Badamwari — The First Blossom

Badamwari is our most minimal piece. Instead of filling the fabric, the artisan placed a single, graceful row of motifs along one end, leaving wide open spaces of ivory in between. Every stitch has room to shine.

• The bouquets: Five large floral bouquets stand in a row, like trees in an orchard. Each one is perfectly mirrored, rising from a small tulip-shaped bloom at its heart and branching outwards into a diamond of flowers and leaves.
• The colours: Raspberry pink blossoms and turquoise leaves are woven together with bright spring-green stems, giving the design a fresh, joyful energy.
• The little sprigs: Between the bouquets, tiny single flowers on slender stems stand in pairs, like young saplings planted between the trees.
• The border: A fine vine of small pink and turquoise flowers runs along the edge of the embroidered end, with tiny hanging buds along the sides.
• The edge: The stole is finished with a hand-stitched turquoise edge, a small detail that adds a bright touch of colour.
• The open ground: The rest of the stole is left in plain ivory pashmina, light and clean, like the open sky above a blossoming garden.

Badamwari captures the very first days of spring in Kashmir, known in Kashmiri as Sonth. The snow has only just melted, the air is still cool, and the almond trees are the first to bloom, covering the valley in soft white and pink.

The stole carries that moment of awakening. The pale blush ground is the almond blossom against the sky. The spring-green stems are the first new shoots. The bright pink and turquoise flowers are the colour returning to the valley after a long winter. It is a piece full of hope, freshness and light.

• Wear it with white, cream or pale denim for a fresh, effortless spring look.
• Drape it over a beige trench coat or a light blazer on cool mornings.
• Pair it with a simple summer dress for evenings, when the air turns cool.
• Let the embroidered end fall at the front, so the bouquets frame your look.
• Take it on spring and summer travels. It is light enough to fold into any bag and adds instant colour to a simple outfit.
• Keep accessories delicate, such as gold or pearl jewellery, to match its gentle elegance.

In Kashmir, the famous paisley motif is called badam, which means "almond," because its curved, teardrop shape looks just like an almond. So the almond is woven into Kashmiri design not only in the gardens of Badamwari, but in the most famous motif of all.