Nellie the Elephant

“Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk and said goodbye to the circus off she went with a trumpety-trump.  Trump, trump, trump”.

Remember the song made famous by the Toy Dolls in 1984?  If you do, it probably brings back an array of memories.

There is more to the elephant than Nellie’s song.  Hot off the “trunk” – the Elephant Parade  – a conservation campaign that highlights the catastrophe faced by the endangered Asian elephant. The Elephant Parade (which ended on July 3^rd with an outstanding auction) displayed over 250 “designer” elephants all over central London. Nellie sure would be trumpety-trump with the efforts to save her peers, not only in Asia but across the globe! The elephant is after all the largest of all living land animals – some respect please!

Elephants symbolise grandeur. Buddhists admire them for their patience and wisdom. In China, elephants are respected for their power, strength and energy. They have particular significance in India and not just as a form of transport! Ganesha, the elephant headed God is worshiped by millions and one of the most well-known deities associated with power, strength, success and wisdom.  The elephant is also a popular motif used on Indian wedding invitations and personal stationery as it is thought to induce good fortune. Ever watched Bride and Prejudice with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan? Recall the classic scene of the American groom sweeping his Indian bride off her feet on an elephant? (If you have, you will be smiling about now!) Russell Brand – you were not the first, although you did make the tabloids with your proposal to Katy Perry! So, congratulations!

From L-R: Elephant Parade, Ganesha statue at a wedding photographed by Sanjay D Gohil, ananya wedding stationery and a contemporary Ganesha motif created by ananya, photograph by Elisabeth Toll, Keira Knightley feeding an elephant for a Vogue photoshoot, Hermes campaign using vibrantly decorated elephants

Even Hermes has got in on a piece of Nellie’s action with its 2008 Orange Hermes et Rose Indien ad campaign. Several leading designers, from Prada and Gucci to Ferragamo and Cartier, have used the elephant as inspiration for their work.

We at ananya love Elephants (and Nellie too) and we are currently working on a line of elephant personal stationery as our own special celebration of this glorious animal, which we look forward to sharing with our readers! In fact, we have already used elephants in previous work. For a recent multicultural wedding we used the elephant as a motif which was continued throughout the stationery, from the invitations through to the stationery used on the day. Alongside this, we often use Ganesha on many of our wedding invitations and, of course, for Diwali greeting cards, as a sign of luck and good fortune.

A good cause, a fashion cause and a personal cause – all in a day of Nellie!

Until next time…Namaste and enjoy ananya life!