Style

15^th century Europe was for very long time the center of cultural expression and high-living. At the heart of this was the masquerade ball (or bal masqué). These events were grand affairs and participants attended wearing costumes and the all-important mask.

The masks themselves were quite elaborate, but they represented something much deeper. You see, masquerade balls were attended almost exclusively by the upper classes. The masks were effectively a way for the very wealthy to have a playful time behind a mask and a costume. These special events became so elaborate that entire regions of Europe developed their branded masquerades. One of these famous masquerades belonged to the ducal court of Burgundy.

French Masquerade Costume 18th Century Ball Dress Fashion – Chromolithograph – Circa 1876

Today masquerades have lost some of its exclusive luxury appeal but it is still a part of the upper classes. But they are now a bigger part of most societies and the cultural landscape. This is a good thing, because it means at least, that anyone with a desire for luxurious enjoyment and playfulness can enjoy the delights of a masquerade.

The Kashmir Company is committed to spreading cultural elegance and is proud to introduce our latest shawl collection. The founder believes that given the rich history behind masquerades—luxury, elegance and its royal connections—masquerade was a fitting name with which to delight shawl lovers.

Frontière Jardin Noir Mascarade Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

We think you’ll agree once you take a good look at the shawls in the collection. The collection is designed to give you that thrill, that exclusive mystic enjoyed by French royalty.

Each shawl in the French Masquerade collection has been given a distinct elaborate treatment. The exquisite embroidery acts as a fitting motif which delicately runs along the border of each shawl. This design and arrangement of the world-renown Kashmiri patterns adds a luxurious touch to each shawl and makes for a delightful wearing experience.

Trois Frontière Pavot Rouge Mascarade Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

The delicate cashmere with which each shawl is made adds that extra touch and wearing one gives you an intensified feeling of yourself. It’s not exactly an out of body experience, but it is akin to taking a magical journey in time back to the heyday of French royalty and aristocracy. This is the effect of the Masquerade shawl collection and quite frankly, it is the strongest appeal to the whole collection.

Frontière Jardin D’ivoire Mascarade Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

Just by looking at a shawl from the connection and you can see the transformative power of wearing one. And did we mention that these shawls have a tendency to make its wearer exude greater than normal levels of confidence? In fact, we believe the power of each shawl in the French Masquerade collection is its ability to transform your mood, lift your spirit and deliver a deep sense of personal freedom. Things members of the privilege upper classes needed a mask in order to possess.

Rouge de Paisley Frontière Noir Mascarade Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

So, whether you are looking to reconnect with a timeless display of luxury or you simply want the aesthetic appeal of a wonderful fashion accessory, a shawl from the Masquerade shawl collection will help you.

You can enjoy the intensifying feeling of the French Masquerade shawl collection by clicking here.

Kirsten Dunst as Maria Antoinette in the Painting by Bec Winnel.  © Copyright – Bec Winnel.

As a historical and political figure, Marie Antoinette casts a spell bounding mystic on the history of France and to a large extent, Europe. Though her later years were marred with controversy, the glory years leading up to the now infamous storming of the Bastille marked a period of great opulence, elegance and luxury.

Portrait of Marie Antoinette, 1783, by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.

Indeed the woman who was born an Archduchess of Austria, and named Dauphine of France from 1770 to 1774 until she became Queen of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1792, was for all intents and purposes, the most famous trendsetter in Europe.

Marie Antoinette defined the style of the day, and her royal court was always adorned with the finest fashion accessories, including fine garments and jewellery from all over the world.

Her lasting legacy has been her contribution to fashion, style and luxury and today you can get anything from handbags to exquisite jewellery in her name.

This legacy is the tremendous inspiration for the timeless collection recently launched by the Kashmir Company. The founder, who has traveled to France many times, believes that French inspiration and fashion are two elements that go together very well.

But there’s another element that has been informing European fashion even before great monarchs like Marie Antoinette came onto the scene. You see, Kashmir, that epic land in the East has always been the supplier of Europe’s most exquisite pieces of fashion.

Camélia Jardin Antoinette Ivory Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

It is this timeless element and grand contributor to fashion that created the perfect inspiration for the Marie Antoinette shawl collection.  Inspired by the great queen herself and the rich tapestry of colours which adorn Versailles, the Marie Antoinette collection is truly a shawl lover’s dream.

