The Birth of the Sherene Melinda Handprinted Silk Scarf

A Silver Lining in Lockdown  

The COVID pandemic brought challenges, disruptions, and an unfamiliar stillness to all of our lives. For the first time in years, the relentless pace of running a business eased, and I found myself with unexpected downtime. While the world outside felt uncertain, within the quiet of my studio, new creative possibilities began to bloom. I'd always carried the ambition to create a silk scarf collection—something that would combine artistry, craftsmanship, and the tactile allure of luxury materials—but the day-to-day demands of my handbag brand always took priority. As the world pressed pause, I finally had the gift of time to experiment, learn, and dive deep into a project that had lived in my imagination for years. These months became a rare opportunity to reconnect with the pure joy of creation: designing, testing ideas, and letting new visions flow without the pressure of deadlines or demands.

The Art of Colour and Fabric  

Learning to work with silk immersed me in a completely new world. Unlike leather, which I'd come to understand intimately through years of working with handbags, silk posed fresh challenges that demanded a completely different approach. Its delicate texture and tendency to shift under the slightest touch required patience and a meditative mindset I hadn't anticipated. The mastery of dyes and colours became an entire craft in itself—one that consumed my days and ignited my creativity. I became fixated on finding hues that would feel vibrantly alive yet timelessly elegant, laying out dozens of samples across my worktable and studying them beneath different lights throughout the day. Each type of silk—from ethereally light chiffons to sturdy, structured twills—had its own distinct personality, and I meticulously sampled and compared them all until I found the perfect match. My aim was never just beauty for its own sake, but enduring quality: a scarf that felt weighted and luxurious in the hand, rich with saturated colour, impossibly soft against the skin, and beautifully resistant to the tests of time and wear.

From Photograph to Print  

The journey from inspiration to finished product began with an iconic photograph—an image that captured the spirit of individuality and creative expression I wanted these scarves to embody. Hours melted away as I digitized and refined the image in Illustrator, carefully balancing artistic vision with technical precision. Transforming that digital artwork into a physical screen print felt like bringing my vision to life in a new dimension—suddenly tangible, ready to be translated onto fabric. This screen became my canvas, and with each pull of the squeegee, fresh details and subtle tonal shifts revealed themselves. But the real magic happened when I layered in the colours—each splash and stroke added by hand using techniques borrowed from both classic printmaking and the spontaneity of free-spirited painting. This intuitive, hands-on step transformed every scarf into a one-of-a-kind work of art, with unpredictable colour blends and expressive brushstrokes that gave each piece its own character—a perfect embodiment of the collection's unique soul.

Innovation in the Design Studio  

Mastering the dyeing process led to practical challenges I hadn't anticipated. The professional steaming equipment essential for setting dyes into silk simply wasn't available during lockdown—suppliers were closed, shipping was unreliable, and I refused to let the project stall. So I found myself delving into inventive problem-solving, researching alternative methods and experimenting with unconventional solutions. After considerable trial and error (and a few less-than-glamorous prototypes that my family still laugh about), I assembled my own makeshift steamer from household materials. The first time I carefully unwrapped a steamed scarf and watched the colours emerge—permanently fused into the silk's fibres, setting brilliantly and radiantly—was an especially rewarding moment. It felt like pure alchemy. That experience became a reminder of the spirit of resilience and resourcefulness that shaped not just this scarf collection, but the entire evolution of my studio practice and creative philosophy.

The Launch of a Luxurious Collection  

The day the first Sherene Melinda Silk Twill Scarves launched was a true milestone—one I'd worked toward through months of experimentation, setbacks, and small victories. The initial collection featured three carefully selected base colours, each the product of weeks of deliberation, testing, and refinement until they felt exactly right. Every scarf was hand-printed by me in the studio, a process that ensured each piece carried its own individual character and the small, beautiful imperfections that only handcrafting can bestow. Just as with our signature handbags, each scarf possesses a personality of its own, revealed through the interplay of colour, pattern, and subtle texture variations. This unwavering commitment to uniqueness and craftsmanship lies at the very heart of the brand's philosophy—celebrating individuality, creativity, and honouring the human touch behind every product we create.

Elegance and Versatility  

Every scarf in the collection is crafted from 100% silk twill—a fabric I chose specifically for its beautiful drape, sumptuous softness, and the unmatched intensity with which it holds colour. The hand-rolled hems add a luxurious finish that machines simply cannot replicate; it's an artisanal detail that speaks to my deep belief in the power of small, thoughtful touches. At 110 cm square, these scarves offer genuine versatility for modern life: wear them looped classically around the neck for timeless elegance, style them as a bold headscarf for effortless sophistication, tie them onto a favourite handbag as a statement accessory, or drape them over your shoulders as a lightweight wrap. Each piece is designed to be both practical and profoundly elegant—a timeless companion for effortless self-expression that will become a treasured part of your collection for years to come.

If you are interested in this article, then you may be interested to read about how I designed and made the large leather tote bag.

Committed to lifelong learning; Inspiring you to enjoy a vibrant life with freedom of self-expression. 🙂🙃

https://sherenemelinda.co.uk

@sherenemelinda

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