Serving platters: Tray me away
How the traditional serving platter has transformed into an expression of personal style.
Maira Pagganwala Each tray costs Rs3,500 and are available at Karachi Tee Party exhibitions. PHOTOS: ARIF SOOMRO AND MANAHYL KHAN
With its hair coiffed neatly in a bun and a sparkly diamond tiara perched on its head, a black cat is plopped at the center of a matte, gold spray-painted rectangular tray. Strands of hair fall neatly on her forehead and her whiskers curl outward. She sits gracefully, in a black dress and a pearl and diamond necklace around her furry neck. For a market that does not see much innovation, such designs for a tea tray are a breath of fresh air.
As style dictates, concepts change over the years, infusing new into the old. Trays too, have gone through similar innovation and the ordinary platter essential for everyday use has transformed into extraordinary pieces of art, to express personal style.
“I feel that the style of trays has evolved as people are more willing to express themselves through design,” says Maira Chinoy of Maira Chinoy designs. “Everyone is looking for something unique — colours, images, and patterns allow for this expression.” Handmade wooden trays are Chinoy’s specialty, each distinct in design and limited in stock. A French technique known as decoupage is used for the tray’s paint and finish, which Chinoy learnt while completing her Masters degree in interior design from Florence, Italy. To make her trays look like paintings brought to life, Chinoy is strict about the quality and imports her raw materials from Italy and Canada. From stacking cosmetics and jewelry to organising letters or simply being used to serve drinks and food, the trays are multi-purpose.
An Andy Warhol-inspired design philosophy reflects in the work of both Chinoy and Maira Pagganwala , the designer behind the neon trays sold under the Karachi Tee Party label. Pagganwala, who has previously designed t-shirts, recently introduced her eccentric line of trays, “I’m always on the lookout for funky home accessories and I love things that pop,” she says. “Unfortunately, there aren’t many options available in Karachi so I decided to experiment and make some trays. I took some of my favorite images and had them painted on bright backgrounds.”
Salina Taqi is a client and fan of both designers’ creations. “I like the subtle elegance in Maira Chinoy’s trays and the added in Maira Pagganwala’s trays,” she says. She uses her funky Karachi Tee Party tray as a decorative piece in her drawing room and uses Chinoy’s tray to stack cosmetics in her dressing room.
The contemporary twist to the traditional tray designs is not just limited to these two but can be seen all across the market. Zeenat Ahmed, the owner of Taneez, one of the largest repository of silver-plated home accessories in Pakistan uses metal, a traditional medium for her trays but adds her own touch to it. Ahmed’s trays are also one of a kind, some molded in the shapes of apples and butterflies.
“We use an age-old process known as naqsheen, [in which] each piece is handmade with engraving and cutwork,” she says. The intricately designed trays are also adorned with semi-precious stones like agate, lapis lazuli, turquoise and marble, making them more suitable as decoration pieces and presents. “Our trays serve as popular gifts for ambassadors and heads of states,” claims Zeenat. “[But] they can also be used as cake trays or platters at weddings.”
From bright neon to hues of gold and white, these limited collection trays come with everything from lips and moustaches to more subtle designs like butterflies and flowers. So be a little experimental this season and serve your goodies with a tinge of your personal flavour.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, November 3rd, 2013.a
As style dictates, concepts change over the years, infusing new into the old. Trays too, have gone through similar innovation and the ordinary platter essential for everyday use has transformed into extraordinary pieces of art, to express personal style.
Maira Chinoy Orders can be placed through Maira Chinoy’s official Facebook page. PHOTOS: MAIRA CHINOY
“I feel that the style of trays has evolved as people are more willing to express themselves through design,” says Maira Chinoy of Maira Chinoy designs. “Everyone is looking for something unique — colours, images, and patterns allow for this expression.” Handmade wooden trays are Chinoy’s specialty, each distinct in design and limited in stock. A French technique known as decoupage is used for the tray’s paint and finish, which Chinoy learnt while completing her Masters degree in interior design from Florence, Italy. To make her trays look like paintings brought to life, Chinoy is strict about the quality and imports her raw materials from Italy and Canada. From stacking cosmetics and jewelry to organising letters or simply being used to serve drinks and food, the trays are multi-purpose.
An Andy Warhol-inspired design philosophy reflects in the work of both Chinoy and Maira Pagganwala , the designer behind the neon trays sold under the Karachi Tee Party label. Pagganwala, who has previously designed t-shirts, recently introduced her eccentric line of trays, “I’m always on the lookout for funky home accessories and I love things that pop,” she says. “Unfortunately, there aren’t many options available in Karachi so I decided to experiment and make some trays. I took some of my favorite images and had them painted on bright backgrounds.”
Salina Taqi is a client and fan of both designers’ creations. “I like the subtle elegance in Maira Chinoy’s trays and the added in Maira Pagganwala’s trays,” she says. She uses her funky Karachi Tee Party tray as a decorative piece in her drawing room and uses Chinoy’s tray to stack cosmetics in her dressing room.
The contemporary twist to the traditional tray designs is not just limited to these two but can be seen all across the market. Zeenat Ahmed, the owner of Taneez, one of the largest repository of silver-plated home accessories in Pakistan uses metal, a traditional medium for her trays but adds her own touch to it. Ahmed’s trays are also one of a kind, some molded in the shapes of apples and butterflies.
Taneez Available in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Toronto. PHOTOS: TANEEZ
“We use an age-old process known as naqsheen, [in which] each piece is handmade with engraving and cutwork,” she says. The intricately designed trays are also adorned with semi-precious stones like agate, lapis lazuli, turquoise and marble, making them more suitable as decoration pieces and presents. “Our trays serve as popular gifts for ambassadors and heads of states,” claims Zeenat. “[But] they can also be used as cake trays or platters at weddings.”
From bright neon to hues of gold and white, these limited collection trays come with everything from lips and moustaches to more subtle designs like butterflies and flowers. So be a little experimental this season and serve your goodies with a tinge of your personal flavour.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, November 3rd, 2013.a