author: daughter

Today’s roundup is inspired by a Hungarian designer I discovered a few years back at an auction in Budapest. VYF scarves, made in Budapest, have a whimsical appeal and have become one of my go-to gifts over the years. Their quirky prints are eye-catching any way you look at them. 

This scarf, which I bought for my mother a few years back, is a simple aerial view of what seems to be a retro cafeteria. I love the way VYF melds the old and the new, by printing vibrant colors and surprising scenes on the traditional medium of the silk scarf. 

This scarf, from their Office series, was a gift for my dear friend, Marketa. I was absolutely tickled by the scene of a lady’s bare feet dangling beneath a desk. But again, depending on how you wear it, others may only get a glimpse of an old computer or office phone. Here you can see a tutorial (in Czech) where Marketa shows her followers how to wrap a headscarf using this beautiful work of art.

VYF’s designs have a gentle hilarity and are in fact very good quality. Each piece is a limited edition, handmade silk scarf. I can’t wait to get one for myself! I’ve got my eyes set on the beautiful blues and earthy tones of The City (pictured left).

Learn more about VYF and their process for creating these unique scarves in our first ever studio tour.

VYF studio tour

If you like these scarves and want to find more imaginative, silky beauties from around Europe, look no further. Here are our top 10.  

the edit

Maddy Madison

Maddy Madison is a storyteller, an activist and an artist. Her medium is the bandana. What better way to raise awareness for gender equality than through a simple fashion accessory? A percentage of proceeds from her silk paisley “I Love My Mum” scarf benefits South Hall Black Sisters in London, a women’s advocacy group.

Made in: London
Buy: here
Follow: @maddymcglennon

Marram

Julie and Rebecca, a mother/daughter duo with a background in art textiles, opened Marram out of their home workshops in 2016. Using new and vintage textiles from naturally derived fibers, and dyes made from foraged plants, every creation at Marram is handcrafted from start to finish. Their studios, by the ocean in Hossegor SW and in the countryside of the Charente, provide plenty of inspiration!

Made in: Charente, France
Buy: here 
Follow: @marramdesigns

Layla Luce

Layla Murga draws on her Italian roots as inspiration for her textile designs. “The harmonious Italian aesthetic with its bold use of colour continues to capture my attention,” she writes. She calls London home, and her hand-painted creations are sold in her Layla Luce shop on Etsy.

Made in: London
Buy: here
Follow: @layla_luce_

Jokamin Art & Design

“My work is quirky, thought-provoking and sometimes nostalgic, with roots in the graphic art and animation tradition of Poland. It makes people laugh, reflect and connect with their own inner world,” writes Joanna Kaminska, the artist/owner of Jokamin art & design. This magical scarf from her Sleeping Beauty collection illustrates her sentiment perfectly.

Made in: Designed in Ireland, Made in Italy
Buy: here
Follow: @jokaminart

Tooman for Mantility

Designer Michalis Toumanidis lends his talent to Mantility, an online limited-edition silk scarves gallery. The gallery views their meticulously crafted scarves as “the noble messengers of silk” and canvasses for international artists to narrate their stories. The Aegean scarf, based on a love poem by Odysseas Elytis, has us longing for sun-splashed beaches.

Made in: Greece
Buy: here
Follow: @mantility

Celine Dominiak

Artist and small-business owner, Celine Dominiak, creates scarves “like paintings to wear.”  Hand-drawings become silk landscapes realized from her charming atelier in Paris. Swimming Pool has us longing for warm summer days.

Made in: Designed in France, Printed in Italy
Buy: here
Follow: @celine.dominiak

Anna Schwitzer

This stunner derives from an Anna Schwitzer painting depicting the Aztec rainforest, part of her Explorateur collection. Schwitzer designs in her Prague atelier and sends her work to be sewn in Lyon, France, renown for its silk manufacturing.

Made in: Prague and Lyon
Buy: here
Follow: @annaschwitzer

Le Châle Bleu

French designer Ania Axenova boasts an Etsy shop brimming with 5-star reviews. The Panther and the Magic Stone is my 11-year-old daughter’s favorite. Ania says best of this dreamscape on silk, “Bold and extravagant, this large scarf in deep black silk twill is adorned with two large blue panthers, strolling through an imaginary garden.” C’est magnifique!

Made in: Designed in France, Made in Italy
Buy: here 
Follow: @lechalebleu

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