Custom silk scarves make some of the most personal recognition gifts an institution can give. Silk carries color and fine detail beautifully, it folds into a handbag or a coat pocket, and it is worn where other people can see it. A well-designed scarf gives a donor, an alumna or a trustee a piece of the institution to wear for years. Getting there takes a series of decisions, and this guide walks through them in the order we make them with our clients.
Start with the story, then find the motif
Every scarf we make begins with a conversation with Emma, our designer and co-founder, about your needs, your constraints and what makes your institution special. Bring your visual branding assets, and bring the stories too. The strongest silk designs often come from somewhere other than the logo. Our motifs have come from:
- Architecture. The angled windows of The New School's Manhattan building, the columns of Emory's Goizueta Business School, and the vaulted arches of Russell Hall at Teachers College, Columbia University.
- Collections. A Babylonian lion mosaic, from a photograph supplied by the archivist at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, and the Carboniferous Forest artwork of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
- Art. A graduate's painting for the Stamps School at the University of Michigan, finished with the artist's signature and the school logo.
- Words. The final remarks of a retiring dean at Purdue, set over the College of Engineering logo with her signature.
- Symbols. The Smithsonian sunburst, the heraldic coat of arms of Kent School, and the seal of Northwestern University.
Emma then presents hand-drawn sketches of the design and its pattern repeat. Her style is subtle and less-is-more, so the symbolism reads quietly and rewards a closer look.
Choose square or rectangle
Our silk scarves come in square and rectangular sizes, and the shape should follow the design. A square frames a single motif or a design built around a center. For the Stamps School, we cropped the graduate's painting to a square with care, then added a narrow plain border. The 35-inch Kent School scarf places the School's coat of arms, supersized, inside a deep navy blue border.
A rectangle carries text, borders and long repeats. Purdue's long text runs across a rectangular scarf. Northwestern's seal sits enlarged on a long rectangular scarf, with the name of the Alumni Association board inside the border. Emory's rectangular scarf turns the columns of the business school into a fringe print at either end. Think about how the scarf will be worn, too. A square is often folded and knotted, so the corners and the center do the work. A rectangle drapes, so the ends are what people see.
Choose the cloth
The cloth changes how a design reads. We work in 3 silk techniques.
- Printed silk twill. Our signature bespoke silk scarf is printed on lustrous silk twill. Printing holds fine detail and rich color, so it suits a painting, a mosaic or a full coat of arms. From $65.
- Devoré. A burnout devoré weave reveals the pattern in the cloth itself, soft against the light. It is a quieter way to carry a motif, and it suits an all-over repeat. From $72.
- Woven silk. In woven silk the pattern is built into the weave, which suits a small, tight repeat. That is why so many of our ties are woven. For Northwestern we made a 36-ounce woven silk tie with a multi-directional pattern drawn from the University 'N'.
Match the color exactly
Color is where a silk scarf earns its place in a donor's wardrobe. For the National Museum of Natural History, the Museum gave us its artwork, its logo and a palette from which to choose the scarf's shoestring rolled edge, and our silk mill matched the colors exactly. For the University of Chicago we matched the colors of the ancient tiles, which gives the scarf its luster. For Northwestern we matched the tonal purples of the University's palette.
Plan the edge as part of the color. A rolled edge in a contrast color, like the thin border on the Smithsonian scarf or the tipped white rolled edge on the Kent School scarf, frames the design the way a mat frames a picture.
Pair the scarf with a silk tie
A custom silk tie is the natural partner to a scarf, and most of the scarves in our portfolio were made with one. The tie takes the scarf's motif and resets it for a narrower canvas. For Teachers College, we set the Russell Hall arches at a very large scale for the scarf and greatly reduced them for the tie. For Purdue, the College of Engineering logo was greatly reduced and set in a tight repeat for the woven tie, which gives it a classic look.
Our silk ties come in 2 lengths, and the lining can carry custom tipping, the small panel on the back of the tie. Purdue's tie carries the Dean's signature in the tipping. On the Lurie sketch above, the tipping reads 'for every child' beside the hospital's hand and heart logo.
"Thank you Harris Made for providing remarkable quality silk scarves and ties that were gifted with pride; recognition gifts that are still being talked about with excitement and enthusiasm! One-of-a-kind designs that captured the essence of Purdue University and will be cherished for years to come." Hadley Thomas, Director of Alumni Relations, College of Engineering, Purdue Research Foundation
Approve samples before production
Once the sketches are agreed, we make samples for your approval before final production. This is the moment to check the color against your brand guide in daylight, to look closely at the edge, and to try the scarf on. Production happens in Britain, at mills that hold Royal Warrants, using centuries-old manufacturing techniques.
Our minimum is usually 125 pieces per design, and a project takes 8 to 16 weeks or more from first sketch to delivery. If the scarf is for a dinner, a reunion or a campaign launch, start the conversation at least that far ahead.
Presentation is part of the design
A silk scarf arrives folded, so the box and the card carry the first impression. Emma inspects every scarf before hand-wrapping it in a foil-embossed luxury box branded for your institution. Your thank-you message is printed on a thick, high-quality notecard, and the reverse describes the provenance of the gift. For a scarf drawn from a building or a collection, that card is where the story gets told. The Notre Dame card at the top of this page explains the mosaic floor behind the design.
If you are ready to design custom silk scarves for your institution, read about our process, or start a project with Emma.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for custom silk scarves?
Our minimum is usually 125 pieces per design. Each design is exclusive to your institution, and we only make what you order.
How long does a custom silk scarf take to make?
A project takes 8 to 16 weeks or more from first sketch to delivery. That includes hand-drawn sketches and samples for your approval before production.
What is the difference between printed silk and devoré?
Printed silk twill carries the design in color across the whole surface, so it holds fine detail and artwork. Devoré is a burnout weave that reveals the pattern in the cloth itself, soft against the light, for a quieter look.
Can you make a matching silk tie?
Yes. Most scarf designs translate into a tie, with the motif rescaled for the narrower shape. Our silk ties come in 2 lengths, with custom tipping in the lining.