Tia Pakhi

 

Tia Pakhi is what you would call a green parrot in Bengali. With a name evocative of bright colors and the streets of Calcutta, Anaïs Basu's debut collection is as fascinating and full of life. Anaïs, who recently launched Tia Pakhi in Paris and Calcutta, is a french designer, in love with India and it's textile traditions and craft.

Anaïs Basu's journey in India, discovering a world full of creativity, joy, energy, hospitality and such a rich culture, began six years ago.  In her own words:

It all started on my first visit to India in March 2006. After my training in fashion and textile design in Paris, I found the opportunity to come and work as a designer with a textile export-house in Kolkata. I felt immediately at home in the city. Through my work which was to create designs for embroidery for the European market, I discovered a new medium and so many new techniques and was fascinated by all the possibilities to explore. The craft which caught my eye then, and still does, is the traditional Bengali craft of Kantha, for it’s beauty in simplicity, it's texture and feel.

Few weeks after my arrival in India I met with the young Bengali man who was to become my husband some years later, and through whom I could discover the country and it’s culture more closely connected to the reality of today’s India.

I am now living between Kolkata and Paris and being in India has given me the great opportunity to develop my passion for textile design and finally launch my line of textiles for furnishing and accessories. My work is essentially dedicated to Kantha for which I had a soft corner from the time of my first visit. My research is to use the traditional craft from my adopted state of Bengal and reinterpret it with more contemporary designs and colour palette; presenting Kantha with a new fresh look and making handcrafted products reach the homes of a more diverse public. Hence the craftsmen can keep their craft alive and find opportunities to develop their skill and their economic situation.

In India, I am constantly stimulated creatively, especially in a city as vibrant and colourful as Kolkata where the traditional culture is still so present in the urban life. People, markets, architecture, food, everything is there all around calling out to you.

Tia Pakhi's line of products include home furnishings  and personal accessories like small cushions, floor cushions, throws, bed-linen, table-linen, accessories and jackets. In addition,  Anaïs will also have a young kids line comprising of games, kurtas, blankets and cushions and is planning to exhibit her collection in more cities soon.

You can get in touch with Anaïs via her website or via Tia Pakhi's facebook page. See more of Tia Pakhi's collection here.

[All images: Tia Pakhi]

Art for a good cause

I am back from vacation! Yes, the visas came, and we went! And, to kick-start my back-from-vacation-week, it's a pleasure to share with you, the launch of a new collection by a dear e-friend, all done for a good cause!

Aarohi Singh, the gorgeous artist at Art By Aarohi, is passionate about stray dogs. Putting her passion and skills to good use, Aarohi is launching a new collection of home and personal accessories, called the Poonch collection, in Bangalore, India. The great news is that 50% of profit from this collection would go towards the welfare of strays in perpetuity, particularly towards spaying and neutering them, managed by VoSD.

For the folks in Bangalore: The Poonch collection is being showcased at the 100Ft restaurant, Indiranagar from the 10th till the 12 of Feb. Do go and pick up a special something from this hip collection and contribute your bit towards the welfare of strays.

You can take a look at the entire collection here. Event details here, and get in touch with Aarohi here and here!

[All images: Art By Aarohi]

Some thumb twiddling

And some loving!

 

The Husband and I intend(ed) to take a long overdue holiday this week. But the visa consulate played, and is still playing truant with our reasonably good intentions. The visas are already delayed by a day, and I am fretting and sitting at home with the luggage packed, the household help sent off on a break of her own, work plans re-scheduled, the fridge emptied, and pretty thumbs being twiddled (yes, my thumbs are kind of pretty, thank you). It's a national holiday in India tomorrow (Yay! Happy Republic Day folks!), so no visas tomorrow either. I have my fingers crossed that we get the visas on Friday and off we go to celebrate the Husband's birthday in faraway land. With all the finger crossing and thumb twiddling, the only thing I want to do is something that can make me calm - like looking at pretty rooms and talking to you lovely folks out there, who I am sure, would never mess with any one's visas. Sigh. Over to the pretty rooms now:

 Love the retro mood of this room

 And look! A fabulous post I spotted on Remodelitsa.  

A bungalow in San Anselmo designed by Alison Davin of Jute Interior Design

So long my friends. If you don't hear from me next week, you would know that I am frolicking in a far away land. And if you do hear from a very grumpy me, you would know that I have a serious serious bone to pick with a particular country for having a nincompoop visa consulate!

[Image credit: Top two from Tumblr, Rest - Jute Interior Design]

Orient 499

I have long been an admirer of Orient 499, an eclectic boutique in Beirut. Founded by Aida Kawas and Frank Luca, the boutique is a modern version of a treasure cave, filled with absolutely stunning textiles, original handicrafts and indie designs. Aida and Frank source their products from places like Syria, India, Damascus, Istanbul, Cairo and Uzbekistan to name a few, and also design and produce a large part of their collection in-house. Working with local artisans and designers, Orient 499's products are a contemporary take on age old craft tradition and materials.  

 

Orient 499 also designs and stocks gorgeous jewelry and beautiful dresses. I have always loved whatever little jewelry they showcase online and can only imagine how tempting the rest of collection must be!   

I could keep looking at these pictures for hours. Sigh! If only they sold online!

[Image credit: Orient 499]

Digs on 1stdibs

Found these gorgeous rooms on 1stdibs, the go to online marketplace for exclusive luxury (and very expensive!) items and antiques. As you browse through this collection of beautifully designed rooms, shot by some of the best photographers, you can also shop for the 'look' on the site itself. While I am not buying anything from the site any time soon, I had to, but of course, share my favorite India inspired and bohemian rooms with you :)

 

[Images shot by following photographers: Melanie Acevedo, Tim - Street Porter, Tria Giovan. Source: 1stdibs]

Mona Hajj Interiors

I am helping my dad do up his new apartment these days, and have been looking all over for inspiration. Something elegant, something cozy but not too fussy, something that easily fits in the older heirloom pieces, textiles and art with newer stuff. Mona Hajj's interior work spoke to me immediately and I bookmarked several of the finer details that she has beautifully created in rooms and homes. 

Mona Hajj, one of the Architectural Digest's top 100 designers for 2010, grew up in West Africa and Lebanon, and was educated in Europe and the US. Her diverse experiences and global awareness is reflected in her designs, which are not only graceful and timeless in their appeal but also quite functional and comfortable.   

Find many more examples of Mona's tasteful work on her site - Mona Hajj Interiors. Her first book Interior Visions will be out this April in stores and will also be available online. 

[All images copyright : Mona Hajj]