Stealth Brands: Jacqmar

If you're a fan of vintage scarves, you're likely to know Jacqmar. If you're not, but love beautiful things, it's a name worth knowing: a London company founded in the late 1930s, originally as a supplier of fine silks to the Paris couture houses. The directors realized that there was profit to be made with the offcuts, and so began their sideline in scarves. This branch of the company soon gained fame for its printed squares -- especially the wonderfully, wildly creative propaganda themes produced during WWII.

The company carried on through the 50s, 60s and 70s with less partisan florals, geometrics, and scenic renderings, but the flair in the design and the quality of the printing remained hallmarks.

I spotted this one this past Saturday, balled up in a basket at our neighborhood antique vendor's usual spot. Jade-green ground, silk, handrolled edges. "A pound, love," she told me, the price.



Now pressed, its apple blossoms and rhododendrons in glorious Kyoto-esque bloom, the scarf is a fine harbinger of spring.