From shelter against the cold to true style statements, the scarves and foulards have become the perfect allies to give a twist and add an original and cool touch to one's outfit.
With an infinite number of materials, patterns and cuts available, the expressive possibilities are practically unlimitedfrom oversized versions that hug the body like a dramatic cloak, to scarves knotted with sartorial precision for essential and sophisticated elegance.
In 2025, focus on scarves and foulards creating a brand means tapping into a market that is fluid, inclusive and open to experimentation. A simple accessory can become a distinctive elementcapable of transforming an everyday outfit into an expression of personality.
In this article I will guide you through strategies and fundamental steps that we follow in our style office to create a successful brand centred around this versatile accessory, showing how it is possible to differentiate oneself with style in a competitive industry yet full of opportunities.
If you've got the idea of launching a unique and successful accessories line, you've come to the right place! Book a free consultation start-up of your brand to tell us about you and your project.
Scarves and foulards, their origin and evolution in fashion
The scarf is one of those accessories that seem 'simple'... until you find out that it has gone through millennia, empires, wars, revolutions and haute couture catwalks.
Le first traces of scarf use date back toancient Egyptwhere Queen Nefertiti is said to have worn it under her jewelled headdress. In China, however, it was used for a more practical role: to distinguish the rank of soldiers within the imperial army.
Also in theancient Rome, the scarf was part of men's clothing: initially used to wipe away sweat, it was soon adopted as a distinctive element. It is said that even Emperor Nero wore it during his public appearances, making it a sign of prestige and recognition.
When the scarf became 'fashionable
The real leap into the world of fashion occurred in the European salons of the 19th century, when the Queen Victoria began to sport silk scarves as a sign of aristocratic elegance. It is no coincidence that Napoleon himself sent his wife Josephine cashmere scarves as proof of love (and impeccable taste). In the following decades, style merged with functionality: in the 1950s, women used them to shelter themselves from the wind; in the 1960s, they became a pop manifesto, amidst polka dots, geometries and an aesthetic revolution.
Then comes HermèsSince 1937, he has been turning the scarf into pure art, with scarves that take over 750 hours to make and become collectors' items. If you own a vintage Hermès yoke today, you are sitting on a little treasure.
And in 2025? From Oxford Cashmere to coloured scarves
At a time when fashion is increasingly identity-driven, the scarf is also becoming an integral part - if not the star - of the coolest looks around. È genderless, photographic, reinterpretable: to be rolled around the neck or left soft on the back, when it comes to scarves and foulards, the ways of wearing them are practically infinite, as are the different possibilities for every taste and occasion.
This is why more and more emerging brands are choosing to start right here: an accessory without size, without season, with a thousand-year history and infinite creative potential.
Are we familiar with Acne Studios scarves? Impossible not to recognise them: long, voluminous, often checked and colourful. The designer scarves Acne Studios have become much more than a useful garment against the cold: they are a statement of belonging.
Wearing an Acne Studios scarf means communicating a specific aesthetic: Scandinavian, intellectual, minimal but with character. It is not only the colour palette that speaks - often alternating between pastel, earthy or bright tones - but also the texture, the theatrical oversize and the way it is draped with apparent nonchalance.
It identifies a precise imagery: a type of urban, creative, style-conscious woman or man not afraid to show off, but rather intent on having fun.
These scarves created an instantly recognisable aesthetic and, most importantly, replicable in terms of branding. In 2025, a brand of scarves and foulards may draw inspiration from this very phenomenon: transforming the accessory into a symbol of identitynot only for its physical characteristics, but for the imagery it evokes. Acne Studios has shown that a simple scarf, if consistent with a strong storytelling, can go viral without flashy logos or invasive strategies.
For anyone building a brand today, this is a powerful lesson: there is no need to invent the perfect accessory, but to give it a recognisable and aspirational context. If every time we see a certain scarf we think 'there's that girl', it means that there is a visual narrative behind it that worked.
However, success does not come by chance: it requires careful planning and a true entrepreneurial mindset. The road is uphill and there are many things you will have to learn and manage as a designer and entrepreneur of your own brand.
Define your brand identity.
Developing an engaging story.
- Effectively communicate the values that make your products special.
Ten years since the founding of My Scarf in a Box™, a successful high-end Italian scarf brand on the market for almost ten years, I reveal the winning method developed by my Beadesigner style office to launch your own brand, or collection, of scarves and foulards.
The BAD method for creating a collection of scarves and foulards
If this is the first article you read welcome to Be A Designer, lat the home of up-and-coming designers and anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur in fashion.
We are a creative team specialising in the creation of new product lines and what will effectively become your fashion brand!
In recent years, I have worked on many different types of products, each market segment has unique peculiarities which partly define both the type of product to be produced and the shape and timing of our business.
How the development and building a brand of scarves and foulards differs from the development of a 'classic' fashion line?
- How should I organise my business to sell and distribute my product?
- What are the best fabrics and printing techniques to use?
