Caribbean Orange & Green - Mini Square Silk Scarf

Les Belles Vagabondes is the brand of the French designer Françoise, who came to it by way of graphic design and a spell working in Africa before founding the label in September 2018. Every piece starts as a drawing: sketched in pencil, refined in ink, then scanned and separated out colour by colour.

The Caribbean mini scarf is 50 x 50cm of pure silk, printed in orange and green. It can be tied at the neck, wound round a wrist, worn as a headband or through a bun, or knotted onto the handle of a bag.

How the Printing Works

These are screen printed by hand in India rather than digitally. Screen printing needs one frame per colour, each layer laid down over the last to build the finished image, which is why the colours have a depth that digital printing does not reach. The artisans mix from a palette of more than 500 shades, blending powdered dyes with natural gums.

Printing happens on tables between 24 and 36 metres long, enough to lay out as many as 450 mini scarves in a single session. The scarves are then cut by hand and finished with a French-style hand-rolled hem, which is the small curled edge you can feel along each side.

How This Scarf Is Made

The workshop is a member of SEDEX, the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, and is audited under the SMETA framework covering labour rights, health and safety, environmental practice and business ethics. The dyes are AZO-free, containing no heavy metals or hazardous chemicals. Les Belles Vagabondes works only in silk, wool and organic cotton.

How to Care for Your Silk

Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, or dry clean. Silk is weaker wet than dry, so press the water out in a towel rather than wringing it. Dry away from radiators and direct sun, both of which fade dye over time.

Material: 100% silk
Size: 50 x 50cm
Finish: hand-rolled hem
Design: hand-drawn in France
Print: hand screen-printed in India, AZO-free dyes
Packaging: box inspired by vintage matchboxes