Whenever I see a lotus flower it is evocative of annual visits to my grandparent’s home and the muddy pond at the boundary wall of their sprawling home in Kerala from which the most beautiful hot pink lotus flowers used to emerge. It is symbolic of a time that was pure, full of wonder and swathed in a rich tapestry of life that I hold so dear to me.
I would pluck the lotuses that emerged each day and run to the king-sized living room where my grandma Lizzie would be sitting reading the newspaper or having her afternoon siesta in her favorite rocking chair.
The most magnificent carpet adorned the floor of the living room, and I would carefully place the lotus flowers in a semicircle around me as I sat on the carpet near my grandma Lizzie rocking chair close my eyes and imagine I was on magic carpet that took me on magical journeys to faraway lands that I only read about in books.
From Japan to Africa to Bali, Mexico, Turkey, France and the British Isles I would imagine enchanting journeys on this great big magic carpet that was on the floor. My only company as I sat on this magic carpet and took these flights of fancy was the hot pink lotus flower.
I did not realize it then, but this was the beginning of lifelong love affair with carpets and the lotus. In 2010 having reached the crossroads of a sometimes tumultuous but always fascinating journey that life had taken me on I decided that it was time for me, like the lotus, to rise from the muddy waters and get on my magic carpet and weave my own journey of realizing my deep-rooted desire of bringing elegance, beauty and purity to my life so I could effortlessly LIVE THE COLOUR.
In the secure warm embrace of a modern India that is my design heartbeat I am taking myself back to where I envisioned my future and design a range of carpets that’s inspired by the countries, I visited on those magic carpet journeys.
Demure yet very confident in herself and who she is , very well versed in how to curate an evening to remember, more than just adept in the sartorial art forms that makes one sit up and take notice …. And more than anything else a never say die attitude to presenting the best version of herself be it culinary , originally technical or effortless elegance. Japan you beauty of all things from perfection of bonsai to sensory & visual delight of your cuisine to the delightful elegance and all encompassing bloom of cheery blossoms to the deep reverence of “Ojigi” ( bowing as a sign of deep respect) , you are dignified elegance on every front . Your love for Shinto and Buddhism is a very deep connection to incredible India and an “entwined blossom“ of the cherry blossom and the lotus is the perfect encapsulation of JAPAN X INDIA MODERN
Breathtaking BALI … you are the one true tropical paradise which is the Island of the gods. Your warm & welcoming vibe along with your white sandy beaches , crystal clear ocean waters , lush jungles and rice terraces and intoxicating culture and food creates a synergy that’s unparalleled. Your exotic oduor , which is a combination of incense burning at thousands of Hindu temples, and the freely practiced Hindu religion is the common thread that binds BALI x INDIA MODERN. …truly a melting pot of all that is good in the archipelago of Indonesia.
Ma Cherie France …. Of chic , sassy, elegance and a flirtatious purveyor of “la belle vie” ( the good life) you are the the epitome of everything women world over aspire to be and perfect example of what most men crave after.You are the original fashionista who redefines sartorial elegance that leaves the rest of the fashion world kneeling before your perfectly tailored hem and love is always in the air when the sweet scent of romance perfumes the air of delightful Paree. With the warp set to rich tapestry of India modern and the weft to refined delicate elegance that is decidedly French let’s, create FRANCE X INDIA MODERN a bohemian weave of cultures that both Chanel & Sabya will drool over
India has most definitely been the exquisite “Kohinoor” in your colonial crown. From time immemorial you have been the icon of grace, elegance and glamour. Your style & look has became more international with a sophisticated and simple silhouette and an effect that was all in the exquisite details. With your eclectic approach and careful interplay of soft, airy tones and dark accents your very popular British colonial decor style has remained in vogue down the ages. Come now, bring all that’s great about Britain along with your beauty and elegance and X it with the colorful & soulful entity that is India modern to create a weave, texture, look and feel that is uniquely
BRITISH ISLES x INDIA MODERN.
Very literally to call, you, Africa the “dark continent” would be a complete misnomer. You of all things tall , strong , athletic, rhythmic to a fault and colouring all the colours of the rainbow … you Africa are literally the pot of gold at the end of that beautiful rainbow. Enslaved as India was by your colonial past of plunder and loot you have emerged from the darkness as a continent that is the very cradle of civilization that we all know , respect & love. From the dizzying heights of Mount Kilimanjaro to the vast verdant plains of the Serengeti to the majestic wonder that’s Victoria falls you draw us in with a rhythmic cadence we have neither seen nor heard and can’t get enough of. Come now Africa roar with all your might as you proclaim with the tousle of your wondrous mane that AFRICA X INDIA MODERN is the glue that unites our hedonistic plumage.
If India had a sister from a South American mother it would most certainly be you … MEXICO. You are vibrant , colourful & passionate tempered by elegance and dignity symbolised so aptly by the dahlia, your national flower. You tantalise the taste buds with a gastronomic smorgasbord that makes you crave for more. You makes us want to get up and dance with your unique foot tapping musical identity. But most of all it’s your all encompassing warmth and generosity of spirt that draws one into your warm embrace. The similarities with India are astounding and it’s time to create a heady eclectic mix of colours and textures that spin a unique representation of
MEXICO X INDIA MODERN
You are uniquely divine … blessed by both Allah & Jesus Christ it’s no wonder that even though the mighty Bosporus separates you into two , your religious and cultural pedigree helps you effortlessly straddle the divide between Asia and Europe and present a city that is clearly the crown jewel in Turkeys crown. Your skyline is breathtaking …dominated by beautiful minarets of the Blue mosque and the Red walls and minarets of your gorgeous Hagia Sophia . Represented within these two great landmarks is the core of the city’s heritage. If the buildings were people, historical figures even, they would be eyeing each other off with an acceptance of contemporary diplomacy but with memories of a violent past. ISTANBUL X INDIA MODERN is a union of two great cultures of the world weaving a unique interpretation of all that’s Hindu x Muslim brotherhood the likes of which have never seen before .