These are just some of the important questions to ask yourself, because if you are thinking that 2025 is the right year to start a project in fashion you need all the information you can get to get off to a good start!
We will use (as a tool) our Fashion Business Designer™ Be A Designer's tool to make the whole creative process 'simple' and 'understandable'.
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The Canvas is designed to be accompanied by my handbook: "Do you also want to be a designer?", where at the end of each chapter you will find exercises to fill in the canvas correctly. If you have not yet purchased it find it HERE!
We therefore start with the BRAND DESIGN, the area you see highlighted in red in the image below:
Your brand architecture, where to start?
Contrary to what was observed in the article on the swimwear, the creation of a line of scarves and foulards entails other considerations. Here we are not on an island beach, but in an environment that can be both urban and elegant.
So ask yourself why your brand needs to exist in the market. If the focus is on Made in Italy craftsmanship, traceability o up-cyclingbuild a coherent storytelling and a distinctive colour palette. Integrate GOTS silkplastic-free packaging and collaborations with social workshops: you will increase perceived value and premium positioning.
Likewise, choose a recognisable visual language: botanical patterns, sienna colours, cylindrical packaging made of recycled cardboard. A minimal brand mark remains visible when the scarf is knotted. Micro-signatures become macro-love-marks on social media.
Collection design, your second step
In order to structure the collection of scarves and foulards, it is necessary to consider the diversity of styles and functionalities. Unlike swimwear, scarves can play on several variations: forms, materials and functions.
When you ask yourself how to structure the scarf and foulard collectionimagines a pyramid that accompanies the customer from an initial exploratory purchase to the collector's item. At the base it places the digitally printed 50×50 bandanasThese small accessories-easy to wear around the neck, on the wrist or in the hair-are great generators of user-generated content and word-of-mouth on social media.
The commercial core of the pyramid is occupied by the 90×90 silk twill scarf with roulé hemreal wardrobe classics; thanks to the soft hand of 14 momme silk and hyper-realistic prints, you get a mid-range product that combines perceived luxury and still affordable price.
At the summit he introduces the 70×200 numbered silk cashmere stolesthe signature line that speaks to collectors: collaborations with illustrators, 3D embroidery or micro-fringe finishes transform each piece into a work of art. In this progression of value, the choice of materials plays a key role: silk for luminosity, linen-cupro for sustainable scarves and foulards, viscose LENZING™ ECOVERO™ for a vegan and carbon-conscious audience.
At application level, experiment customised scarves with high-definition digital printington-sur-ton jacquard and contrasting borders: details that consolidate the positioning of luxury accessories made in Italy. Thus the Collection Pyramid™ becomes your compass, covering different targets with a single narrative of style and quality.
Trends 2025 for your scarf and foulard collection
We have talked about silk and cashmere scarves, but the great thing about creating a line of scarves is that there are no limits in terms of features. Street style fashion aims at colourful scarves which also look very warm to the eye: among the most iconic models are those in alpaca by Acne Studiosknown for their oversized proportions and visual impact. Loewe offers versions with tie-dye shades that look hand-painted, while Balenciaga e Burberry reinterpret classic tartan motifs in a bold, modern key. Then there are those who play with retro aesthetics, such as Miu Miuwhich reintroduces crochet with a nostalgic touch.
What is really surprising, however, is Sunneiwhich breaks the mould by offering transformable scarves: mélange models with multicoloured threads with built-in sleeves for those who want to combine style and comfort, or padded nylon versions reminiscent of down jackets, perfect for facing the cold with irony and creativity. These new interpretations prove that the scarf is now fertile ground for experimentation, hybrid design and distinctive branding. In a market that rewards uniqueness and personality, this is where the next great cult accessory may be born.
The furry scarf will be your winter ally
The fetish accessory for winter 2025 is soft, oversized, coloured, in shearling or in more classic shades. The furry scarf is the very latest trend of the year 2025, which we will see again and again until early spring 2026. Whether in faux fur, shearling blanket effect or extra soft teddy texture, the furry scarf fits every style: worn tightly under a coat, slung over the shoulders like a stole, or let loose over a tone-on-tone outfit, it immediately gives character and warmth.
In street style look in London and Milan has been all the rage, often paired with structured trench coats, velvet trousers or oversized blazers. Some models even include sleeves or padded details, ideal for the more chilly. Vintage or new, designer or bargain, the furry scarf is a statement accessory that doesn't go unnoticed - and in the 2025 wardrobe, is an absolute must.
2025 is also the perfect year to take advantage of the trend and put your own brand of scarves and foulards on the streets.
All you need now is a pen and paper, or an online diary, to book and make an appointment for a free start-up consultation for your brand with the experts in my office.
I am Corrado Manenti and now for more than 10 years I founded the first independent style office specialising in supporting emerging designers in the development of their collections and their path to self-entrepreneurship.
If you are a designer or simply a creative person and have always dreamed of building your own fashion collection and selling it, you are in the right place!
Will 2025 be the year to bring your project to life?
Schedule a free consultation with me and let's evaluate the future of your project together.
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