The collection is characterised by a kaleidoscope of colors and embroidery that is breathtakingly striking and beautiful. Marie Antoinette was the center of attention in her day, and the collection bearing her name is designed to create the same lasting effect in your time.

The Kashmir Company and its founder are proud of all of the collections that are released each year. This one, however, bears some significance because it captures so beautifully and accurately, the essence of timeless fashion.

Look at most portraits of Marie Antoinette and you are struck instantly by the sheer scope and style of the Kashmiri paisley shawls that is highlighted in the portraits. One would be forgiven for thinking these portraits were centered on the shawls themselves—such is the level of emotional attachment Marie Antoinette had to this exquisite fashion accessory emanating from Kashmir.

Fuchsia Jardin Antoinette Ivory Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

The shawls in the Marie Antoinette shawl collection are truly one-of-a-kind. They represent a very real chance to make a fashion statement whilst retaining a sense of connection with the fabulous history of Europe and Kashmir. These two epic lands have fused together to represent a very perfect union of two very distinct but accomplished cultures. Through the fusion of fashion both cultures have in a way, become inseparable.

Consider the Marie Antoinette collection a gift from the Kashmir Company to the women who appreciate the subtle but luxurious aspects of high-fashion. Wear any piece from the collection and you’ll take your place among the great fashion elites of Europe and the world.

And when you are asked about your shawl (this will happen a lot, we feel), just remember that it’s a chance to display your connection to the cultural heritage of Kashmir and Europe. Don’t hesitate let people know you are wearing a shawl from the “Marie Antoinette Collection.”

You can browse the entire collection by clicking here

Jardin d’or Antoinette Ivory Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

Oeillet Rose Jardin Antoinette Noir Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

Vignes en Fleurs Aloe Antoinette Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

Vignes en Fleurs Port Bleu Antoinette Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

You can browse the entire collection by clicking here

Two Sisters or On the Terrace is an 1881 oil-on-canvas painting by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The title Two Sisters (French: Les Deux Sœurs) was given to the painting by Renoir, and the title On the Terrace (French: Sur la terrasse) — by its first owner Paul Durand-Ruel.

The impressionists left an indelible mark on fine art and no one impressionist painter was able to do this on a grand scale like Pierre-Auguste Renoir. His On the Terrace, oil on canvas, 1881 sits as one of the most enduring pieces from the artistic bravery of the time and if you’ve been blessed to see it in person then you no doubt have an appreciation for his work. This is the backdrop for the fabulous pieces in the Kashmir Seasons Renoir collection of shawls and scarves.

“I refuse to paint the world black,” declares Pierre-Auguste Renoir (the great French actor Michel Bouquet) in “Renoir,” Gilles Bourdos’s compassionate late-life portrait of this French Impressionist painter.

Inspired by the travels of the company’s founder, the Renoir dream shawl collection is a display of the fusion of the timeless and artistic qualities of the great painter, with the boundless artistic brilliance of Kashmiri artisans. These artisans have been creating fashion nirvana for the world for hundreds of years. No less than Napoleon Bonaparte selected Kashmiri shawls as gifts for his wife—the beautiful and sophisticated Empress Josephine. These timeless pieces are now yours to choose from.

Garden Glade Renoirs Dream Kashmir Shawl – Renoir’s Dream Shawl Collection – Seasons – Kashmir Company

The artistic lines of reality have been blurred quite deliberately with this collection. You see the founder wants you to have an almost magical experience from wearing one of these shawls. His travels to the world famous Louvre and Legion of Honor in France taught him the value and the power of art and fashion. This power can now be yours. Imagine having that life changing experience that comes with wearing a piece of fashion brilliance which gives you instant credibility with all you come in contact with. Imagine being the centre of attraction at your next dinner party. Why, all you have to say when you are asked about your shawl or scarf is one word: Renoir!

