How a Silk Scarf Goes from Art to Accessory
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Every Leeloo + Zohan scarf starts in the same place: our studio in Manhattan's historic West Village, where an idea meets a screen. What happens between that first sketch and the finished scarf in your hands is a process we’ve refined over years—and one we think is worth sharing.
It Starts with the Art
Our designs don’t come from trend reports or stock pattern libraries. They come from archives, museums, vintage ephemera, and the city around us. A Smithsonian botanical print gets reconstructed pixel by pixel. A 1920s Miami hotel postcard gets rebuilt in modern color. A Michelangelo sculpture gets deconstructed into geometric fragments.
Founder and artist Paul Morris leads the design process, often spending weeks on a single print—adjusting color fields, testing scale, and reworking compositions until the artwork carries the same weight at scarf size as it would on a gallery wall.
Why Silk Habotai?
We chose silk habotai as our primary fabric for three reasons:
- Drape: Habotai is lighter and more fluid than silk twill. It moves with the body instead of holding its shape—which means it ties, wraps, and falls beautifully.
- Print quality: The smooth, even weave absorbs dye evenly, producing vivid, saturated color with fine detail intact.
- Softness: The name literally means “soft” in Japanese. It feels gentle against skin from the first wear.
For a deeper dive into the material, see our Complete Guide to Silk Scarves.
Printing: Digital Precision on Natural Fiber
Our scarves are digitally printed using reactive dyes that bond permanently with the silk fibers. This means the color is part of the fabric—not sitting on top of it. The result is a print that stays vivid through years of wear and washing, with no cracking, peeling, or fading.
Each scarf is printed individually, which allows us to run editions and keep inventory lean. We don’t mass-produce. We make what we need, when we need it.
Finishing: The Details That Matter
After printing, each scarf is cut and finished with a machine-rolled baby hem—a narrow, clean edge that gives the scarf a polished look and prevents fraying. It’s a small detail, but it’s the kind of detail that separates a accessory from a souvenir.
made to order, by Design
We operate on a made to order model. Most of our scarves are made to order or produced in editions of 100. This isn’t a supply constraint—it’s a choice. made to order mean less waste, more control over quality, and designs that feel genuinely special.
When a print sells out, it may come back—or it may not. That’s part of what makes each piece a collector’s item.
Rooted in New York
Leeloo + Zohan is a New York brand rooted in the West Village. Our designs are created here. Our inspiration comes from the museums, architecture, and street culture of this city. And our name comes from the two creative companions—Leeloo and Zohan—who share our Brooklyn studio.
New York runs through everything we make. You’ll see it in the Statue of Liberty scarf, the Grand Central Terminal print, and the Red Hook, Brooklyn design. But it’s also in the attitude: bold, direct, a little unexpected.
From Our Studio to You
Every order ships free from NYC. Each scarf arrives ready to wear, ready to gift, or ready to hang on a wall. Explore our collections and find the design that speaks to you.