Bold Scarves Inspired by the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel once described the scarf as “a winding, a continuity, an infinity”, a Möbius strip to be worn as a flowing silken armor of expressive warmth. It’s a captivating description, one in contrast to the defined geometry gracing these graphic scarves by artist and designer Blaise Danio of Buhlaixe for the Frank Lloyd Wright Store’s Artisan Collaboration series, each inspired by Wright designs and the architecture of Taliesin West.
Taliesin West Stairs: “When I first stood on The Prow, looking toward Taliesin West at the stairs and looking out to the landscape — I was so in love with the way the stairs reflected the mountains in the background. It really felt like it was blending into the landscape’s vantage point.”
The Phoenix, Arizona-based designer already represents an impressive portfolio of work exploring the “intersection between classic architectural forms and the ethereal desert landscape” – a solid foundation from which Danio was able to successfully translate Wright’s creative pronouncements into soft good form. Above and below, Danio describes the inspiration and ideas behind the Buhlaixe x Taliesin West scarves:
March Balloons: “This design is very directly inspired by March Balloons. There have been a number of reinterpretations of this design and so I just felt like it was really appropriate to have my own unique, modern take on it.”
The 25″ x 25″ scarves are 100% Poly Crepe de Chine, large enough to keep the neck cool in the hot desert sun or warm after sunset.
City by the Sea: “With this design I really wanted to get a feel for what it’s like to be inside of the building. With the window frame I was trying to get across the way that everything is constantly intersecting and coming together at Taliesin West.”
“I wanted this one to be a very contemporary version of Wright’s rug design. However, when you look at the work Wright was doing during this time period, it was really modern already. He really pushed the envelope and that in itself is such an inspiration to me.
“Wright’s Jewelry Shop Window design is very ornate, so I wanted to really pare it down to be as minimalist as possible, sort of like a new modern.”
Each digitally illustrated scarf is hemmed locally in Phoenix, with the full collection of Buhlaixe x Taliesin West scarves currently available to purchase at the Frank Lloyd Wright Store at Taliesin West or on Amazon.
Photos courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