Garden Glade Renoirs Dream Shawl – Renoir’s Dream Shawl Collection – Seasons – Kashmir Company

Capri Breeze Renoirs Dream Shawl – Renoir’s Dream Shawl Collection – Seasons – Kashmir Company

The colors in the collection would make Renoir proud. From rich cobalts to delightful and delectable orange, you are guaranteed to have a visual and aesthetic feast, the likes you may not have seen in fashion for quite a long time. But these shawls and scarves are much more than that. They are a dedication to the centuries-old art of Kashmiri shawl-making and the inspired quest for luxury and passion. Qualities we are sure define your tastes and reality. What better way to honor those traits than with the art and embroidery which inform each piece in the Renoir shawl and scarf collection.

Celestial Ivory Garden Renoirs Dream Shawl – Renoir’s Dream Shawl Collection – Seasons – Kashmir Company

From now on your wardrobe will have a new lease on life; a breath taking hold on the world of high fashion. Enchant your audience and woo any crowd with a piece from this collection.

Celestial Blue Garden Renoirs Dream Shawl – Renoir’s Dream Shawl Collection – Seasons – Kashmir Company

Click here to browse the Renoir’s Dream Shawl and Scarf collection >>>

Frances Hodgon Burnett wrote the classic that would later become the Secret Garden, the British film that captured hearts in 1993 and which is now firmly established as a cult classic.

The Secret Garden is a 1993 British film based on the novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

It’s a story of love, renewal, enchantment, compassion and discovery. But more than that it’s a story of the magical and transformational power of love and if you’ve seen it we are sure you’ll agree. This enchanting piece of cinema is the unique inspiration for the Secret Garden Shawl Collection.

The founder of the Kashmir Company believes and is inspired to evoke powerful and positive memories through the timeless pieces of art that are created. This is no different and with the Secret Garden Shawl collection the emphasis is renewal and enchantment.

This renewal and enchantment has been skilfully etched in the Parisian motifs and pastel colors—characteristics that help define a cosmopolitan and sophisticated you. You are after all, a woman for all seasons and all time—you are timeless, sophisticated, beautiful and enchanting and so nothing will compliment you more than the fabulous, draping joy that comes with wearing a shawl from the Secret Garden collection.

Spring is just around the corner and if you enjoy the crisp breeze and tantalizing scents of this beautiful time then you’ll appreciate the theme of renewal and freshness that comes with the Secret Garden collection. Each piece has been enriched with the skill and artistry that is unique to Kashmir; each piece has been embroidered with the timeless skill and mastery of artisans that have honed a craft more than 300 years old. We want you to be a part of that history, that story, that tale that is now the preserve of kings and their queens, aristocrats and their wives.

Sage Secret Garden Kashmir Shawl – Secret Garden Collection

Azure Blue Ivory Secret Garden Kashmir Shawl – Secret Garden Collection

The Secret Garden Shawl collection has within it a deep and enriching promise which we hope will deliver in spades. We want your spring outings to match the natural and enchanting spirit of the time. Whether you choose the peaceful yet moving blue design, or the fiery and passionate red, you can be assured of selecting something special and magical.

Aurora Secret Garden Kashmir Shawl – Secret Garden Collection

Glacier Secret Garden Kashmir Shawl – Secret Garden Collection

Create your own secret garden today. Click here to browse this enchanting collection Secret Garden Collection.

Life Springs Eternal: Beautiful Kashmir Shawl

Embroidered Kashmir shawls are staples of winter fashion but the change of season doesn’t mean that they can’t figure prominently in your choice of what to wear. Quite the contrary and if you are anything like our customers, you are always looking for some helpful ideas on how best to wear an embroidered Kashmir shawl in seasons other than winter. This short article will give you five solid and helpful tips for making the best of the shawls in your collection. The tips are particularly aimed for spring time, but you can easily adopt them to other seasons of the year. And, if by chance you don’t own a shawl, there’s a special note at the end with advice on how you can change that.

So, in particular order, here are the five tips for making the best of your embroidered Kashmir shawls during spring.

Snow White in San Francisco Shawl

Tip #1 – Select lighter colored shawls

We know from the boffins in lab coats that darker colors tend to absorb and retain heat compared to lighter ones. This science fact is helpful to shawl wearers because it can help make transition from the biting cold of winter, to the crisp and inviting winds of spring. In this regard you should bring those lighter colors to the front of your wardrobe. Of course, you can add a bigger boost of comfort to your wardrobe by wearing those shawls that have lighter, more airy fabric. Lastly, rolled into this tip is the aspect of timing.

