I, without a shadow of a doubt, live for those full-circle moments. Precious conversations which linger long in the back of my mind, or fleeting moments spent gazing at ecru’s handcrafted heirlooms at Dar Al Funoon for the brand’s first-ever Pop Up ten years ago. It truly felt like it was only yesterday when I first spoke with Nur Kaoukji about ecru, a Kuwait and Jaipur-based lifestyle brand that prides itself on the art of the handmade.
ecru visually illustrates tales of growing up in Kuwait. A collective experience of hospitality. How the smell of Turkish coffee brewing marked the arrival of guests, and the clattering sound of pretty gahwa cups being readied on gorgeous trays set the tone for scintillating conversations with loved ones.
Inspired by the ethos and culture of Arab hospitality, ecru’s founders Nur Kaoukji, Noor Al Sabah, and Hussah Al Tamimi believe that beautiful objects can elevate our daily rituals, especially when prepared by the caring hands of knowing, respected artisans from around the world. It is this deeply entrenched ethos that has launched ecru from Kuwait to the world, and it’s been a riveting journey since day one. Each and every collection from ecru narrates a personal tale from the lives of its founders, and in celebrating this ten-year milestone, a pop-up in true ecru fanfare was in order.
Held at Sadu House’s immaculate grounds, the setting was absolutely perfect for ecru’s Retrospect Pop-Up, as the space pays a lasting homage to Kuwait’s true artisans. Along with the knowing eyes of Art Director and Visual Artist Deborah DiFiore, Retrospect arrived as an awe-inspiring curation. With recent pandemic-related interruptions (I’ve been really good at selectively blocking this out), I realized that it’s been a long while since I’ve set eyes on ecru’s gorgeous homewares, and more importantly, I was overjoyed just being surrounded by the founders’ collective energies. Noor was overjoyed, stating how it’s been five years since the last ecru Pop-Up, “It’s been actually quite an honor to do a pop up after five years, to connect with our clients after being behind a screen for so long. For us, reaching out personally is at the heart of what we do, it’s hospitality. And hospitality means getting to know somebody personally, and so being around our client base has been wonderful.”
The atmosphere was joyous, the displays divine, and the sheer sense of happiness could be felt the moment you set foot inside the Pop-Up’s space.
A dazzling exhibition of ten key pieces from the past ten years surrounded the entire space, from the iconic Palm Cloche, and Star Coupes from ecru’s glassware to the unforgettable hand-made Brass Candlesticks, a firm favorite of mine since they first launched. Noor counts the Multicolored glasses in fanciful brights with palm etching as her favorite. She explained, “I think a lot of homeware has become very serious. So I think bringing in a little bit of fun with the different colors invites us to be more playful in our homes. I think it’s quite fun. So that would be my favorite for sure. It was even a fun process creating them, from choosing the colors and working with the artisans to getting the perfect tones. It was a fun process for us.”
Gorgeous block-printed placemats, table cloths, and napkins showcased ecru’s appreciation for natural textiles, and heirlooms crafted out of wood, marble, and alabaster delighted the eye. A small saunter around leads you into a smaller space, where an ode to ecru’s telling eye for fashion was in full swing. Stunning block-printed dresses feature in a vibrant display of colors, shedding light on the brand’s deeply entrenched passion for the handmade.
I will never forget how Nur first described “ecru” to me, linen in its purest and initial form. It served as the base of all of its designs and continues to inspire its ever-growing following today. Growing communities beyond the region is important to the founders, as Noor’s dream is to “create our worlds with Pop-Ups around the world. And if we could do that, and share this experience elsewhere, the same way that it’s given us a community in Kuwait, that would be our greatest dream.” Here’s to the next ten years, ecru.
Check out @ecruonline for the brand’s latest and shop online at ecruonline.com. Photos by Nasser Jamal Nasser.
