An Early Spring

Ashley from Decor Amor was kind enough to leave a comment this week and I am so glad she did. Ever since, I have been trolling her blog filled with seriously beautiful floral photography and more.

In addition to the flowering inspiration, Decor Amor introduced me to Fab India, an exporter of hand-printed Indian textiles at very affordable prices. (Above is the Gulmarg tablecloth in green). I am already imagining an alfresco table set for Spring cookouts.

Perhaps an updated version of this vignette, which I believe was torn from a Martha Stewart Living (and obviously folded up) at least ten years ago.

The Raj at Table

From 1858 to 1947, the British occupation of India created a new dining culture when the flavors and table customs of both countries collided. The March issue of Elle Magazine pays homage to this crossover with a British Raj style dinner party hosted by Allison Sarofim for the creators of the Marchesa fashion label.
Inspired by and in celebration of the Marchesa 2008 Spring line, Sarofim says, "I wanted that Victorian English-meets-India fantasy feel." Champagne served in an eclectic array of glasses adds a vaguely aristocratic vibe to an otherwise common Indian curry menu. (Photos by Ditte Isager for Elle Magazine).

Indian influences appear in many of the dresses from the Marchesa Spring line, which in turn inspired the meal and decor.

While Sarofim choose to be her own chef, I would personally go with takeout. (The dish above is Chicken Curry with Basamati Rice). Carlos Mota set the table with orchids, silver candlesticks, garlands draped over Chivari chairs, and elephant place cards from Mrs. Strong (which I know is also a favorite of Courtney).

For the rest of the article and more photos, pick up a copy of Elle Magazine. For more on the "culinary landscape" of the British Raj, Elle recommends David Burton's The Raj at Table: A Culinary History of the British in India, which is a cult-classic among history buffs and foodies alike.

The Darjeeling Limited

The Darjeeling Limited opens this weekend, introducing us to another fantastic world created by Wes Anderson, and promising to be a movie with style.

The story is of three brothers (played by Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman) traveling through India by train.
The film's arguable fourth character is the custom designed, Louis Vuitton luggage once belonging to their father.

Known for an obsessive attention to detail, Anderson commissioned Marc Jacobs to design the velvet lined, monogrammed suitcases. The jungle motif is based on drawings by Anderson's brother Eric, who illustrates many details in these films--including the wallpaper design for Richie's room in The Royal Tenenbaums.

From a recent article in New York Magazine, David Amsden says, "You need only watch a few frames of one of his movies to spot it as an Anderson production. Though he is originally from Texas, there is something distinctively European in his obsession with aesthetics: a belief that the way something looks is what dictates how it will make you feel."

The travel ensemble, which is currently on display at the Louis Vuitton store in New York, will be auctioned with proceeds benefitting UNICEF and the Rawal Mallinathji Foundation, a medical charity in India.

(Photos from Elle).

Wrap Sesh

In a 1999 article, Vogue announced that the pashmina was officially "dead". I was fairly mournful at the time, considering I had only recently embraced the trendy wrap. However, I now believe that this declaration was a conspiracy designed to steal the fashion fad back from the department store masses (like myself) in order to restore it to the Park Avenue set that made it popular in the first place. (Scroll through the photos of Park Avenue Peerage and you are bound to spot one hanging from the arms of a skinny socialista).

Josephine Bonaparte wrapped in pashmina, a gift from the governor of Kashmir in the 1790's.

Despite being sooo last decade, pashmina shawls and blankets have been produced in Northern India since the 17th century. Each spring, Himalayan mountain goats shed their winter coat. Fibers are collected by villagers and hand-woven into pashmina shawls. High altitudes create fleeces of very fine fiber, making pashmina the softest grade of cashmere and a naturally renewable resource. Because of the rarity and expense of pure pashmina, cashmere and silk are often woven together to create a similar weight and sheen.

Kate Middleton in a Katherine Hooker paisley shawl, March '07

New York Woman on the Street, from The Sartorialist.

Angelina Jolie arriving in Spain, June '07

The versatile and lightweight wraps are particularly useful in mild fall temperatures and airline travel.

Madeleine Trehearne and Harpal Brar combine traditional hand-woven and embroidery techniques with contemporary color and design (seen in a recent Vogue, natch).

The Simple Life

Looking for more India Hicks in Harbour Island? Curiosity led me down the garden path to her Crabtree and Evelyn website, India Hicks Island Living. The videos are a little hokey (there are four in all), but they give some insight into the inspiration for her fragrances, and a glimpse of what life would be like as an aristocrat in paradise. Be sure to check out the "Conversation with India" segment and "Experience" the Collections.

For more India Hicks, check out the Stylecourt archive.

On a heavier note, India and her mother, Pamela Mountbatten have written a new book, India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power.

Other titles by India Hicks: Island Life and Island Beauty.

The Mandir

For the past 17 months, the largest traditional Hindu mandir outside of India has been under construction right here in the Atlanta suburbs. (I had no idea until I saw it in the paper today). Based on ancient Hindu architectural guidelines over 5,000 years old, the temple is made of 34,671 pieces of Italian marble, Turkish limestone and Indian pink sandstones. Hand carved stone domes cover some of the mandir’s 97 ceilings.

According to NPR, "The temple is an engineering marvel. No steel or metals have been used in the construction, and each piece, hand-carved and imported from India, was numbered, divided into sections and eventually set in place. The whole structure fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle".

As of September first, the BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha) Shri Swaminarayan Mandir will be open to the the public. Visitors are required to dress within specific guidelines. For more information and photos, see the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.