Tip #2 – Be dynamic in how you wear shawls

The good thing about embroidered Kashmir shawls is that you have endless ways of wearing them and the style can be very flexible. If you are making your way down to the shops or to pick up the kids, a shawl can still add a bit of elegance to your look. All you have to do is transform it into scarf. Many of the fine pieces we offer can help you make this switch

Je Ne Sais Quoi Blue Ivory Shawl – Seasons – The Kashmir Company

effortlessly. In the evenings shawls can then take on their more appropriate roles and you can simply wear it around your shoulders as a wrap.

Tip #3 – Make your shawls compliment everything you wear

Embroidered Kashmir shawls beyond the fact that they can double as scarfs are also very dynamic in terms of what they can be worn with. From this perspective you mustn’t shy away from wearing your shawls with your spring dress, casual shirts, jeans and formal gowns. The fashion world is really your oyster in this regard and by mixing and matching in this way, you keep a consistent fashion identity and a splendid sense of style.

Tip #4 – Ad versatility with different styles

There are many ways that women wear embroidered Kashmir shawls, and most have their own favorite style. It really does depend on what look you are trying to achieve but the simple way of draping it over your shoulder is a quick way to accessorise and get out and about. The more you learn though, the more dynamic you’ll look and feel so it helps to take some study of the most popular ways of wearing a shawl. We covered a few ways to wear an embroidered Kashmir shawl some time ago and you can take a look to see which style best suits your needs.

Tip #5 – Combine shawls and create something unique

For really small shawls you can go one step further creatively and twist two shawls together, creating something unique and spectacular. There are really no hard and fast rules on this one. As long as you follow the basic rules above of selecting scarves that are light both in color and texture you should have no problem coming up with something stunning.

Azure Blue Ivory Secret Garden Shawl – Secret Garden Collection

Your spring time wardrobe will pop now that you are aware of these functional and helpful tips for wearing an embroidered Kashmir shawl. And, as mentioned at the beginning, if you don’t own a shawl you simply must add a few to your wardrobe in order to make the best of this timeless fashion accessory.

The Kashmir Company is a purveyor of the best embroidered Kashmir shawls in the world and such as we like to help people get into shawl-wearing. You can match the five tips above with a beautiful Kashmir shawl right now. All you have to do is visit either of our stores and make a selection from our varied and spectacular collection of embroidered Kashmir shawls.

Je Ne Sais Quoi Pink Ivory Shawl – Seasons – The Kashmir Company

Here are the links:

http://kashmircompany.com (main store)

http://kashmirseasons.com (store showcasing the very best shawls for seasonal fashion)

Lavender Fog Paisley Silk Scarf / Shawl

Few fashion accessories are able to transform an outfit quite like Kashmir silk scarves and for well over a century, fashion trendsetters have relied on this timeless piece of fashion must-haves. Kashmir silk scarves are essentially a woman’s way to achieve an elegant and luxurious look without much effort. Most icons of fashion have used the Kashmir silk scarf to define their own unique sense of style, grace and charm.

There are few places you’ll see the Kashmir silk scarf on display like around the necks (or heads of) of Hollywood celebrities. In fact, it’s the efforts of early trend setters like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren which has etched the Kashmir silk scarf firmly into the fashion consciousness of the modern and trendy woman.

Sophia Loren scarf

Audrey Hepburn Head Scarf

But Kashmir silk scarves are not all about celebrity appeal and vicarious living. In addition to these built-in qualities Kashmir silk scarves have remained highly functional. You can see trendy fashionistas wearing silk scarves virtually in any setting. Women who have an appreciation for timeless fashion will wear a Kashmir silk scarf on occasion that a ‘statement’ needs to be made. It’s not uncommon to see a woman doing her food shopping in upscale cities like London and New York with a Kashmir silk scarf neatly wrapped around her neck. A glance at the fashionistas streaming out of a Broadway theatre in New York will yield a potpourri of Kashmir silk scarves—all radiating the charm and elegance of their wearer.

What makes Kashmir silk scarves so different?

Any discerning woman who enjoys timeless fashion and history will tell you that not all silk scarves are created equal. Today with mass-production being what it is, you have to take a really careful approach when selecting and buying silk scarves. A wrong choice will almost always lead to fading colors, frayed ends and poor embroidery.

