It is an interesting tale of two design aficionados from Uttarakhand, who grew up in Nainital as school pals, travelled to distant Gujarat to study art and design, and then found themselves falling in love and pledging a life together. The one thing binding them forever being art and its various forms of expression.
Digvijay Singh, whose mother hailed from the princely state of Awagarh, and whose father belonged to a landed farming family from Kiccha, Uttar Pradesh, is a fine artist, chef, designer and hotelier. His wife, the petite and pretty Nidhi Sah, from a hotelier background, is a book designer who has worked with both Indian and globally acclaimed publishers. A graphic design graduate from NID, Nidhi and Digvijay, while pursuing their own paths in life, come together to create a unique brand—BBG Royals that, with its own sense of vintage iconography is emerging as the quaintest of regal stories. Its very design journey adds to its uniqueness.
Digvijay, a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Baroda and a Postgraduate in Textile Design from NID, sketches beautiful art on textiles which Nidhi translates into vivid digital prints on stunning chiffon saris, statuesque scarves, sharp cravats and regal pocket squares. Beading, crystal work and em- broidery emerging more as detailing than the real story. “It is a bit of our life thrown in… the trophies that graced our mother’s home in Awagarh, the picturesque nature both of us grew up in and a palette that is pastel and bold,” shares Nidhi. A BBG royal is sure to be found in every royal’s wardrobe, given the generous use of wild life, flora and fauna as well as architectural motifs as its main design bastion. It brings back the visual appeal of Manchester florals with a twist.
A book designer, Nidhi shares that while many of her books have won awards and critical acclaim, the mother in her is most excited about their son, Divymaan, who works under the pseudonym ‘The Art Baba’, being selected as one of the 34 winners of the global illustration competition by J.K. Rowling for her next book Ickabog. She smiles and says, “Over 18,000 children sent in their entries and Divymaan was the only Indian child to be selected. He will not just win a money prize but also receive a signed copy with his illustration from the author herself.”
Digvijay, meanwhile, also holds forth with his men’s wear label under his own signature. A Lakme Gen
Next Designer in 2007 and a finalist for the young entrepreneur of the year by the British Council and Elle magazine, he was nominated for the best costume designer for the movie (Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster) at the Producer’s Guild Apsara Awards. He dresses various A-list, Bollywood celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Jimmy Shergill, etc. Pat in the midst of a pandemic, we meet the duo at their ethereal hotel/homestay The Nest Cottages in Pangot, a bird sanctuary and a nature enriched reserve that is perched at the end of Nainital with only large stretches of pine forests flanking it. Their retreat, a motley set of stunning cottages run by their dynamic father faces green mountains full of rare birds.
What started as a holiday home is now run as a retreat by their father who came to Nainital in the 1950s, wooed his wife, the Princess of Awagarh, and continued to live in this picturesque lake town. And in the Singh kitchen what cooks is the finest spread of ‘Kumaoni khana’. This writer was treated to a princely fare starting with Gabba (made with locally grown leaves jarak, uggal that are skilfully wrapped and then fried crisp) and Badeel (savoury cutlets made with lentils) and the main course started with Thatwani (a local lentil preparation that almost felt like a soup), Aloo Gutka (dry potatoes sauteed in mustard oil and coriander seeds), Shikaar Bhaat (mutton curry served with rice), Baant (pahadi kadi), Kakdi ka Raita (a cucumber and curd preparation tempered in mustard seeds) and Bhangey ki chutney.
Digvijay shares, “The hill people of Kumaon have trained themselves to eat the herbs, leaves and flow- ers that easily grow around them.” And bhangey ki chutney is a concoction made from the cannabis leaves and grows feely in the hills!
Indeed a stupendous chef, he started a conceptual movement called Dilda White—a culmination of art and design. “The movement explores and questions boundaries with art, fashion and food performances, art experimentation camps (Dilda white and the Water Mountain), textile sculptures, wearable art and theatrical performances.” And as Dilda White, Digvijay emerges before a table of guests, his face covered in a mask. He invites the guests to discover his cuisine through its aromas and also spend time dabbling in the local art tradition of rangoli painting or the tribal frescoes that define every door of a Kumaon home. Like they say for some art is a profession, for this family it’s a way of life.