What to do in Bhuj is a question I can give a lengthy answer to! So I'm adding another to that list.....
Madame Hall's Bhuj studio is a place where you can come and have a chat about your trip, meet me and see how I transform Kutch handicrafts in to fashionable clothing. 
During the past few years I've had many requests from folks visiting Kutch wanting to see Madame Hall clothes up close and in person, and now I'm ready for your visit!
As an Australian designer, living here for close to 3 years, I know the textiles that excite me....and where to find them. I'd also love to show you my collection of special one-off pieces and Signature Skirts.
If you want to see clothing that is completely different from any other you'll see during your trip, give me a call! 
And hey, if you've bought some amazing piece and want it created into a piece of wearable art, I can create something especially for you while you are here. It will be wearable when you return home, be current in a fashion sense and be totally different from anything anyone else has.....So if you are tired of shawls, purses, wallhangings etc and seeing the same stuff everywhere you go, You won't see any of those things at Madame Hall! I can show the sophisticated traveller something totally different.
I also have a stunning collection of Silver tribal jewellery, most of it vintage. Each piece has been carefully selected because I consider it special and wearable statement piece, something I'd wear myself.
I am available by appointment only, but short notice is fine. 
My driver can collect you from your hotel if you wish....
Tel +91 8980 322 973 to make a time with Lisa, meet Madame Hall and have a chat!

Madame Hall Signature Skirts are my best selling skirt…  Why?

A long, full skirt…..It’s a style that’s a fashion perennial! The current popularity of Boho style has brought  volumionus gypsy skirts once again to the fashion fore. A sexy full skirt flatters and accentuates your femininity, bringing with it compliments and admiration as is being discovered by a new generation of fashionistas.

I’m a ‘mature’ woman that has always loved a full skirt, whatever the current fashion. They suit my body type, which although small, tends towards being ‘curvy’ rather straight. I believe this is the reason my Signature Skirts are so popular; they look great on curvy big women as well as small ones!

In fact my most popular size is ‘large’ in the skirt that consistently brings me rave reviews and many repeat customers. 
Heres what some of them have to say-

I wore both of your skirts over the weekend, one to a party, and all the ladies commented on your beautiful skirt and then yesterday to breakfast with friends and now the men are starting to comment.
Thankyou again for what you do so perfectly


My (skirts) maiden voyage and it was a day to remember. I got compliments all day long with women stopping me to ask where I got my beautiful skirt. Several women went down memory lane and shared their stories of wearing crinolines under their full skirts --- it was so amazing! I also felt so pretty and feminine all day----it truly makes a day out in the skirt an experience to remember! 


I am now the proud owner of two, and have received some many compliments.
Walking into a restaurant the other day, my husband bought my attention to a table of women
who had stopped talking and eating to look at your beautiful Pink skirt.



Your choice of fabric will determine its adaptability. As well as offering a great range of skirts in patterned and plain fabric, I make to order, so you can decide the length you want. If you’re a tall woman who likes a long skirt to her ankles, or a short woman who’s tired of having everything altered. I can make you a skirt in whatever length you want, saving you an expensive alteration……… We all know what the hem on a big skirt can cost!

I can get a great range of cottons in any colour you like. All you need to do is tell me what you want, either via my contact page or thru the ‘convo’ system in my Etsy shop, and in a week or 2, I’ll have your perfect skirt ready to send.

If you’ve just discovered my site and you are not familiar with my ‘Signature Skirt’ here are the details so you’ll know exactly what you’ll be getting.

-Each skirt consists of 84 tapering panels. The cut of each panel is designed, so as to achieve a most wonderful rippling effect. So when you are walking and the skirt is in motion you’ll look absolutely divine. You’ll get the most compliments from strangers as you’re walking down the street!

-Because the panels are tapered, the skirt is very full at the hem, over 8 meters, but much narrower at the waist. This is especially good for larger ladies who like a slim fit thru the waist, but still want to wear the latest 'look'

-Each skirt has a wide elastic waistband, which means it can be worn on the waist or high hip. It’s also great if your weight fluctuates. Small is for waist 28 inches, Medium for 30 inches and Large is for 32 inches. Just let me know if you need a different size, Can do!

- The hem is finished with a contrasting piping and border. This is a quality finish that adds a little weight to the hem making your skirt hang and move beautifully, with swing and ‘bounce’ with every step.

-Lastly, every single seam, all 84 of them are covered or French seamed. Not serged or overlocked!

Madame Hall Signature Skirts walk out the door at my 6 monthly Pop-Ups in Australia, but are available only online, bought directly from me.

I’m crazy about maintaining the highest standard, and they are not factory made. Obviously they are labour intensive, so my small team and I carefully make each and every skirt with exacting precision

Buy Madame Hall Signature Skirts only from Madame Hall on Etsy, and while you are there, why not check out the rest of my range of unique, one-off afordable clothing.

