Micky London

Hi everyone! Richa here from Mala Handmade. Winter season gives me the chance to accessorize! It’s the perfect excuse to layer beautiful scarves, jewelry, and other accessories before they are buried under my giant puffer coat. Some of these accessories should no doubt come from Micky London.

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Funk.licious

Hi everyone! Richa from MalaHandmade here with a love letter to Funk.licious, an amazing line of funky home furnishings that I adore. Back in early spring, I wrote about moving being inspired by a recent trip to India and the amazing style of Good Earth, one of India’s audacious new design stores. My husband literally had to pry my hands off of the pop art inspired pieces throughout the store: graphic scenes of Bollywood heroines silk screened onto bedspreads and trays, tea sets with kitschy quotes. I had absolutely no space left in my packed luggage for another funky cushion, no matter now: Funka.licious to the rescue!

Self described as kitsch, retro, pop, colorful, and unconventional, the line’s punchy cushion covers are a lot of fun. Bollywood images are collaged on top of traditional paisley motifs for a majority of designs, making this the perfect accent piece for Bollywood lovers among you. I’m love with the pictures of old Maharajas with stars in their eyes, which would be a great conversation piece. It’s fun to browse through the designs and pick out a favorite, but a few of you might be wondering how to actually incorporate such a bold piece into your home. I’ve found that these pieces are best used sparingly to pack the best punch – as the lone accent pillow for a side chair, or the focus in a group of other colorful pillows. I also really love really bold pieces like this set against white and other light colors. Share tips for how you incorporate Indian pop art into your homes in the comments below!

source: funk.licious

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Richa’s Blissful Trip to India

Dear readers, I’ve just returned from two blissful weeks in India and excited to share my travels with you! The trip was a mix of family, weddings, and side trips across Rajasthan and Delhi- with plenty of time devoted to gathering inspiration and materials for Mala Handmade and Bollyinstyle, of course. India is the best of both worlds to me: old bazaars filled with timeless traditional treasures and cutting edge boutiques that feature India’s burgeoning high style. My first stop was Jaipur, one of India’s handicraft epicenters. Like Shital, I absolutely love handblock prints, the ancient art of painstakingly handstamping motifs on fabric typically with vegetable dyes. My first stop was Kilol, a gorgeous shop filled with kurtis cut in contemporary styles and stamped with blend of traditional and modern motifs.

If you are also passionate about handblock print clothes, Anokhi and Chhipa are other Jaipur shops stocked with great designs, and the incomparable FabIndia is a must. For the past 50 years, FabIndia has partnered with craftworkers to produce affordable cotton and silk clothes, accessories, and even home goods with a focus on sustainable business practices. Locations are across India and their vast selection filled my suitcase as always with gorgeous gifts of lovely dupattas. Last but not least, Jaipur’s jewelry is top notch. From traditional meenakari designs (tip: try Maniharon alley near Johari bazaar for the best selection) to innovative silver jewelry at the incredible Amrapali flagship at Tholia House in Panch Batti, you can’t turn a corner without finding something you can’t go home without (after you’ve haggled hard for it)!

After touring the jawdropping Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur, make sure to wander the markets near the clock tower and old blue city bazaar for jodhpuris, or traditional embroidered shoes with vibrant designs I love (I have a rubber sole attached to the bottom to make them last longer). Utterly romantic Udaipur has a maze of lovely stores clustered along Jagdish Mandir road to the City palace. In one of the gorgeous shops in the City Palace complex I discovered Anuradha Ramam, where I couldn’t take my eyes off of her vibrant handblock silk print scarves and tunics. She’s a Delhi based designer with a gorgeous store in New Delhi’s Lodhi Road which is a must-see. By the time I hit Delhi my bags were full, but I dreamt of a larger apartment…that I would decorate with the designs of Good Earth! The three story flagship at City Selectwalk was spectacular and I loved their modern take on traditional designs and new poster series with modern artist Krsna Mehta. India was once again a feast for the senses and I hope you, readers, are ready for spring like me!

Richa from Mala Handmade!

source:  Pinterest, Flickr, Krsna Mehta

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Nor Black Nor White

Hi everyone! It’s Richa from Mala Handmade with full disclosure that I am in love. It’s true that, when it comes to clothing and accessories, I fall in love easily and often, but I just can’t get the 18 piece capsule collection from Nor Black Nor White out of my mind. A sneak peek at their website shows why: an energetic, innovative blends of traditional fabrics, modern silhouettes, and playful styling is utterly charming – and the line has a social concept, too.

The line, founded by Amrit Kumar, 28, and Mriga Kapadiya, 28, takes blends traditional bandani and Kutch embroidery work into immensely wearable shapes that I adore. As reported in Mumbai Boss, Kumar and Kapadiya, who had creative backgrounds in music, fashion, and the arts, moved to from Toronto to Mumbai two years ago and by chance came across Kala Raksha, a social organisation devoted to preserving traditional arts and embroidery based in Kutch, Gujarat. “NorBlack NorWhite” (the line is so called because the project lives in “a grey space – part anthropology, part fashion, part textile, part history and adventure – not this nor that.”) was born out of the desire to work with the group and the result is a beautiful collaboration with traditional artisans and contemporary design.

The collection for now is available in Mumbai though this intrepid researcher reached out to the designers and found that a few pieces will be sold at Brooklyn’s Jumelle this spring. I’ve got my eye on the black and white bandani dress and can’t wait to see what this duo comes up with next!

source: NBNW site

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Karishma Shahani Yatra Collection

Hi everyone! It’s Richa from Mala Handmade, happy to be back and blogging for BollyInstyle. It’s been a tough winter practically everywhere, but certainly here on the east coast and it’s no surprise that during the doldrums of February, I’ve got color on my mind. Vivid mixes of vibrant colors are a staple of Indian design – a concept that fashion and textile designer Karishma Shahani is certainly mastering. The London College of Fashion graduate’s 2011 “Yatra” collection is a visual feast: lush cottons tailored into imaginative silhouettes and – a personal favorite – styled in layers which is perfect for a transition to spring.

Karishma describes her inspiration for the collection as “elements from the multiple layers of India’s vibrant culture that continuously creates colourful, vivid and eclectic experiences for the onlooker.” She adds that the colors are picked from traditional painting of Indian Gods and recreated through natural methods of dyeing, which creates a collection whose essence is a reflection of the Indian lifestyle of re-interpretation of materials and their function at every step, always re-using and recycling, creating heirlooms that are passed down through generations. I keep flipping through the pictures of the collection, impressed with the bold colors and pop sensibility to the design. While I love overt Indian references in my clothing – traditional paisley motifs and hand embroidery – I’m craving innovative takes on South Asian design and Karishma’s work hits the high mark. Let us know here at BI whether it inspires you!



source: Karishma Shahani FB

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