Second home
Founder & Creative Director Trudie Cox of Eadie Lifestyle shares her love of India and designing textiles.
Morning
Trudie’s morning starts at 5am, with calls to the team and family back home in Newcastle. If time allows a walk in the beautiful Lodi Park in Delhi, a morning ritual for locals.
Founding Eadie Lifestyle in 2013 all fabrics are a true collaboration with her team in India. Each piece in the collection is hand woven and stitched.
As the Creative Director of Eadie Lifestyle, she’s always been fascinated with India, even as a small child, and recalls looking at pictures in textile books with her Grandmother. “The images of crowds, the movements, energy and rawness captivated me” she says. This enchantment accompanies Trudie on her bi annual trips each year.
To equip Trudie with nourishment for the long day ahead, breakfast is an extensive buffet. A favourite is Idli Sambar, soft fluffy steamed cakes served with a vegetable lentil stew. “The images of crowds, the movements, energy and rawness captivated me.”
Midday
Trudie has opted to work with a small and exclusive team. “I think that is part of our magic formula, we really care about each other and the brand.” She says a significant portion of the manufacturing is carried out by a family business, with Sahil and his sister Merhru working exclusively on the Eadie brand. The team of tailors, pattern markers and dyers are the same dedicated team the brand began working with nearly eight years ago. On trips to India, spends most of her time in this workshop. “They are my family” she says.
A recent trip in May this year centred on creating and finalising the Winter 2023 collection for Home and Lifestyles lines. The team are always working two to three seasons ahead. “I often change things based on something I have seen that inspires me; a colour, a sari, a piece of art.” she says.
Afternoon
Afternoons are spent look at the rolls and rolls of fabric often sitting on the floor, analysing weaves, composition and textures. The team discuss current production runs, approve fabric strike offs, develop new colours with dyers and design finishes to cushions, throws and bedding.
Every fabric is developed exclusively for Eadie Lifestyle by talented textile craftspeople who have honed their skills for decades, often passed down through generations.
Depending on the fabric, design or application, Trudie will work with a handpicked number of manufacturers located in Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur. Visiting each merchant each trip is challenging, traffic often plays havoc with any well laid plans. Despite the long traffic queues, face to face connection is an essential element to the brand’s success.
Evening
After COVID brought a two-and-a-half-year hiatus on traveling to India, Trudie says ‘there is much to do’, including reconnecting and rejuvenation of these relationships. The days are long, often 14-15 hours each day, working seven days a week for the entire trip. While there is a great deal to cover, eating in India is an important daily ritual and provides a moment to pause. “The people of India are so hospitable, it’s an honour to be asked to join them for dinner” she says.
Food is a culinary delight-the spices, colours, cooking methods and the fresh ingredients. Dinner largely consists of rich curries, grilled fish and meat, rice, and beautiful bread. Dinner is a true family affair. She spends time with her team’s growing families, and every so often the neighbours will pop in to say hi, with Australian cricket the most popular topic of conversation.
Read more in our Spring Edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine or subscribe here.
Story by Jo Hartley | Photography by Glenn Gibson