Kashmir silk scarves sets themselves apart by offering unmatched quality in all these areas. Scarves made in Kashmir are given the same expert attention that the region has produced for more than 300 years. This strong culture developed at time when Shawls were the fashion accessory of European royalty. As such each scarf that is made in Kashmir is made painstakingly by hand, dyed delicately by hand and put to the dry under nature’s bountiful giver of life—the sun.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis scarf

Enduring appeal and celebrity icons

Today Kashmir silk scarves are no less popular than they were back in the heydays of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. A new generation of celebrities and socialites have picked up the mantle of high-fashion and the discerning woman can follow the lead of a bevy of Hollywood trendsetters. Women like Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba and others seem to have made Kashmir silk scarves a permanent part of their dress code and fashion identity.

These icons have also done justice to the functionality and flexibility of Kashmir silk scarves and Jessica Alba for one has been snapped hundreds of times wearing a silk scarf whilst out with her children or engaging in other leisurely activities.

Kashmir silk scarves and our commitment

Hollywood celebrities do their part in wearing and showcasing the best Kashmir silk scarves but we here at the Kashmir Company do our part in supplying the enduring quality that makes silk scarves stand the test of time. We are committed to preserving the legacy of expert and authentic scarf-making and work tirelessly to bring the very latest trends and motifs in the world of Kashmir silk scarves.

Lavender Fog Paisley Silk Scarf / Shawl

We call it the ‘Kashmir Company treatment’ and you can see it on display in every scarf on display across our various collections. Right now we are showcasing our Spring Collection and you can take a look by clicking here.

Laduree Silk Scarf Collection

Paris is famous for many things; there are cafés, fine restaurants, lots of gothic architecture and macaroons! These delightful sweet meringue-based confectioneries are now famous around the world because of the world-famous French patisserie called Laduree.

What Laduree has done is given the macaroon an aesthetic appeal and many people when they see one for the first time are unsure of what to do. “Do I wear these little jewels are eat them?” That’s a typical dilemma and one look at macaroons made by Laduree show you why. Wrapped in some of the most eye-popping and soul-enchanting pastel colours, no two macaroons are ever alike. From baby pink to minty green, one look at Laduree macaroons will make you fall hopelessly in love visually.

This brings us to the Kashmir Seasons’ spring collection, for it is this beautiful and timeless array of pastel colors that inspired the company’s founder to create designs in the colors that you see in our main online store.  The founder, on one of his many visits to Paris became inspired after a casual visit to the Laduree patisserie.  While inside, the idea of merging the ancient and timeless art of Kashmiri shawl making with the beautiful colors of Laduree macaroons was born.

The beautiful yet subtle and captivating colors of the macaroons were the kernel for the delightful works of art presented in the Kashmir Seasons spring collection. Each shawl or scarf in our spring collection has been infused with the lush and rich colors of pastel. Layered on top of such beautiful and timeless color selection are the enduring craftsmanship of the finest and most timeless and artistic embroidery from the beautiful and wonderful region of Kashmir.

Laduree Silk Collection

A few shawls are worth mentioning here and a fitting place to start is with the Crème de Menthe Paisley Silk Scarf / Shawl. Decked in the finest and most delicate embroidery you can find the Crème de Menthe Paisley Silk Scarf / Shawl has been delicately coated with the subtle but enriching color of mint-green.

Crème de Menthe Paisley Silk Scarf Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

We also have to mention the beautiful Lavender Fog Paisley Silk Scarf / Shawl which was inspired by the timeless lavender color of one of Laduree’s best-selling macaroons. Versatile and dynamic, the Lavender Fog Paisley Silk Scarf / Shawl will add timelessness and artistic flair to any wardrobe. It will also add the liveliness of spring and add the chirpiness that comes with the procession of the equinox, a time for renewal and rebirth.

Lavender Fog Paisley Silk Scarf Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

L’amour Paisley Silk Scarf Shawl – Seasons – Kashmir Company

You are invited to browse our spring collection and enjoy the delightful and enchanting pastel motifs that we’ve put together for the discerning woman of timeless fashion and luxurious taste.

Ladurée Silk Scarf Collection >>