British brand Sarah Grace London has launched a unique collection of floating ink luxury silk scarves
Sarah Grace’s silk prints evolve from a painting technique whose history can be traced back to the Turkish art technique called Ebru and, while in Japan the art form is called Suminagashi… literally, “floating ink”.
Born and raised in London, she tells us about her path from the corporate world to high-end style, with her unique and artistic scarves
What inspired you to use the marbling technique on your scarves?
My uncle lives in Japan and this gave me great exposure to the Asian culture. I found the art in Japan to be absolutely fascinating. The technique of marbling intrigued me. In Japan, this technique is called “suminagashi” or “floating ink”.
How did you master the suminagashi technique?
I studied interior and spatial design at Chelsea College of Art and design at University of the Arts London before I went travelling. During my travels, I’d thought I could combine my passion for clothes and fine art by designing wearable art.
But I wanted to know how to transfer art onto silk scarves. I recalled the suminagashi technique from my time in Japan and, better still, I remembered it being used on silk. It was then that I knew this was the technique that I wanted to use. I researched the process of marbling, and worked out how to modify it with a modern twist.
The rest of the interview can be read on page 38 of the latest issue of Elite Living Africa:
