Thailand, 30 April 2019 – Award-winning InterContinental Koh Samui Resort hosted the prestigious L'Officiel Fashion Destination 2019 over the weekend from 26 – 28 April, raising THB1.8 million for Thai charitable foundations Baan Nontapum and The Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Foundation at the event's charity gala night on 26 April.

The amount raised this year saw a 40% increase as compared to the previous year, where THB1.3 million was raised for Life Impact International, which supports child victims of trafficking, slavery and debt bondage. This year, all proceeds from the charity gala night will go towards Baan Nontapum Home for Children with Disabilities and The Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Foundation. Respectively, these foundations provide rehabilitation for children with disabilities and timely heart surgeries that help and save the lives of children with congenital heart diseases.

The Charity Gala Night, which kicked off the first night of L'Officiel Fashion Destination 2019, was attended by prominent celebrities and socialites from Thailand and around the region, such as Thai leading lady and fashion icon Araya “Chompoo” Alberta Hargate, Kanyawee ”Thanaerng” Songmuang, Arisara “Dew” Thongborisut, Chalida “Mint” Vijitvongthong.

Artworks by Jitsing Somboon, Kanachai “Kit” Bencharongkul, Jirayu “Got” Tantrakul, Lik Sriprasert, Virunan Chiddaycha and Elizabeth Romhild were fiercely bid on by guests. An exciting three-way tussle took place between Ali Ziani, CEO of Digitaria, James Lee, Cambodian influencer and owner of Lee International Group, and show host Waravut Laohapongchan as they bid on a piece by Got, culminating in the night's highest bid, placed by James Lee. The piece was then presented as a birthday gift to his friend whom he had accompanied to L'Officiel Fashion Destination 2019.

Commenting on the necessity of community partnership, Michael Shin, General Manager of the InterContinental Koh Samui Resort says, “Being in an environment as pristine and untouched as Koh Samui, it's our responsibility to preserve the island's natural beauty, which comes from first being part of the community. It's a symbiotic relationship – as we help people grow, they too help us grow within their communities.

This weekend's L'Officiel Fashion Destination 2019 allowed us to play a bigger part in our communities. Knowing that all the proceeds from the highlight charity gala night would go to meaningful causes, it's an event we absolutely wanted to be, and loved being involved in.”

Separately, the resort is also working with local schools to rebuild their playgrounds as part of the IHG Giving for Good programme that supports communities and charitable giving.

The L'Officiel Fashion Destination 2019 kicked off with welcome gifts from the resort of monogrammed bathrobes and slippers, followed by champagne sponsored by Moët & Chandon, facial treatments by Clé de Peau Beauté, and makeup by NARS Cosmetics over the weekend. At the event, guests partook in a private charity gala night and a tour of Koh Samui, and enjoyed a fashion show by Thai designer Patinya on Southeast Asia's longest over water runway.

Patinya, who recently presented her Fall 2018 collection, 'Love is Sacrifice' at the grand opening of THAITHAI @ ZEN Megastore, showcased her latest 2019 collection on Sunday. Wearing pieces inspired by Patinya's core concepts of urban, elegant and sensational, models, including Ajirapa Sabina Meisinger, season one winner of The Face Thailand, strutted along the over water runway silhouetted against a stunning Koh Samui sunset.

For more information about the InterContinental Koh Samui Resort, please visit www.samui.intercontinental.com. 

You may download additional materials regarding the event via the following link: InterContinental Koh Samui x L'Officiel Fashion Destination 2019 Charity Gala Dinner & Auction

For additional materials regarding the hotel, please visit:
InterContinental Koh Samui Images

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About the InterContinental Koh Samui Resort:

The InterContinental Koh Samui Resort is a luxury resort on the Thai island of Koh Samui. Set on a cliff descending to a sandy white beach, the resort is surrounded by 22 acres of lush tropical gardens and flanked by fantastic views of the Gulf of Thailand, the nearby Five Islands and Ang Thong National Marine Park. It is listed in the New York Times' bestseller book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die.

The 79 guest rooms, suites and villas are on the former site of Mandarin Oriental which commands a legendary status as Koh Samui's first ever luxury resort. There are two restaurants, Amber and Flames, which serve Thai, Asian and modern European cuisine, an open-air cocktail lounge, and the Iconic Air Bar.

The award-winning Baan Thai Spa by HARNN offers an exclusive range of HARNN body and beauty treatments. The resort's own kids' club, Planet Trekkers has activities and entertainment for children aged from 4 – 12 years. Koh Samui is a 45 minute flight from Bangkok with direct domestic connections to Phuket and Pattaya. International direct flights with key Asian cities include Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.