutinchristian louboutin shoes , you can wear a pair of trousers that cost £12 and look great. I'm a real believer in not spending so much money on clothes - and you can still look good.