A Family Story
After finishing her studies at the renowned Central Saint Martins College of
Art and Design and the Ecole nationale des Arts Décoratifs de Paris, the
creator of the Astrid Sarkissian brand revives the traditions of her own family
from which she inherited her passion for silk. During her childhood, Astrid was
lulled in stories as fragile as a silk thread; stories about the antique tradition of
silkworm breeding and silk spinning. Following her ancestors' thread, she creates
scarves for the modern day. The silkworm breeding family from a far-away land
on the Silk Road passed an ancestral skill on to her that shaped her artistic roots.
A heritage inspiring Astrid Sarkissian's creations today, combining a traditional
savoir-faire with a contemporary creativity.
The excellence of an expertise and the sophistication of materials
Astrid Sarkissian creates limited edition luxury products combining the excellence of
Italian, English and French craftsmen. Each illustration, hand drawn in her studio in
Paris, is digitalized and hand finished by craftsmen from the region of Como,
famous for its silk industry. Astrid chooses the most beautiful fibres to weave
her scarves, which then combine with textile masters' linings from Yorkskire and with
La Maison's studios' meticulous finishing touches. This search for perfection and
attention to details come together to present unique products made with an extraordinary
savoir-faire. Astrid's silk scarves combine traditional work of silk and modern
techniques reaching to new natural materials in a constant search for diversity.
Each mini collection tells a particular story about Astrid Sarkissian's brand.
Astrid draws her inspirations from the gigantism of baroque
and gothic architectures that offer a profusion of shapes,
contrasts and rich patterns. Born from the union of Parisian
elegance and British eccentricity, her creations are a
reflection on life and death through the effects of light and shadow.
Reflected by the moth, a symbol of illusion, shapes and colours
metamorphose on the silk as in a chiaroscuro where
nothing reveals itself as it really is, so that each
scarf holds infinite patterns, colours, and meanings to explore.
Living creatures become colourful ornaments, sporting the
delicate details of gemstones with pride.
Astrid's creations spring on paper, drawing on her inspirations and her savoir-faire.
Roses, mosaics, abstract patterns and silhouettes become the allegory of the duality
of all things through their symmetry and twinning.
Her drawings then combine to compose real paintings.
Originally created in black and white, they are then digitalised
to attire themselves in colours inspired by precious stones,
from the icy blue of the aquamarine to the vibrant pink of the topaz,
and in shimmering patterns such as peacock feathers and scales of sea creatures.
These patterns superimpose according to collage techniques offering veritable jewellery,
an assortment of shapes and colours revealing paintings designed as real jewels.
Her paintings are eventually transposed on silk through digital printing techniques
in order to recreate Astrid's graphic compositions with precision.
Scarves are hand-finished in Como, Italy. Some pieces are also lined
in Paris with wool spun by skilled Yorkshire's craftsmen, offering products born
from the union of high technology and tradition.