A little meadow on the way to uni
On my way to uni every morning I'd pass a small patch of land. Most people probably wouldn't even notice it, but on my short 15-minute drive I thought it was the most beautiful thing. This unassuming patch of grass, wedged between a flyover exit and a merging road, was filled with vibrant wildflowers. In the mornings they would sparkle with dew as the sunlight peeked over the trees. It was love at first sight, and I looked forward to seeing my "little meadow" every day.
I recently revisited my uni, and on the drive there I was so sad to find that my little meadow had been cleared. Now it really was just a boring patch of grass!
How LE Bohemian began
There's something about the untamed beauty of wildflowers. You imagine running through colourful meadows and gathering rustic bouquets. The flowers themselves might not be spectacular, nothing like the drama of peonies or luscious roses, but together they bring beauty into the most unexpected places. I wanted to capture that carefree beauty, and that is how LE Bohemian began.
I couldn't quite define why I was so drawn to vibrant wildflowers. The unconventional grace of the little meadow kept playing on my mind. From that moment, I knew it was not just a patch of grass I happened to pass by. It inspired me to start exploring the beauty of untamed flowers.
Design has always been one of my first loves: seeing an idea take shape, from a rough sketch, through the whole design process, to something real you can hold. There's nothing quite like it! And when the people around you love the design as much as you do, all the hard work feels worth it.
Winter in Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden
I visited Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden in the cold of winter. It began as a classical garden in the 15th century, and some of its trees are more than 400 years old.
There's something different about seeing trees and flowers in winter. It was very cold and the blooms were few, but it was utterly peaceful. The whole place was in cool tones, the plants showing very little colour, yet just as beautiful.
Those became the elements of the next design: cool colours and minimal, elegant wildflowers.
A borderless reprint
By popular request, we made a limited reprint of the four best-selling LE Bohemian colours, this time borderless. Coming back to these designs after a few months, I fell in love all over again and remembered the journey that inspired the series. Suddenly the story didn't feel finished. There was still something I wanted to share with everyone.
A winter trip to Turkey
On a spur-of-the-moment decision, Bak and I booked a New Year holiday to Turkey, a place that had been on our bucket list for the longest time.
I was a bit sceptical about travelling in the middle of winter, but when we arrived everything was breathtaking. It was a humbling reminder that although winter is often cold and grey, if you look hard enough it has its own kind of beauty, severe and calm at the same time.
This is exactly the kind of unexpected beauty that inspired LE Bohemian, and the perfect setting for the second chapter of the story.
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a treasure trove of wonders, and the landscape itself is almost unreal! Getting lost in the little alleys between the hills in the middle of winter was only a little bit scary, hehe! This is the first new colour of LE Bohemian 2.0, something very subtle that reminds me of the stark beauty of winter.
My first stop was the Göreme Open Air Museum. It holds some of the finest rock-cut churches, with frescoes (wall paintings) whose colours still look fresh. Our guide told us that most of the caves in Cappadocia were homes and churches built by early Christians fleeing the Roman Empire.
We visited a traditional craft centre, and it was amazing to see the detail and effort that go into these heirloom pieces. It's this kind of dedication and detail I hope to bring to every TudungPeople design, insyaAllah!
Looking out from one of the many viewpoints around Göreme, it's mind-blowing to imagine how people once lived in this incredible place. If you ever get the chance to come here, please do. You won't regret it!
Istanbul
Our last stop was beautiful, bustling Istanbul, a city straddling two continents and full of history. Everything is so rich here. Your senses come alive with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes on every corner.
First up was the magnificent Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus. Even the palace grounds outside are calm and beautiful.
Walking along the wide boulevards, I imagined the sultans and their entourage arriving after a long journey and being welcomed home to such grandeur. Truly a sign of the greatness of the Ottoman Empire.
I kept stopping to ooh and aah at everything, including this intricate gate. Perfect OOTD spot!
The Grand Bazaar had so much to see, taste and try, and we almost got lost in the tiny alleyways! It was so crowded that a clean shot was basically impossible.
Everywhere you go in Istanbul there are little carts full of simit, a bread ring somewhere between a pretzel and a bagel. I had to try one, especially after walking around all day (in heels!). Traditional Turkish street food, check!
Passing through the entrance archway, with arched corridors on every side, felt like walking through history, especially with the walkways lined with information about Islam around the world. Even when the mosque is full of people, its architecture never fails to impress. Istanbul's skyline is known for its domes, but none draws the eye quite like this one.
There was no better place to end the journey. Travelling through the historic sites of the Ottoman Empire and the raw beauty of Cappadocia was eye-opening. It's amazing how one country holds such different kinds of beauty in every corner, MasyaAllah!
From a little meadow by a flyover to the domes of Istanbul, LE Bohemian has always been about finding beauty in the unexpected. I hope you enjoyed the journey with me.
