LEGACY STYLE: INDIA HICKS

perched on a low window at America Farm —the author India Hicks

India Hicks, granddaughter to Edwina Mountbatten, daughter to Pamela Hicks, and now mother to daughter Domino (and four boys), is the epitome of what a woman of Legacy Style is in today's modern world. From my own book—Legacy Style refers to women that have inherited pieces they use in decorating their houses. To quote Nancy Lancaster as I do in the book---" I can't bear anything that looks decorated."
India Hicks would agree.

Her second solo book—India Hicks A Slice of England, centers on her house in the English countryside called America Farm. She and her husband David planned a house that appears at once both old and new.
The real beauty of the house can be found her approach to designing the house. She writes in the introduction:

"THE PAST IS ALWAYS THE PLACE TO START FOR INSPIRATION."

Her past, house-wise includes three family homes, Broadlands, Britwell, and the Grove. As the daughter of David & Pamela Hicks, she has inherited great taste, good bones and some grand furniture. All the attributes make the book, with its unique approach, a great read—stories from her childhood and her mother's who India dedicates the book to—

Beautifully photographed by the soulful photographer, Miguel Flores Vianna, India Hicks A Slice of England looks at the beauty of traditional design, inheriting it, and interpreting it for a modern family. There's little doubt the book will lead some young women—and men back to treasured family heirlooms—ones they may have rejected before opening A Slice of England.

HICKS CABINETS OF CURIOSITIES

At The Grove, where the Hicks family moved when India was 12, father David Hicks designed cabinets to hold the family "curiosities." The Grove is still home to Pamela Hicks and houses the Rex Whistler scenic panels painted for Edwina Mountbatten's boudoir. The panels were moved a number of times, first when the war started to Broadlands, then to Britwell, and now they hang in The Grove dining room.

INDIA'S AMERICA FARM IN ENGLAND

SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE

The Family outside front and center of America Farm

Beautiful floors, pristine walls, and spectacular chairs inherited from her mother exhibit the Hicks Style that India and her brother Ashley have inherited. The chairs are covered in a David Hick fabric. Beyond, a pair of grand Georgian consoles and mirrors, (once belonging to her parents) with one of the consoles holding colorful swimming caps belonging to India's mother Pamela.

Daughter Domino sleeps in a bed that was her grandmother's made up in her grandfather's floral print. Pamela Hicks's (grandmother to Domino) bridesmaids dress from the wedding of Queen Elizabeth to Philip, and at left, India's dress worn in Princess Diana's wedding.

While The Grove lies a comfortable distance from America Farm, it's easy to imagine an unbreakable link to the generations of women India Hicks' daughter Domino will come to revere. Whether she takes her cues from the traditional or the modern, it will be her own unique brand of the Hicks Style,

 A Slice of England is part love letter to India Hicks' mother and her grandmother, and most certainly to Domino. Part 1 of the book is aptly titled 'Legacy', and India Hicks is carrying that on— and passing it on.

The Grove

the book is available here, and at Rizzoli here.

Everything you wanted to know about—David Hicks

David Hicks left the very best of legacies—two of his children are carving out their creative lanes individually and together by presenting their colorful father's copious scrapbooks in a new book—DAVID HICKS SCRAPBOOKS.

More than any biography, these scrapbooks give Hicks devotees an inside look at what made the man tick—and keep on ticking. India Hicks and Ashley Hicks are both powerhouses, expanding the boundaries of their father's design lexicon in their own endeavors.

the Hicks alphabet above, below the family's luggage tags

HICKS—AT WORK

AT PLAY

If you are a fan–and HICKS is one of these "modernists" that has endured, and will continue to do so. It's his ability to mingle the old, the antique, the ancient with color, geometry, masculinity (& without a hunt scene in sight) that has made his work Endure.

The book is a Chronology in HICKSIAN BEAUTY & STYLE in 1 weighty tome.

just sayin

it's the chicken or the egg thing.

Wolford stockings at net a porter, interior design by David Hicks

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Favorite posts of 2010 Part i What is James Wearing?

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I follow this blog. What is James Wearing? Since I am always discussing interior design and fashion and all that links them- it should be no surprise.

This is a photograph of JA in the David Hicks boutique- France & It has to be the best photograph of the year on all the blogs I peruse.
Great- No?

 "imagination = reality – well here we are."

 James Andrew

oh! & he has paper dolls too, and you know how I love paper dolls!  here & here

WIJW? here  &  this post linked throughout, & here
David Hicks here

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Keep Calm & Carry On

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the inspiring calm of a David Hicks room

Some people- some rooms- Exude a spirit of CALM. Nobody does it better than the Brits. Whether it be their glossies, their artful dodger or tweedy fashion sense or their approach to comfortable, yet luxurious living- the Empire can turn out- COOL, CALM, LOW KEY STYLE with aplomb.

This now "everywhere" image has its roots in the Second World War-Britain. When in spring of 1939 war with Germany was all but declared- the British Government planned its strategy to maintain morale, inspire courage and provide reassurance to its people.

fashion Empire style

The KEEP CALM story begins with three posters created under the crown of King George V during WWII.The first two were widely released, appearing on billboards, train stations and shops in England.Production commenced in August 1939, with a print budget of £20,600 for five million posters. The first poster phrased by a civil servant named Waterfield- was simply the following-the crown of George VI, the bold red and white poster & the words‘Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring us Victory’. The second poster read ‘Freedom is in Peril’.

an original

the cool Vivien Leigh,1936

photograph by Madame Yevonde

The third design, read ‘Keep Calm and Carry On'- reserved for the ultimate crisis feared- Invasion. The poster remained uncirculated-

image from here 

The poster  resurfaced after about 60 years later in a box of books purchased at auction in 2000 by Stuart and Mary Manley of Barter Books in Northumberland.

The KEEP CALM poster was hung in the shop and the pair started to research their find. Requests to purchase led to the reproduction of the poster and the rest in HISTORY- as they say.

 A message that continues to resonate. Perhaps-we take ourselves a little to seriously, when reflecting on the original creation of the mantra. The clean crisp look of the words with the iconic image of the crown designwise could not be more current. In a time when making the message clear was ALL- it is a refreshing, nostalgic- but ultimately a powerful presentation our world today.

Think about this simple,powerful design when the blowouts and blow-ups of the Holiday Season blow in. Repeat-
Keep Calm & Carry ON. & Again- if necessary.

 cuff links with a white shirt

a rubber stamp would be great

oh wait-
they have that too, 
available here.

Perhaps an addition to my design proposals.

David Hicks lit a polonaise 

CARRYing ON

& in today's modern world-the ultimate Cool approach by Brit0Anya Hindmarch, handbag design darling, posing in her Living Room,as seen in VANITY FAIR 2009 here

 inspired-

image from here

all fashion images from Style.com here, Vivenne Westwood Red Label, Graeme Black, Aquascutum, Ossie Clark.

all things are available at the KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON website here 
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