Unexpected

Queen's Jewels

As mentioned in our recent post, Anzu is proud to be taking part in the Mitsukoshi Design Tide event, featuring work by designers on a Royal theme. This is our Queen's Jewels limited edition print, which is hand-decorated with lots of sparkly Swarovski crystals.

 We were inspired by particular pieces of royal jewellery from across the world. This is the Cambridge Lover's knot tiara, of neo-classical design and featuring large oriental pearl drops. The tiara was originally created in 1914 and was given by the Queen to Princess Diana as a wedding present.

Princess Soraya, a former film star, wore the emerald and diamond necklace featured in our painting on her wedding to the Shah of Iran.

Another piece from the Iranian royal jewellery collection.

The Swedish family own this pink topaz demi-parure, originally a gift from Paul I of Russia, created from the finest Russian pink topazes.

Queen Silvia of Sweden wore it to the wedding of her daughter, Crown Princess Victoria.

This cameo and ruby bracelet is the only confirmed piece of jewellery that belonged to Marie Antoinette. All the rest are missing or have been broken down and the stones re-set. Marie Antoinette brought this bracelet with her from Austria at the time of her marriage.

For the general feel of the Anzu Queen's jewels print, we were inspired by Marie Antoinette, particularly the colour palette and the femininity and delicacy as seen in portraits and her salon at Versailles. The fantastic Assouline Queen's Jewels book was also great inspiration, click here to view and buy.

The last photo was amongst a beautiful set of Versailles ones on a blog, but I can't remember which one, sorry!

Anzu at Mitsukoshi

Anzu is very proud to be taking part in the Mitsukoshi Royal Exhibition. We produced the Queen's Jewels limited edition print decorated with Swarovski crystals and seen here in the window in Tokyo.

The print we created was inspired by Royal jewellery from around the world (more to come on this in a later post).

The Royal theme 'Marie Antoinette to present' was explored by lots of designers. These faberge style eggs and encrusted jewellery boxes were created by Bijou Ayumi Fujii （ decoartiste ）, Takashima, Shin-ichi (ceramic artist), Yumi Aoyagi (ceramic artist), Reiko ogura (ceramic artist) and MuseEko (glass artist).

We love this plate by Koichiro Kimura, which is a combination of porcelain decorated with Italian fruit, lacquer, gold, diamonds and natural stones.

This beautiful piece was created by Haviland and Haute couture designer Hanae Mori. The exhibition continues until November the sixth.

Our new favourite place

Today Saffiah and I had lunch at Dishoom in Shoreditch - we love it!
The food was delicious and delicately spiced, the decor was full of interesting details, and the people were delightful. We love the patchwork sari reception desk.

Details in the design were inspired by mid century Bombay and all the different Irani cafes, famous cafes in Mumbai. These signs are replicas of ones that actually used to be in Cafe Bastani!

Many of the Irani cafes have pictures of ancestors - here is Saffiah looking at home sitting amongst them.

'The Permit Room'  or cocktail bar, serves old-fashioned Raj style cocktails including the Bombay Presidency Punch, Flips and Gimlets and the one I will be having next time called Edwina's affair. Served in a copper cup it is described as being a hush-hush love triangle of gin, rose and cardamom, in a secret garden of fresh mint, strewn with candied rose petals.

The original Irani cafe. To read more visit the Dishoom website. We like this story featured there, to read it click here

picture 6: welovefood on facebook

Cocteau

I have always been a fan of Cocteau's drawings and love the look of the Jean Cocteau house in Milly-la-Foret, which you can still visit. The creeper which completely covers the house is beautiful.

I want this desk! Really like the blackboard against the leopard print fabric wall covering.

Magical

Also love the gold palms. To visit the house and learn more about Cocteau, click here

Zeppelin

The other day I came across these amazing images of the Zeppelin. Before the Hindenburg crash, passengers look luxury flights on these magnificent airships on transatlantic, Mediterranean and round the world trips.

With luxurious bathrooms, fine dining, an interesting mix of fellow guests including spies and polar explorers, and  an impressive range of cocktails it must have been quite an experience. If you want to try some Hindenburg cocktails, click here for recipes.

Amazingly, you can still take a flight on a Zeppelin. To see more click here

Some amazing places..

Over the years, I've been really lucky to paint in some amazing places. Mainly I just paint in my studio, with green tea and plenty of chocolate to hand, but there is something really special about painting outside or in a different location. So here are my favourite places in order:

1. Sketching at the top of a waterfall in my Dad's garden in Tasmania. My Dad promised me somewhere special to paint where the birds sing, but I didn't expect this - my feet in a waterfall surrounded by lush plants. Truly relaxing and beautiful.

Indoors in Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo and the first time I have painted full pieces in public. I thought it would be nerve wracking but I met such lovely, gracious people and had a wonderful time.

Although I was in Japan and drank green tea throughout, I wanted to truly represent Anzu and stuck to a very English theme on the pieces I painted.

3. In Sri Lanka, I was definitely influenced by the surroundings and painted a very decorative sari like piece full of lotuses, pattern and palms.

As I painted, an elephant walked across the beach. One word, wow.

4. Morocco. A private cloistered courtyard in amazing sumptuous surroundings. This was true luxury. It's no wonder I look so happy!

Undone bow ties

Which dapper gentleman would you send our Anzu bow tie card to? We've had fun picking out our ultimate black tie men..

Cary Grant. Always perfect.

George Clooney carrying on classic Hollywood chic.

We love the white flower touch to Tom Ford's suit.

And short of one of the above, you could always make do with this Alister Mackie piece.