Penelope Chilvers's first trip to India was as spellbinding and magical as she hoped it would be.
The British designer, whose footwear is beloved of the Princess of Wales, spent ten days exploring the landscape of Rajasthan - home of deserts and maharajas, palaces and tigers-on horseback, foot and 4WD, and can't wait to return.
"It was like opening Pandora's box because I'll get obsessed. I didn't want to come home," she says in our exclusive interview.
In fact, Penelope, whose celebrity clients include Amal Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Pippa Middleton, was so inspired by the richness and colours of the landscape and the people she met that she created two designs, a slipper and a riding boot, for the conservation-focused safari camps where she stayed.
WILDLIFE AND WONDER
Every morning and evening, when the sun was lower in the sky, she would go for a ride on one of the camp's native Marwari horses and take in the wilderness.
"We watched the sun rise over the Aravalli mountain range and I felt at one with this amazing landscape. I saw a leopard - he was sitting on a rock, just watching us - and if you looked carefully through your binoculars, you could see a crocodile sunning itself on the sand.
It was like nothing I'd ever seen before." One evening, she adds, a party was held for the camp guests. "We went out in Jeeps into the middle of the desert, where there was a cocktail bar set up with candles and oil lamps. Some incredible local musicians played a wonderful array of instruments that I'd never seen before." The designer's trip wasn't just for pleasure; following in the footsteps of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Penelope is a champion of sustainability and every year supports conservation initiatives through her brand.
Denne historien er fra March 18, 2024-utgaven av HELLO! UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 18, 2024-utgaven av HELLO! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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THROWING IT BACK TO THE 1990S 'VOGUE' ERA OF THE SUPERMODEL
KATE MOSS LEADS FAMOUS FACES REFLECTING ON FASHION HEYDAY
FORMER 'MADE IN CHELSEA' STAR FRAN NEWMAN-YOUNG
DAZZLES IN BESPOKE WEDDING GOWN AS SHE TIES THE KNOT IN STYLE IN MAJORCA
LENDING SUPPORT TO CHILDREN'S HOSPICE PRINCESSES BEATRICE AND EUGENIE
BRING LIGHT INTO LITTLE ONES' LIVES AS THEY PLANT A SYMBOL OF HOPE
ON BUOYANT FORM AFTER HIS WIFE'S GOOD NEWS THE PRINCE OF WALES
DISHES OUT THE HUGS ON VISIT FROM THE HEART
WITH AN INCREDIBLE GLIMPSE INTO FAMILY LIFE THE PRINCESS OF WALES
SHARES MESSAGE OF HOPE AS SHE LOOKS TO THE FUTURE AND BALANCING HER ROLE
IN HIGH SPIRITS AT THE BRAEMAR HIGHLAND GAMES THE KING AND QUEEN
ENJOY LAUGHS APLENTY AT A FAVOURITE EVENT BEFORE MONARCH QUIETLY MARKS TWO YEARS ON THE THRONE
AS HOLLY WILLOUGHBY RETURNS NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS
STARS DAZZLE ON NIGHT OF GLAMOUR AND GONGS
CREATING A NEW SISTER ACT ELIZABETH OLSEN
ON CO-STARRING WITH NATASHA LYONNE AND CARRIE COON
MAKING HISTORY AT STARSTUDDED EVENT IN NEW YORK TAYLOR SWIFT
SMASHES IT WITH SEVEN OF THE BEST AT THE V.M.As
KIM KARDASHIAN AND DAKOTA JOHNSONS
FASHION AND COMPASSION AT A-LIST CHARITY EVENT