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India Hicks

Mar 12th, 2010
by James Andrew.
43 comments

India Hicks and her dogs, Samson and Olympia, with James Andrew at the entrance to Hibiscus Hill.

A few months ago I was thrilled to receive the most fabulous note from India Hicks suggesting a Harbour Island visit to photograph my wardrobe. I’d of course seen India Hicks from afar – gracing the pages of glossy fashion magazines, while modeling for major designers like Ralph Lauren. And recently I was enthralled with her appearance on the popular program, “Top Design.” Needless to say the prospect of meeting her in person in combination with a longed for pilgrimage to her father’s Savannah, had me giddy as a school girl.

And of course I DID meet India, and now I’m madly in love – India Hicks is a SWAN – “attractive, alert, and au courant” as Capote defined the term. And we do love that absolutely Englishy wit – always served like the very best dry martini.

A pair of gorgeous stone whippets flank the entrance to Hibiscus Hill.

As might be expected from the grand daughter of the first Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and daughter to one of the most original designers of the twentieth century, India marches to her own utterly unique drum. I think Anna Wintour put it most beautifully – “whilst we might all dream of that great escape from it all on a magical island, India Hicks and David Flint Wood have made the dream a viable, working reality for themselves and their young family, bringing their own dynamic, modern touch to a legacy of high style.”

Several brilliantly realized examples of the above mentioned “working reality” can be seen in India Hicks’ enterprising endeavors. Take for instance her line of scrumptious Island Living products for Crabtree and Evelyn – In her own words, “…natural through and through, all [the] nasties have been removed. All [the] packaging [is] reusable – a true reflection of an island life, drawn from my memories of growing up on Windermere as a child. The Casuarina trees, with their clean green smell, the Spider lily flower, a true survivor which needs little nurturing.”

And prolific? Yes. In fact India has authored two books – Island Life in which you’ll get an intimate view of her homes – these are particularly meaningful she tells us, as they are “…a reflection of a living archive that holds the treasures of our personal life.” – And Island Beauty in which she shares her holistic approach, demonstrating how “island wisdom” can help women everywhere to rejuvenate both their outer and inner selves…Beauty in the Bahamas comes in all shapes, sizes, and colours,” she tells us. “It opened my eyes.”

Sign for The Sugar Mill.

Also should you find yourself on Harbour Island, do visit Linda Griffin and India’s super chic boutique, The Sugar Mill – where you’ll find what India describes as an “…accumulated collection from wanderings around the world….” Now that has got to peak your interest. We’ve included here a picture of The Sugar Mill’s edgy logo – and yes, you’ll undoubtedly find a must-have hidden treasure here!

Suffice it to say the list of India’s doings extends well beyond the scope here at WIJW, and perhaps we have gone on a bit – Its just that, as you will recall me mentioning a few paragraphs back, we at WIJW are terribly in love! Certainly you can look forward to future posts and updates regarding all things India Hicks!

James Andrew in front of The Cricket Pavillion at Hibiscus Hill

Posing in front of The Cricket Pavillion at Hibiscus Hill, I’m sporting a smashing straw hat with black grosgrain ribbon trim from The Sugar Mill, white linen jacket by Gucci, white and pink silk retro print pocket square by Charvet Paris, heavily embroidered white cotton voile Kurta from India (thanks to Kuki), white skinny jeans from Uniglo, Christian Louboutin black leather sandal/espadrille – and my fragrance is Royal Water by Creed.

Posted in: Bahamas, Charvet, Christian Louboutin, Gucci.

Bliss

Mar 11th, 2010
by James Andrew.
21 comments

James Andrew and the beach at Savannah.

Savannah's dining room acts as a wonderful screened porch from which all rooms can be accessed.

As if experiencing the brilliance of David Hicks’s Bahamian house were not enough, just down a little path is quite simply the most spectacular five mile stretch of powdery pink sand, crystalline water, and unobstructed horizon one could imagine! – really the most sublime beach I’ve ever seen! It’s no wonder rock stars and royalty have made the private sands of Windermere Island their destination of choice for decades. As you can see, I’m having a bit of a royal/rockstar romp myself (above), and for the occasion I’m sporting Gucci hot pink surfing jams, white and pink striped cotton seersucker hoodie by Michael Bastian, and Gucci sunglasses.

