The Creation of Padmini
With a background in Fine Arts, my years as a student of Interior Design in London University exposed me to great design awareness. Leaving the London scene, I let life take me to India. It was time for my strong architectural, minimalist Zen style to open up to some spice and flavor, and I found myself in a place full of color, sensuality and meditation.
The direction was unfolding and I became drawn into the world of soft furnishing and home textiles and fashion.
The process was exciting, the outcome authentic, hard work and great love is the core. Through traveling across the magical country, I explored the diversity of India's regional handiwork: the clear lakes of Kashmir and their classic cotton embroidery and paper-mache', the woven wool at the mountains of the Himalaya and the rare pashmina goat-wool.
Traveling on an old British Enfield motorcycle across the desert of Ladhak I searched out Tibetan brocades, then continued down the Hindu pilgrimage route to the silk capital Varanasi, and to the sun washed cotton saris of the south.
Influenced by the hippie party scene in Goa and overwhelmed by the fancy Bollywood high fashion in Mumbai and Pune, I ended up in Rajasthan, the colorful Gypsy desert village that is the secret fashion capital of India.
The holy village of Pushkar, vibrant kaleidoscope of images and colors, is my inspiration and my source. In this place I developed close ties with the lovely local craftsmen. This warm relationship makes the process of production more personal and allows a greater attention to detail.
My customers likes to know that there is a lot of laughter in the making of Padmini designs and that energy is held in the items.
Along my route I collect reclaimed wedding and ceremony saris, fancy sequin handwork, I find vintage pieces of embroidery in various local sari bazaars and markets.
I lose myself in the endless bazaars of handcrafted ribbons, beads, jewelry and precious stones, which I then incorporate in my designs. Working with minerals from the rich mother-earth that carry healing powers, finding rare and old Tribal pieces of embroidery and gypsy jewelry with the stories of thousands women before me, is a direction I am exploring and can be found in the new handbags.
The exquisite Indian fabric, the classic jacquard pattern and heavy thread work, the workmanship of hand crafted sequin work, the rich tradition of motif and weaving are a great platform for innovative home textiles line and one of a kind accessories.
This is where I feel I belong, where I am in peace and in clear receptivity to inspiration and my own creativity.
I split my time between the making of Padmini in Rajasthan and recharging my soul, dancing in the ashram of osho. He who has initiated me with the name Padmini Anand is a beloved teacher, his spirit and light and my love to India are shining through my work and the concept of Padmini.
Thank you for reading and thank you for stopping by.
Love,
Padmini
