Imagine a funny feathered fellow who used to live happily on the island of Mauritius ..... Discovered by humans in 1598 ..... and because it was a friendly bird and fearless of its human predators (having been isolated by its island location, from contact with humanity) ..... the Dodo greeted the new visitors with a child-like innocence which earned it its name "Dodo" (meaning something similar to a simpleton in the Portuguese tongue) .... and because it could not fly to save its ..... err .... 'donkey' .... It was caught, roasted and massacred for its easy meat by humans and their domesticated entourage of cats, dogs and pigs ..... by 1681, the entire species of bird was wiped out of the planet ! ..... "The extinction of the Dodo within only about a century of its discovery called attention to the previously unrecognised problem of human involvement in the disappearance of entire species .... it has since become a fixture in popular culture, often as a symbol of extinction and obsolescence." - Wikipedia ....... In 1995 Pomellato (Italian jewellery group) decided to create a new jewellery brand called DoDo .... that could satisfy two principal criteria: (1) be more affordable in order to reach out to a younger client base, (2) highlight the importance of sentiments and ecology (hence the name DoDo, an extinct bird of the Mauritius Islands) in a world turning rapidly materialistic ....... Therefore they tied up with WWF (World Wildlife Fund) .... the leading organization in wildlife conservation and endangered species .... DoDo the brand supports and contributes to WWF by the sale of the cutest animal charms and pendants we have ever seen ..... no wonder fashionistas and the stylish set like to be seen in DoDo jewellery .... in memory of a bird that stands for the need to maintain eco-diversity on the planet and protect it for our future generations !!!!




"But, as happens in only the very best of stories, after many, many years, Dodo has come back to life and now he lives all over the world because he has become a symbol of nature that needs protection and of Pomellato’s sweetest collection of jewellery. The Dodo pendants are a happy company of animals who speak the language of feelings and emotions. Each Dodo reveals a little bit of who we are and what we want to say. It is a gift that can speak for us if we are a little shy. To give as a gift, or to collect, because Dodo doesn’t like being alone and is always on the lookout for new friends."
Imagine .... Instead of an Archies card .... Or an e-card if you are a miser or a tree hugging activist (lol we sometimes wonder about who decides the priority for using paper ??? .... who decides that newspapers are fine but toilet paper for wiping your 'donkey' is not fine??) ..... Pardon the diversion .... But Imagine gifting a gram of gold to indicate your feelings or even buying yourself something nice and sparkly to celebrate .... which is not your average jewellery .... The Dodo charms and pendants carry a message .... each animal in the collection says something .... "a message of love, friendship or play between giver and receiver in a game that has captured the imagination of both sexes and different age groups" ... see the collection below :)

Monkey : " You are fun to hang out with" ....... Panther : "Born to Run" meaning proud of you ...... Horse : " Lets run away together" ....... Lion : " Courage"


Another charm bracelet in 18 carat gold ...... the Charms / Pendants start from rupees 10,000 onwards ..... approx 160 USD ..... Dodo in India is retailed currently only in Mumbai's first concept store " Le Mill" ...... We were visiting the Design One Spring Summer 2013 exhibition by the Sahachari Foundation at The Lodhi, Delhi .... when we came across the Bollywood Diva and superstar Sridevi in front of the Dodo showcase .... Isn't she looking gorgeous ?


The Dodo showcase behind the actress on the pic above, bottom right and below .... The Italians call it "Dodomania" .... and its apt .... Because once you start your collection, its so addictive that you can't stop till you have your own little zoo .... And of course spending on jewellery that supports a cause like WWF is good for the soul and provides adequate reason to buy ourselves or make someone buy us these "talking totems" :D (as if we needed a reason when Dodo is cuteness personified :p)

The Dodo collection from Pomellato among other brands like 2013 Pre-Spring and Spring Summer collections from Proenza Schouler, Isabel Marant, Mary Katrantzou, Alexander Wang, Peter Pilotto etc will be on sale at Le Mill, Mumbai's two day Pop-up Store at The Lodhi, New Delhi ..... from today, the 1st of March till 2nd March 2013 ..... If you would like to bring your first Dodo home ... you know where to go now :) ......

Hope you enjoyed the post, we are leaving you with a Mughal miniature painting rediscovered in St. Petersburg, Russia in the 1950's ... that shows a Dodo alongwith native Indian birds .... which probably belonged to the royal zoo of Emperor Jahangir ..... really sad isn't it ? ..... that a creature that once lived perished due to the short sightedness of human beings !!


"The Dodo used to walk around, And take the sun and air. The sun yet warms his native ground – The Dodo is not there! The voice which used to squawk and squeak Is now for ever dumb – Yet may you see his bones and beak, All in the Mu-se-um ......... Hilaire Belloc, "Bad Child's Book of Beasts" , 1896.

DS