Printed Silk Scarves
Four designers’ artful take on the summer accessory
Drawing inspiration from photography and architecture, these four designers have adopted unique methods of applying their art to lightweight silk scarves, creating uniquely detailed accessories perfect for sweltering days that give way to chilly nights.
Sabina Les
This New York City-based designer creates scarves with original textile patterns, animal prints and strong geometric figures, guided by the belief that individuals can be both soft and strong. Her Downtown Circle scarf is covered in shapes representing the architectural forms of downtown Manhattan with a playful feel. The Profiles Galore scarf places a more modern take on the classic baroque style with a black and yellow print bordered by a bold gold frame. Les’ USA-made collections are available for purchase online for $175 apiece.
Gemma Land
Also inspired by architecture, independent fashion accessory and print artist Gemma Land’s Strawberry Hill collection of scarves was borne from photographs she took of Horace Walpole’s house as it was undergoing restoration in South London. “The house has a deep history with gothic style and literature and I wanted the work to reflect this, creating a sense of the romantic and gothic, playing the structures to create hallucinogenic and impossible symmetrical patterns,” she says. Land’s range can be felt in her upcoming collection, which depicts the city’s modernist housing developments and will be available soon as a limited edition. The current collection is available at Avenue 32 for $353.
Ilana Kohn
Designer Ilana Kohn’s Brooklyn-made line of clothing, textiles and accessories sprang from a desire for classic and easy-to-wear clothing. In addition to starting her line this year, she is teaching an intensive marbling course at the Textile Arts Center in New York, sharing with aspiring crafty types the innovative by-hand technique she uses on her designs. Her collection is available online for $120-$160.
Simo Neri
Italian designer Simo Neri digitally prints her designs directly on silk crepe. The silk is treated to allow inks to penetrate the fabric, but her art can be printed on an array of materials. Initially stiff due to the printing process, the scarves soften over time with use. Neri experiments with fabrics and techniques but her favorite product continues to be the wrap-around silk scarves, which are printed in limited edition in Lyon, France. Each scarf is signed by Simo and come with an ID card. Scarves from the “Wearing cities”, “Between the lines” and “Natural rhythms” collections are available for purchase online for $180.
