Case Study: A Scarf for a Superyacht

Every project I undertake is bespoke to the yacht or homeowner and collaborative in nature to ensure I connect the inspirations that speak to me with the personal tastes of my client.

When Gretchen Barbatelli, Owner & Creative Director of Swiss Silk Company asked me to collaborate on a custom scarf and tie design project for the owner of a super-yacht being designed and constructed domestically in the United States, I naturally leaped at the opportunity.

Gretchen presented the idea: to commemorate this extraordinary vessel’s christening and personalize the overall yacht experience by developing ties and scarves for the crew, and as gifts for the owner’s guests.
The process from conception through the final product was written about beautifully on the Swiss Silk website and a copy of that blog post written by Gretchen is below.

Every custom scarf project requires a high level of communication, as custom projects demand an orchestrated dance of detail from design to delivery. The scarves and ties, designed in collaboration with renowned yacht interior designer, Patrick Knowles, was one such project. I first learned of Patrick Knowles when I received an inquiry from the Chief Purser of a super-yacht newly commissioned being designed and constructed domestically in the United States. The Chief Purser sought information about developing scarves and ties for the crew as well as for the owner’s guests (as personal gifts celebrating the yacht and their yachting experience). The scarf and tie design were to reflect and commemorate the yacht owners and their design style and to incorporate many of the custom design elements from the yacht interior. After preliminary conversations, Chief Purser introduced me to the award-winning Patrick Knowles ASID, and I worked directly with him on this project.