Posted in: Bahamas, Gucci, Michael Bastian.

Savannah Inside

Mar 10th, 2010
by James Andrew.
24 comments

James Andrew at David Hicks' Savannah.

David Hicks’ concept of Savannah was far from the usual colonial fare so prevalent throughout the Bahamas. In fact a first encounter with Savannah was, and still is, a bit shocking. But of course, being the brainchild of David Hicks, it actually makes perfect sense that he drew upon the Egyptian aesthetic for his fantasy Bahamian retreat – the sun, the sand, and palms all lend a shared context that make Savannah perfectly at home on Windermere Island.

And then there is the interior – Hicks’ interior is typically hyper stylized with a signature sophisticated look, yet through his highly considered choice of local materials and finish, Hicks makes sure we never lose a sense of place. All the interior walls and floors were constructed from a rusticated mixture of local pink sand, cement, and marble dust. The ceilings by contrast are highly polished with almost a lacquered appearance, lending them a certain weightless quality – this buoyant effect is further enhanced by a painted black gap between the walls and ceiling. Floor to ceiling windows accentuate the vertical and were made to slide into the walls, inviting an easy interplay between interior and exterior. Two scroll top pictures specially painted by the artist Bruce Tippet in a vibrant Caribbean palette anchor the seating areas in the living room – the rest of the artwork at Savannah is by David Hicks himself as well as by Ashley and India Hicks.

Following the ravages of Hurricane Floyd, India Hicks lovingly undertook some much needed renovations to Savannah. But “there was no improving on the master,” she tells us, so thankfully virtually everything has been restored to its original specifications.

While a visit to Savannah is primarily reserved for family and friends, it is available for a week or two on occasion for those seeking a truly unique experience. Are your bags packed already?

I’m pictured (above) enjoying the super chic living room at Savannah. Dressed in homage to the master I’m sporting a white linen jacket by Gucci, pale blue Glen plaid cotton French cuff shirt by Tom Ford, Seaman Schepps silver pearl and pale blue sapphire cuff links, shocking pink cotton jean cut pants by Dior, yellow ribbon belt by Club Monaco, yellow and white silk retro print pocket square by Charvet Paris, white leather Gucci loafers, and my fragrance is Royal Water by Creed – Incidentally Creed’s fragrance Royal Water was created for the young house of Windsor, and as chance would have it Prince Charles and Lady Diana spent time at Savannah on their honeymoon in the summer of 1981!

Posted in: Bahamas, Charvet, Club Monaco, Dior, Gucci, Seaman Schepps.

Savannah

Mar 9th, 2010
by James Andrew.
20 comments

James Andrew at David Hicks' Savannah.

At last we’ve made our pilgrimage to Savannah, David Hicks’ tropical masterpiece on Windermere Island’s Savannah Sound.

Let me tell you, it was one of those most sublime thrills to experience this tropical masterwork in person. You may have heard me go on quite a bit about the British born Hicks – and I’ve had good reason! He was quite simply one of the most prolific, innovative, and sought after decorators of the twentieth century – his touch extended into every conceivable design forum, from aristocratic homes, to set design, to fashion, to industrial design, to landscape design etc. etc. etc. – and his genius was only matched by his bigger than life persona. Needless to say much of what I do has been inspired by David Hicks – so you can only imagine how honored I was when the London Telegraph described me as an “…updated David Hicks.” – High praise that I aspire to live up to one day!

Savannah became of keen interest to me especially when I learned that it has remained virtually unchanged since it was completed in 1969. I’ve had the great fortune to speak with Ashley and India Hicks who graciously provided me with fascinating background information on the property.

Tomb of King Djoser at Saqqara.

