THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE COLLECTION

I began my trip to India with a quote from Tim Walker circling in my mind: “India is what it means to be alive”.

Like many people, I travelled there anticipating an awakening of some kind; spiritual, personal, soulful...I wanted a journey fuelled by colour, texture, sound and smell. You know, kind of like my very own Eat Pray Love epiphany.

Looking back through my endless photos and pages of my journal, I can easily spot the references I went searching for. The rich colours of the saris and turbans against painted pastels; temples adorned and decorated in a thousand hues; spice markets and street food as delicious insight as in taste. Mind-bending history and heart-flooding religion woven into every lovely inch of the place.

But what has settled irrevocably in my mind as the true spirit of India is something I wasn’t quite expecting. In a word, it’s the wonderful...wonkiness of the place. Of course, I say this with absolute love and admiration. On train rides and tuk-tuk journeys, I combed my brain for the right word to describe the rattling, colourful, loud, bountiful charm that vibrates on every surface. But wonky is the one that settled there. So as you read the word, think less broken bicycle, more Wes Anderson. It’s the friend that walks to the beat of their own drum, that manages to get things done and bring all the life to the party by taking the most unexpected route. It’s the beauty of surprise; the charm of the unpredictable.

Luckily, when I sheepishly relayed this thought to our local team, they clapped their hands in joy. ‘YES!’ they said (to my relief).

Don’t get me wrong, there are people and places (and many a palace) in India that are far from wonky. We collaborated with Sujan Luxury to bring our campaign to life at Sher Bagh Camp and Raj Mahal Palace, and they were the most thoughtful, detailed hotels I have ever been to. But this polished, perfect 5-star luxury left little room for the wonky magic I’d fallen so in love with. That particular brand of magic comes from human touch - from life in the making.

This magic is everywhere in India. And no more than in the signage that peppers all corners of the place. These signs - for tuk-tuks, nailed to shop fronts, stuck to the back of trucks (urging drivers to ‘honk’), welcome posts and ‘this way please’ markers - all lovingly hand-painted in a rainbow of colours, often with a letter or two facing the opposite directions. Which makes me love them even more.

India taught me something with its haphazard charm and joyful chaos: to take pleasure in it all, to smile at little accidents and take life a little less seriously. To appreciate getting lost with your tuk-tuk driver when neither of you know where you’re going.

Everyone we met in India took deep pride in their history - and just as much in their future. I filled up pages of my journal trying to intellectualise and dissect the experience of being there - but, just like a lot of the glorious people I met, I’d rather make you smile than think.

Of course, the skills of local artisan, the everyday creativity and sea of colours have seeped into every stitch of this very special collection. But what I am taking home from India and what I hope to weave into these pieces, more than anything else, is the joy of being just a little bit...wonky.