How it all began

The month of May is symbolic for our brand. For the first time, the Silky Gang brand officially introduced itself to the world with its first five scarf designs.

But the beginnings of when the whole concept was born date back two years before that. Creating step by step, with an emphasis on the three basic pillars on which we wanted to build from the beginning.

Czech brand with Czech authors, production in the Czech Republic and in Europe, maximum focus on the highest quality of materials and design. Limited numbered scarf collections.

The term "limited collection" in the presentation of our Silky gang brand means an emphasis on the fact that we create author's designs, which, such as graphic artworks, have only a limited number of copies. That's why our 100% Silk Twill scarves have numbered certificates. When the specified number is sold out, ie. 100 pieces of size 90x90 cm and 200 pieces of size 45x45 cm for the given design, the printing of this deisgn on silk will be finished. The owners of our silk scarves will be sure that they are unique owners of our author's designs created exclusively for our brand.

Scetches for illustration Seven ravens 1 - author Kateřina Čupová

At the beginning of every story there is always a piece of luck, chance and also some good fairy.

The piece of luck was definitely in the fact that we established cooperation with a renowned silk printer in the north of England. Not only were they willing to collaborate on our small scarf collections, but they were also masters at silk twill printing. Only later, when we penetrated more into the secrets and insidiousness of the whole printing process, did we find out that we could not have chosen better for the start of our brand. When we later, due to Brexit, were looking for new suppliers in northern Italy, famous for its silk printing, until the third attempt we found one that met our high demands, which we were used to from English printing masters.

A happy coincidence was a meeting with the Čupovy sisters, for which I received a recommendation from one of my well-known illustrators. Kateřina and Zuzana joined the project, which already had clear outlines in my head and heart, but there was still a long way to go to become the SG brand official. Even so, they both agreed and started working on the same assignment to create a scarf illustration for the fairy tale Seven Ravens, which I chose as a pilot motif. They were given the same color scheme and rough concept that the illustration should take. Several sketches and variants were created, from which we then selected the final ones together. Then the two sisters started working on them. It was the fact that two authors worked on the same topic, but each in their own handwriting, foreshadowed the further development of our brand. Introducing gradually different illustrative styles, and perhaps even returning to the topics we love. Each time, with a new author, you will look at a well-known story completely differently.

Scetches for illustration Seven ravens 2 - author Zuzana Čupová

I was absolutely thrilled with both final proposals of the Seven Ravens. Kateřina Čupová showed her talent for detail as well as a nimble and light line. Her sister Zuzana then showed her feeling for folk stylization and perfect processing of watercolor illustrations. She created her design almost on a scale of 1 to 1. However, the detail and precision of both illustrations were not fully realized until the first printed scarves came from England. I was overhlemed of that beauty.. And it was decided. The Silky Gang brand will start. I gave the sisters two more new topics Smolíček and Twelve Months and

illustrator Viktor Svoboda also joined the party. I took the fact that he knew both sisters well personally from the time of his studies at the Zlín Faculty of Animation as a happy sign. The first five scarf patterns were finished and the history of our brand began to be written.

About Viktor and his illustration, maybe next time.

Yours, Martina SG

Look at collections Seven ravens 1 and Seven ravens 2