Why indeed! One of a kind clothes.....Why would I make limited edition clothes clothes, with my own hands, living in a country with millions of cheap tailors?
Western 'fashion' designers who have come to India with their own sewing machine and equiptment...... I believe I may be the first!  But, I'm not the 'Make thousands of peasant blouses really cheap and sell them for a fortune...Make Heaps $ kind of designer'....
For me, designing is more than drawing a nice picture, and handing it over to someone else to make. This approach rarely works for me, because of the hand made and irregular materials I like to use and see value in.  The buzz I get when the finished result of a garment totally satisfies me....in both construction and design; It's the reason I do what I do!

If you've been to Kutch you can't have missed seeing the local Rabari men getting about in their distinctive white embroidered jackets. Their tribal jackets have instant appeal to forigeners due to the high waisted style that's currently often copied and oh so fashionable. 
The recent Bollywood movie, Ram Leela has also popularised the style. The romantic story featured spectacular Rabari dance sequences  that were filmed close to Bhuj, capturing the sureal natural beauty of the huge salt desert, The Great Rann of Kutch.
As Bhuj's local 'foriegner' shopping daily for Kutch's unique Indian handicrafts, I contstantly see young ladies, visitors here trying these jackets on in the vintage clothing shops, only to instantly take them off again! Not only are these jackets frequently very small, but the armhole , shoulder  and narrow sleeves are intolerably uncomfortable! Because they are covered in hand embroidery, the complexity of altering them to fit is rarely considered. And mostly they are stained too....We're talking vintage tribal jackets here, from white cotton, in dusty Kutch, so of course, they are often not very clean! 
I love a challenge! And after working at The Emergency Button in Sydney some years ago, I am good at devising alterations that don't compromise a great design.
I spent months, with Rabari Jackets, (or 'Kediya' as is the correct term) on my mind....thinking about how to solve their 'fit problem'  Some folks put a big gussett under the arm, but it's not the soloution as the shoulder still doesn't fit, and all you get is a 'bumpfy' underarm....it's not a good look!
So now...I have developed a formula....It involves several alterations in fact, but completely fixes all the wearability issues of these stunning hand embroidered jackets, meaning western fashionists's like you and me can now wear them easily!
I love Rabari Kediya because each is so different! Different embroidery depending on the community the man that it was originaly made for came from; some have a simple design of embroidered squares, others are very complex with mirror work and gold embelishments....I sometimes even find them with the 'owners' name embroidered on them too, which I love!
They look great worn layered over jeans, cut off shorts, a dress or with a slim skirt.....after altering, I usually dye them to give a quality, unified finish.
Check out my 'shop' for my improved Rabari Jackets, or request one to suit in your choice of size and colour. You'll get an amazing jacket with a story to tell! A Jacket thats completely unique, a 'one off' from a romantic culture of nomads, the exotic, mysterious wandering Rabari of Kutch.

Rabari or Jat? Young or Old? Where did she live? 1 child or 3? How did her family live? What was her position in the family?.........
The Embroideriers Guild NSW is hosting a twilight event with Carole Douglas this Saturday afternoon 4 -6pm that will fascinate anyone who has been or would love to visit Kutch. 
This really is a 'must see' if hand embroidery and the silent narrative of womens' craft is one that fascinates and intrigues you, as it does me!
Carole's relationship with Kutch, or Kachchh as the locals call it, goes back decades. A skilled fabric printer in her own right, Carole has spent many years with women from the different tribal communities here....She's privliged to have seen girls born, and grow in to talented artisans under the watchfull eye of their mother, grandmothers and aunts to become a bride with an impressive catalogue of her own handcrafts to begin her married life with. Carole has a deep understanding of Kutchi culture and tradition that's remarkable and rare for someone from outside these communities. Her regular visits and sensitivity to  tradition have earned her enormous respect amongst the women of Kutch and their families.
Kutch embroideries are packed with symbolisim and stunning imagery....Carole can tell of an individuals life and circumstance, just by 'reading' their embroideries. It is totally fascinating and Oh how I'd love to be at her talk on Saturday!
'In her own voice - the narrative of stitch' is accompanied by an exhibition of valuable textiles from Carole's own private collection, which will be all the more appreciated with insight gleaned from Caroles talk.
A 'must see'
Phone 02 9743 2501 for more details

Adorn! Buying vintage Indian jewellery was my first passion when I began visiting Kutch.
Tribal silver, made by the Rabari was my favourite, and I spent days seeking out the best; earrings, toe rings,  pendants, amulets and anklets.
In my past life, in Australia, I was a gold only girl! But why let a silly 'rule' like that stop you from enjoying so much wonderful stuff....I needed to re-ascess! 
Since living in India, I've come to know that everything people wear; colour, metal type, design and size all carry a particular significance, and are not worn for decoration alone.




