Passion for foodie non-food products continues

On October 24, BIG+BIH, Southeast Asia's largest international trade expo devoted to gifts and housewares, ended with a public shopping spree in Bangkok, Thailand.

BIG+BIH offers a biannual opportunity for local residents to see Thai-made export-only products and get insider savings of 30-70 percent on a variety of goods that span living products for daily needs to scuba dry bags, modern light-up beach furniture, day-glo fuzzy Buddhas and silk bedding.

However the big trend this edition was in foodie-themed non-food products that extended to stationery, jewelry, clothing, soaps and foodie wares.

- Paper goods were packed into whole fruit shapes, Pringles-esque potato chip tins, noodle boxes, "Fried Chicken notes," and take-out coffee cups. ( DoubleApaper.com)

- Soaps were shaped liked lollipops, old-school chunky popsicles, cupcakes, chocolate bars and iced bundt cakes ( Ayadasoap.com, Iwishsoap.com)

- Ornate oversized rings looked like mini bite-sized cupcakes ( Jewelry Café by Bee Bijoux)

Plus wavy and special-edged knives were being demonstrated to turn your next meal into edible art, and loads of leather wine bags were out to gift a bottle or BYOB in reusable style, including some from Thai-based leather goods innovator Labrador's (which should have its e-shop up and running soon) which produces sleek minimal document bags and iPad cases. ( LabradorFactory.net, GoodJobStore.com, ApostropheL.com)

In the design 2010 awards section at BIG+BIH:

A young Thai designer, Susasekk Yuthiwat, created "I'm a talking plate," a glass plate with various sayings that can be highlighted with a crayon to denote a special message to whomever you are serving. Sort of like stamping your toast but this offers many sayings centered on themes like sorry, occasions, love, office, children and cheer up. http://www.surasekk.com/graphic/surasekk-talking-plate.html

Award-winning Thai food and non-food product designer Samchana Kangwarnjit of Prompt Design is the brainchild of Here! Sod Fresh Packed T's, tees screened with mono-food designs and packaged like the real thing. For example a red piece of meat was front and center on the tee and then folded and packed in a polystyrene tray just like raw meat in the grocery store. http://www.prompt-design.com

Perhaps at the next April 2011 edition of BIG+BIH flowers will be the theme as Kangwarnjit shared with Relaxnews on October 23 that his next line of t-shirts, which launches January 2011, will be folded flowers. And, Double A Paper just released "Paper Plant," a plastic potted plant with the paper as the flower design.