The Ambassadress Of Indian Block Prints
Eat Stay Love|Volume 5 Issue 2

Les Indiennes, a quaint store in Hudson’s shopping district, reworks India’s centuries-old legacy of handmade Kalamkari for a global consumer.

Lakshmi Prabhala
The Ambassadress Of Indian Block Prints

At a two hours’ drive from New York City, in Hudson’s milelong shopping district at Warren Street, is Les Indiennes, a store that manages to charm visitors with its extensive collection of Kalamkari home furnishings, an Indian hand block-printing technique that is centuries-old.

It was love at first sight for Mary Mulcahy Bertgold when she spied blockprinted bedcovers at a UNICEF store in the late ‘90s. Little did she realise then that it was the beginning of a long association which would take her across continents to meet an artisan in a remote town of India.

Bertgold launched a search for similar fabrics and placed an advertisement on IndiaMart, requesting for samples. The parcel that impressed her the most came from Pitchuka Srinivas, a Kalamkari artist from Pedana in coastal Andhra Pradesh. It eventually lead to the foundation of the retail store, Les Indiennes.

This story is from the Volume 5 Issue 2 edition of Eat Stay Love.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Volume 5 Issue 2 edition of Eat Stay Love.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EAT STAY LOVEView All
a scientist in the kitchen
eat stay love

a scientist in the kitchen

the next time you are in london, drop in at the fat duck and order the sound of the sea. accompanying your seafood dish is an earphone to hear sounds of seagulls cawing and waves lapping. at dinner by heston, melbourne, the experience includes walking through a tunnel that smells of a bespoke fragrance. that’s how whimsical chef blumenthal’s dining experiences are.

time-read
7 mins  |
volume 4 issue 4
hong kong koko
eat stay love

hong kong koko

the tony bar and restaurant offers a skillful spin on the izakayas, or the informal japanese gastropubs.

time-read
3 mins  |
volume 4 issue 4
the guide
eat stay love

the guide

hostelries to bed in and where to eat in cusco, lima and moray.

time-read
4 mins  |
volume 4 issue 4
Eat Stay Love

William Dalrymple's Rajasthan

The celebrated writer and historian on his love affair with the state known for its vibrant colours, royal splendour and cultural riches.

time-read
2 mins  |
Volume 4 Issue 3
Jodhpur's Enigmatic Maharaj
Eat Stay Love

Jodhpur's Enigmatic Maharaj

Raghavendra Rathore in conversation with Riaan Jacob George.

time-read
4 mins  |
Volume 4 Issue 3
The Ambassadress Of Indian Block Prints
Eat Stay Love

The Ambassadress Of Indian Block Prints

Les Indiennes, a quaint store in Hudson’s shopping district, reworks India’s centuries-old legacy of handmade Kalamkari for a global consumer.

time-read
3 mins  |
Volume 5 Issue 2
The Secret Islands Of Africa
Eat Stay Love

The Secret Islands Of Africa

ESL falls off the map to explore the unbelievably wild and breathtakingly gorgeous islands of the African continent.

time-read
4 mins  |
Volume 5 Issue 2
Slovenia's Wine Revolution
Eat Stay Love

Slovenia's Wine Revolution

Overshadowed by the countries that surround it, Slovenia—known more as Melania Trump’s country of origin—is also a wine lover’s sacred paradise.

time-read
7 mins  |
Volume 5 Issue 2
Pune Sibling Revelry
Eat Stay Love

Pune Sibling Revelry

Mumbai may be the cooler cousin, but Pune is fast catching up on the ‘cool’ factor in its culinary offerings.

time-read
5 mins  |
Volume 5 Issue 2
Katy Perry
Eat Stay Love

Katy Perry

I have milti-personality disorder when it comes to my fashion choices.

time-read
4 mins  |
Volume 5 Issue 2