In Vedic culture, gold is never worn below the waist. Gold, a popular choice for earrings and necklaces is believed to enhance the wearer with positive electricity....And silver has properties that re direct that energy back to the body, so silver is used in anklets and bangles to stop that positve electricity from escaping! The proctective qualities are further enhanced by the addition of sound. As the jangle of several bangles worn together or bells on your anklets gives off a warning sign to negative energies present in the atmostphere to keep away.
A babies first gift will be amulets and other adornment to aid their path in life, a woman wears different jewellery after marriage to benefit the new union, and a widowed woman wears little jewellery and is distinguished by wearing pale, pastel colours.
A pendant thats square in shape will aid the wearers material comforts, triangular shapes will highten your sprituality, a nose piercing will make childbirth easier, eases breathing diffulcties or you can donate one if wishing for a girl child!
These are just the tip of the iceberg....but needless to say, a facinating field of study and one that can justify almost any purchase!
I love shopping for genuine Kutchi silver...a quality of silver thats traditionaly been highly prized for it's purity. It make a fabulous gift, or as a treat to oneself, if you love tribal jewellery. I've lived in Kutch a long time now and know the best from the ordinary.....If you'd like me to find you something special, something beautiful, that comes from a fascinating culture and is handmade and interesting, let me find an item of special significance for you now! 



Some  links to further reading that may interest you -
http://www.astro-vani.com/blog/importance-of-jewelry/
ndyas.hpage.co.in/unknow-facts-about-hindu-religion_9526511.html
http://bapujirishiprasad.blogspot.in/2009/05/importance-of-indian-traditions.html

I remember years ago when working at the Sydney Theatre Company, a well known Australian costume designer taking a whif of some magnificently beaded fabric. He immediatly tossed it aside like it was a dirty dishcloth, took a deep puff on his cigarette and declared distainfully "INDIAN FABRIC....it always stinks of curry!"
Arghhh, those were the days! .... when smoking was still permitted in Australian costume departments and stressed Indian workers , toiling for a few rupees a day, literally ate 'on the job'! We all laughed, and knew exactly what he was talking about. Indian textiles did have a common smell back then!




How much more profesional things are now, at least from my experience working with the artisans of Kutch.

The rise of India's fashion industry, one that competes internationally on the world stage, calls for world class textiles. The new generation of young artisans making fabrics for designers and the international market run their businesses really profesionally. Quality dyes are used, and workers get lunch and 'chai' breaks away from their work enviroment. They are paid properly and valued for their age old skills. And finally, quality control is strictly monitered, so the end product meets the high expectations of a modern consumer.

Madame Hall works with fabrics made by these methods. They cost a little more, but the production methods ensures a garment that will perform well, and you won't smell like yesterdays dinner!

Read about Jabbar Khatri's wonderful delicate Bandhani -
http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fashion/the-dots-come-alive/article5756717.ece

 

Where does your inspiration come from when designing clothes?

I am inspired by the costumes of the Ballet Ruses, a Paris based dance troupe that toured Australia in 1920's & 30's. In particular I love the costume designs of Leon Bakst and Matisse. There is a wonderful collection of them in NGA in Canberra. I love Russian folk art too, and these costumes designed for productions with an 'Arabian' theme, like Scheherazade combine all my favourite elements.  http://pinkpagodastudio.blogspot.in/2011/01/costumes-from-ballets-russes.html My basic tunic design is a style that is seen all through Europe and India in vintage or period clothing. It's a style that developed because it makes the most economical use of narrow, hand loomed cloth, such as people would have made on a small loom in their own homes. There are many variations on this style, but the overall shape is always the same. I  hate waste, and love 'working with what I have'. I frequently find the most interesting designs are born out of constraint! Utilising whats available takes designing on a different journey to that of an unlimited fabric supply, it forces you to be creative, and think outside of 'the box'  

I consider 'Prarie Style' to be the current term best describing my collection even tho the textiles I use are Indian

The following pics are inspired by vintage costumes and traditional 'peasant' style

 What process do you go through when creating pieces for your collection? 

First I look for fabrics or embroideries that excite me!  I rarely have textiles made to order, preferring to use original vintage tribal embroideries and traditional Ajrakh block printed fabric. These are usually available in limited quantities, so the size of the piece available plays a big part in how I decide to use a particular handicraft. 

Some embroideries have an obvious use, like a blouse front for example.....but I like to think of ways it could be used differently! I love the unexpected and a little humour in my designs, so I may decide to use it (a blouse front) upside down, or half at the back and half on the front and combine it with non Indian textiles like lace or fake fur to create something different from your average Kurta. 

I recently made a dress from an unusually shaped toran (a wall hanging for over a door way) I kept the original shape, and with a few darts to perfect the fit, and re-alighn the embroidery's design, it was barely recognisable as a toran any longer! I added a flared skirt in a slightly mis-matched print, and the resulting dress while having Indian elements, did not look particularly Indian as the overall shape of the dress and the combination of textiles used were not in a traditional Indian style. 

Another thing I like doing is using heavily mirror worked and embroidered womens' tribal 'blouses' to make a cute party dress. These 'blouses' are backless, but with tight sleeves and a high necked fitted bodice thats fastened with ties across the back. I slash the front neck to open up the shoulders, and give a more comfortable fit as well as a flattering lower neckline. To make it a little 'sexy' I like to retain the original backless look, but add a full floral skirt....Once again, a silhouette thats not Indian, but with unmistakeable Indian embroidery. 

Bias cutting and draping are both western pattern making techniques I frequently like using too.

So, to answer your question, first chose the textile, then think 'what can I do with this that will be fashionable, but unusual and different'.......the thinking about can sometime take months! I have many projects in my mind at any one time.