From The Portfolio Of

Hitanshu Bhatt!

This is one of those posts. In which I go overboard. Which take me an entire day to put together because I can't decide what to leave out. For everything is so striking. Achingly beautiful. The possibilities are endless. I start feeling like a pseudo artist just by the virtue of playing around with the visual boards. It is work that inspires me. Work that makes me feel good that there are such immensely talented and creative folks around us. Welcome to snapshots from the portfolio of Hitanshu Bhatt.

Hitanshu is an artist based out of Bombay, India. I chanced upon his work on Instagram and saw that he was the creative photographer behind the gorgeous product shoots and mood boards for Gaatha, one of my favorite boutiques. He has done some superb work as a visual designer, a graphic designer and an art director apart from his growing portfolio as a photographer. Hitanshu showcases his work on Behance and on Instagram, and I must warn you - both his accounts are a visual explosion - in a good way! Make sure you have time to spare when you click above links as it would be hard to tear yourself away from the gorgeous images.

In Hitanshu's words:

 Design is an endless passion for me. Whether it's visual art, photography, graphic design or art direction. I love to explore different creative areas on a different platform. Music is a source of my creative energy. I get inspired from everything around me - nature, movies, music, people, impression etc. I am creating a beautiful story, which reflects Indian roots merging in to beautiful abstract form. 

 And more here:

ArtAndFound | Elephant Dreamz | Gaatha 

Get in touch with Hitanshu: Email

[Credits | Images: Hitanshu Bhatt, Styling for Gaatha Images: Shivani Dhar, Visual Boards and Story: An Indian Summer]

Hello 2016!

And Hello You!

Kick starting the year with interiors clearly after my own heart

White walls and vibrant textiles and art

From the portfolio of Amber Lewis

Dive right in!

Hope the year has started off on the best possible note for you, my kittens

There is so much to talk about, so many updates

I am flitting between cities & airports & highways right now

Will be back with a heart to heart post soon

Travel with me here in the meantime

xoxo

[All Images: Amber Interiors]

The Gleam Of Coppre

Ah! the little joys of life. One of them being when your perennial favorite brand launches a new collection. And along with the new collection, they launch a brand new web store. You think that's all the joy you could handle in a day, but wait, there's more. To add to the festive cheer, they also offer a fabulous discount to you and to your splendid readers. Well, I am extremely overjoyed. To put it mildly. It's taking all my poise and restrain to not inundate this paragraph with happy exclamation marks and add in twinkling stars and chirpy birds and fluffy kittens while I am at it. 

Read on to know all about my top-of-the-lust-list brand - Coppre, and the passion with which Coppre's team is reviving and making relevant the old age tradition and skill of metal crafting. Not only will you fall in love with Coppre's beautifully hand crafted products, but I will also share the discount code that you can use to bring these goodies into your home, at the click of a button.

 

Coppre reflects the legacy of metal craftspeople. Having a fascination of objects from yesteryear and the brilliant craftsmanship of these objects, the Coppre team collaborates with metal craftsmen and women from the Tambat region of Pune, India, to evolve a contemporary range of copper products that cater to the present while retaining intact, the heritage craft process. Coppre brings dignity and efficiency to this ancient craft by linking talented designers to the metal craft families of Tambat and presenting their craft to the world in the best ways possible.

Coppre strives constantly to widen their product base and support as many talented crafts families as they can. Their latest 2014 collection is yet another beautiful line of products that are festive, aesthetic in their appeal and yet utilitarian. With this expanded range, the designers and the metal craftsmen have created a range of uber cool copper products and leveraged the versatile metal to it's full capacity.

Owning or gifting a product from Coppre is like owing and sharing a piece of heritage. As the product gets older, it develops the beautiful patina and sheen that is so coveted by vintage  and antique connoisseurs.   

With the festive season hitting us with full force, Coppre's new online shop is a blessing! As you shop, make sure to use AIS10 to get a discount of 10% on your purchases till Oct 16th. I have made my list of what I am going to pick up; let me know what tempts you the most :) 

Connect with Coppre on Facebook

Follow them on Twitter

And shop right here!

[All images: Coppre. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

A Peek Behind The Scenes

There are a bunch of uber creative folks

Weaving and Embroidering

Painting and Sketching

Chiseling and Decoupaging

Stitching and Hemming

Welding and Casting

All for YOU!

Find these lovingly created beautiful wares

Many of them new exclusive collections

At the upcoming celebration of design, art and culture

Curated & Hosted by

An Indian Summer & Serendipity

 

 Save the Date, my dear readers

September 27th - 28th

At Chattarpur, New Delhi

And yet more details to come

This Friday

Watch this space!

[All images: Respective designers and An Indian Summer]

Showtime!

Bringing to you some lovely entrepreneurs, new brands and beautiful products in a two part post. Discover, enjoy and encourage these new creative peeps on the block!

~ Aiyana ~

Aiyana, is a special program initiated by the Umeed Foundation to revive traditional skills as a sustainable enterprise for women in rural Punjab. The design team at Aiyana works with these women artisans to help revive and promote intricate handwork like crochet, embroidery and phulkari. These beautiful products are available via some online shop like IndianRoots and Pernia's Pop Up Shop, and also some retail outlets in Delhi.

[Links: Aiyana, Aiyana on facebook]

~ Varnam ~

Karthik Vaidyanathan's Varnam, has been working with artisans in Channapatna for over two years now to reinterpret the very colorful and vibrant toy craft. The result has been a series of designs in toys, jewelry and home accents. Varnam's brilliant products are available online, at some select stores in various cities and now also at Varnam's flagship store in Bangalore. 

[Links: Varnam, Varnam on facebook]

~ My Vintage Bicyclette ~

I love bicycles! And so do Fiona & Idriss. The couple, based in Pondicherry, have launched My Vintage Bicyclette, where they pretty up and customize bicycles. Working with local artists and craftsmen, they offer handmade accessories for bicycles like vintage leather saddles, grips & hand painted ring bells. And fully customized bicycle in patterns, shapes and colors inspired by Indian pop culture.

[Links: My Vintage Bicyclette, On facebook]

~ Lai ~ 

My perennial favorite jewelry brand Lai, has launched 'bookmarkable rakhis' to it's beautiful collection this festive season. Intricately designed rakhis, that can later be used as bookmarks - such a brilliant idea to recycle and to preserve a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

[Links: Lai]

~ Indian Colours ~

Indian Colours is the brainchild of Jasmine Shah Varma, a former journalist who now curates art and creates art products. Working with select contemporary artists, Jasmine adapts their art to create objects of daily utility; the idea being to leverage a well designed functional object in a manner that familiarizes people with contemporary art and aesthetics. Indian Colours retails via it's online store as well as select stores in Bombay and Pune.

 [Links: Indian Colours, On facebook]

  ~ Kalavilasa ~  

Vivek Shrivastava, after working in the IT industry for twenty years, decided to work leave the corporate life to become a social entrepreneur. He founded Kalavilasa, working with weavers of dhurries, carpets and kilims. Kalavilasa exhibits in various craft exhibitions and you can find them at the upcoming Dastkar mela in Bangalore. They also undertake custom orders for interior projects and architects. 

[Links: Kalavilasa, On facebook] 

Get your cup of coffee or tea, for there is another post with some awesome young designers coming up!

[All images: An Indian Summer & respective designers]