Briefly stated, it was on David Hicks and Lady Pamela Mountbatten’s Bahaman honeymoon that they fell in love with the islands and decided they should have a home there. Originally the Hickses and Lady Pamela Mountbatten’s sister, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, had acquired a property at Lyford Cay but were subsequently convinced by Sir Harold Christie to buy property on Windermere Island instead. They enlisted the help of Nassau architect Robert Stokes to build their homes and as India Hicks put it with the sort of familiarity that only a family member could have, her “aunt built a ‘proper’ house on the beach… and her father constructed a mausoleum to the sun!” David Hicks had been to Egypt and was deeply fascinated with the tomb of King Djoser at Saqqara – It was this tomb that Ashley Hicks tells me was the inspiration behind his father’s Egyptian fantasy. Ashley Hicks sent me this fantastic image of King Djoser’s tomb (left). Do pick up Ashley Hicks’ book, David Hicks: Designer to see more fabulous images of this spectacular structure.

Paying Homage to the great David Hicks I’m pictured standing in front of Savannah’s monumental entrance way, absorbing some of Hick’s enduring brilliance – I’m sporting lemon yellow jeans by Cassette, palest pink safari shirt and silver chain link belt both by Gucci, black leather sandal/espadrille by Christian Louboutin, KVA sunglasses by Oliver peoples my fragrance is Citrus Bigarrade by Creed.

Posted in: Bahamas, Christian Louboutin, Gucci, Oliver Peoples.

Belle of the Ball

Mar 8th, 2010
by James Andrew.
34 comments

James Andrew at the Young Fellows Ball at The Frick.

It seems not even even a blustery NYC snowstorm could keep guests from the much anticipated Young Fellows Ball at The Frick. Dubbed the Diamond and Deco Ball to kick off the The Frick’s 75th Anniversary commemorating the opening of this world class property to the public, the YFB is considered one of the most important social events of the season – In fact the New York Times called it one of the “most memorable parties of the year.” And lest you get the impression that this is a purely hedonistic event it should be pointed out that nearly a quarter of a million dollars was raised in support of education programs at The Frick – a thought that made making merry an even merrier thing!

Of course any YFB would be incomplete without the most delicious food – and this gala was no exception. Our evening menu included deco-era chafing dishes overflowing with Swedish meatballs and mini Beef Wellingtons, quiche Loraine offered on elevated platters – Martini glasses rimmed with shrimp, and chicken and wild mushroom pot pies all took the chill out of the raging storm outside. Dessert included opera cakes, coffee cream puffs, mini chocolate ice cream sandwiches. And Free flowing Pol Roger champagne inspired most of us to head to the Frick Music Room to dance the night away.

As you can see I decided to put a pretty serious twist on the old hum-drum black tie in honor of this really special event – a decision that garnered more than a little attention. As you probably know by now I do put a lot of consideration into my wardrobe selection, so I must admit I was quite pleased when a lovely young woman there bestowed upon me the honorary title of “The Belle of the Ball!”

I’m pictured enjoying this spectacular evening in a woven silk tapestry evening suit, micro pleated cotton tuxedo shirt, black silk cumberbund and black patent leather opera pumps all by Gucci, black silk bow tie by Tom Ford and a set of Art Deco diamond cuff links and studs from my super chic friend and private jeweler Raj Tolaram, my fragrance for the evening is Windsor by Creed.

A couple more images from our lovely evening – Enjoy!

Alexis Light in Vera Wang; photo: Christine Butler

Festivites at The Frick.

Posted in: Gucci, Tom Ford.

Back from the Bahamas!

Mar 6th, 2010
by James Andrew.
22 comments

James Andrew at India Hicks' Cricket Pavilion.

We’re back from the Bahamas and I can’t wait to share all of our adventures, but first I must do a post on The Young Fellows Ball at The Frick which I had intended to do the night before our departure – so we’ll be making a very special post on the ball at The Frick on Monday followed by my beautiful Bahamas holiday posts throughout the week!

In the meantime just a tease…

Having had the great pleasure to spend some time with the divine India Hicks in Harbour Island, I’m pictured here on the porch of her absolutely perfect Cricket Pavilion where we spent several spectacular days.

I’m wearing a smashing straw hat with black gross grain ribbon trim which I absolutely had to have from India Hicks’ super chic boutique,The Sugar Mill, palest pink cotton safari style shirt by Gucci, shocking pink cotton jean cut pants by Dior, silver chain link belt by Gucci, black leather sandal/espadrille by Christian Louboutin and my fragrance is Creed Royal Water.

Posted in: Bahamas, Christian Louboutin, Dior, Gucci.

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