Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh: a tale of what you need and what you want

Sometimes you put off the things that you might need…the new car, the juicer, the life insurance, the pair of sneakers.

Yes, you postpone the useful things…the microwave oven, the briefcase, the additional hangers, the waterproof boots.

You lay those aside:  the things you might need, the useful things….

And instead you get the thing that you want….

Just for the peace, just for the beauty. 

Just for the few minutes when you forget all that is expected of you and all you must do. 

The outdoor pond at Peacock Pavilions in Marrakech.  Serving no practical purpose….no practical purpose at all……

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PS New stock of the very prettiest Moroccan wedding blankets in Red Thread Souk.  Treat yourself to something you'll enjoy every single day.  (The cushions are so nice, too.)

Project Soar: and a tale of the Montague shirt by Imperial Black

I stumbled onto Imperial Black many months ago. I remember thinking that I liked the brand's cool.  It had a certain mystique.  Imperial Black sells men's shirtsmade in Italy and of the buy-less-but-better genre. The company's owners seemed to fly planes, drive fast cars, and travel to farflung destinations.  They were all too handsome for their own good. You know the type--beautiful manners and a little dangerous.  It was all very enticing.  

The problem was that I couldn't figure out how to buy my husband an Imperial Black shirt.  It seemed, I had to have "a passport" to Imperial Black or be "Blacklisted".  The shirts come out in small batches and then they are gone. I wrote Imperial Black and told them I wanted to crack their secret code because I needed a shirt for my guy.  

That was how it started -- the friendship.

In the months since, I learned that all the things that I thought about Imperial Black were actually true. The shirts were perfectly tailored, right down to the saffron colored stitching and the notched cuffs.  The packaging was an experience unto itself - so gorgeous.  

So I was incredibly flattered when Imperial Black told me that they wanted to name a shirt after me:  the Montague.  I was on a conference call with colleagues in Cairo when the email came in and had to muffle my shriek.  I was sent fabric swatches to pick from and chose a stylish small houndstooth.  

 The blue matches my fella's eyes

But beyond the Imperial Black shirts (and the travel luggage, striped socks, horn toothbrushes and Italian shaving cream) there is something much more.  It's a sort of old school integrity in a modern package. Because in addition to the masculine chic appeal of their goods, this is a company with a big heart.   

Ten percent of proceeds of the Montague shirt go to that charity I love so much - Project Soar. Also benefitting Project Soar is the Peacock Pavilions pocket square, reminiscent of the immense North African night sky above Peacock Pavilions.  That's not just cool, it's stellar.

Husband Chris at Peacock Pavilions in his Montague shirt....

 Pick up your own Montague shirt and Peacock Pavilions pocket square.  Beauty, utility, andgoodness.  It's the right combination, yes? 

Marrakech Morocco: and a tale of a Femina Magazine fashion shoot at Peacock Pavilions

When architect Chris and I were designing and building Peacock Pavilions, we knew that we wanted it to be a place that was very personal and intimate.  We wanted it to feel not like a hotel at all but rather like staying at a {stylish} friend's house in Marrakesh.  The idea was for guests to be surrounded with unusual objects, with one-of-a-kind textiles and of course, with lots of texture and pattern.  Not luxurious in that cold way but rather, charming, special, and "worth it" because of the warm feeling that it gave you. 

In that vein, my hope has always been that Peacock Pavilions would have a legacy.  Project Soar is a part of that, of course, allowing guests to participate and interact with their surroundings in a caring way. But beyond that, I hoped to create a place that would become a part of the memory of its guests and that later on that there would be pictures to look at and to remember. 

It all goes by so fast, doesn't it, this life of ours?  It's nice to have evidence that it is and, later on, that it was. When I see photos that others have taken of Peacock Pavilions, I see it through their eyes and with their perspective and I live it myself, in a new way. 

I thought I'd share a few images from the first photo spread from the Femina fashion shoot at Peacock Pavilions.  We were all so very excited when this beautiful Swedish magazine chose our place for its Spring fashion shoots.

Model Ingrid Wrisley is so sublime and photographer Helene Linsjo captured her so perfectly.  Of course, it helps that the clothes picked out by talented fashion editor Sarah Thornqvist are so cool.  I want them all!

 

PS The beautiful black wedding blanket with its night sky of sequins is for sale here at Red Thread Souk.

Marrakesh, Morocco: and a tale of Project SOAR

I grew up with a father who was one of those secular believers of doing good simply because it was, well, good. That’s all. There were no religious brownie points.  There was no reward in the afterlife or, in fact, in this life either.  As far as my father was concerned, the best kind of doing good was the kind where you did not make a fuss and draw attention to yourself.  Rather, you quietly did what you could to help and were thankful to do so. 

My Dad's a tough act to follow but he's a big part of why I rarely talk about my 20+ year job in humanitarian aid on this blog.

Nonetheless, in the spirt of my last blog post, I did want to share with you something I have been working on with a group of others for the last 18 months.  It's called Project SOAR.  And it's a social experiment and an affair of the heart.  

I could tell you but it's so much easier to show you.

In this busy world of ours, it's hard to find good ways to help others -- ways that are constructive and worth our time.  I truly believe Project Soar is one of those ways.  

I would love your help.  I would love your kind heart.  Please take a minute on the Project Soar website to learn more about what you can do.  You can make a difference.

    Thank you.

    Maryam