Shalimar — Where Kashmir Blooms

• The paisley (kalka or badaam): Grand paisleys sit at the heart of the design. Each is filled with sweeping, feather-like leaves in turquoise, magenta, crimson and olive, and framed in a warm saffron outline.
• The tree of life (jaal): Saffron-gold branches flow across the shawl, forming a living net that links every motif. This represents growth, continuity and the bond between generations.
• Blossoms of the valley: Hundreds of small flowers bloom between the branches in pink, violet, coral and turquoise, recalling the meadows and gardens of Kashmir in spring.
• The leaf ground: The background is filled with countless tiny green leaves, each stitched individually. This is where much of the two years of work lives.
• The border: Fine running lines in turquoise and rose separate the embroidered panel from the plain ivory field. They end in a scalloped edge of tiny paisley buds that seems to spill gently onto the pashmina.

Shalimar captures spring in Kashmir, known in Kashmiri as Sonth. This is when the valley wakes from its long winter. Almond trees blossom first, then the gardens of Srinagar fill with colour, and Shalimar Bagh comes alive with flowering beds, fresh green lawns and running fountains.

The shawl carries that moment of renewal. The blossoms in pink, violet and coral are the first flowers of the season. The thousands of tiny green leaves are new growth on every branch. The saffron vines hold the warmth of returning sunlight. Even the paisley, often seen as a budding seed or a sprouting shoot, speaks of life beginning again.

Wearing Shalimar is like carrying a Kashmiri spring with you, whatever the weather outside.

• Drape it over the shoulders of a camel, black or charcoal wool coat for effortless winter elegance.
• Wear it over a simple black or ivory evening dress, and let the shawl be the only statement.
• At weddings and celebrations, fold it lengthwise and let the embroidered border fall down the front.
• Pair it with neutral knits and tailored trousers for refined everyday luxury.
• Keep jewellery minimal. Shalimar is the jewel.
• Between wears, display it folded with the paisley panel showing. It is as much an heirloom as an accessory.

The paisley takes its European name from Paisley, a town in Scotland. In the 1800s, Kashmiri shawls became such a fashion obsession in Europe that Scottish mills began copying the motif. Empress Joséphine, Napoleon's wife, is said to have owned hundreds of them. The design the world calls "paisley" was born in Kashmir.