Place Order

PIPéT

Gina Pipét, founder of the PIPÉT label, was invited to create an exhibition of works at London’s OXO Tower by Louisa Pacifico, Director of Future Icons for The Future of Craft.

Here at The Silk Bureau, we are quite used to seeing Gina’s exquisite designs, but we were dazzled by this tribute to the iconic OXO Tower Wharf. The vibrant colours incorporated into the silk panels commissioned by Coin Street Community Builders were striking!

Also impressive was the step-by-step examples of the printing process we so proudly play a part in. Rather than simply presenting the finished article, Gina reveals every step of the production process. Here is a designer who truly embraces technology and knows how to get the most out of it.

PIPET logo
oxo scarf panels
Photo Credit: Gina Pipét
gina
'Dream No Small Dreams'. Art Installation commissioned by Coin Street Community Builders.

Gina Pipét

During her degree in Printed Textiles, specialising in repeat pattern, Gina developed her contemporary design style. She was influenced by inner-city landscapes and the architectural details found in her travels to cities around the world and of course her home city of London. It’s no wonder she was selected to stage her own exhibition celebrating the iconic OXO Tower Wharf building to celebrate London Craft Week 2022.

THE FUTURE OF CRAFT AT OXO TOWER WHARF

The exhibition was an ideal opportunity for Gina to display samples of silk printing and digitally produced renders of artwork. Visitors had the opportunity to walk through the development process from concept to completed product.

“LCW is the perfect occasion to show a ‘behind-the-scenes’ and emphasise the details in the making – not just the final product. This time it’s all about Process, and on display is my forthcoming scarf design mid-point in its development. I wanted to share how I combine state of the art technology with more traditional materials, and some of the tools that help us be as streamlined and sustainable as possible throughout our design, development and production processes”

Gina Pipét
scarf display 2
Photo Credit: Above, Jonathan A Milton
OXO exhibition
Photo Credit: Ollie Rudkin OXO Tower Wharf
3D scarf render
3D Digital Render

Research & Development

Gina spent 2 years researching and developing design concepts that would represent the OXO building. The resulting use of strong lines and vibrant colours are a joyful reflection of the architecture.

As design ideas emerge, a variety of pattern layouts are tested and judged for how successful they sit within a panel. Whether these are ultimately used for scarves, cushions or display, a visualisation of the overall design is extremely useful for further scrutiny. 

A 3D render of a scarf can really help to fine tune design decisions ahead of any physical product testing. This saves both time and money!   

Despite the value of a virtual image, a physical test print is still important. Our small print minimums of only 1m mean that Gina can also carry out several tests of her designs. She can see different sizes and colour combinations before making final design choices.

colour swatches
Photo Credit: Gina Pipét
scarf display at OXO exhibition
Photo credit: Ollie Rudkin

Colour Testing

Repeated testing of how a colour translates from the screen to the digitally printed fabric, ensures that Gina gets the best results in all her completed work.

We can’t agree more with Gina when discussing the research and development methods she uses. Printing swatches of a desired colour palette on the fabrics that will ultimately be used in a project is a worthwhile investment. (Gina chooses Silk Twill for her scarf collections)

Changes over time in suppliers of dyes, chemistry and the evolving nature of technology means changes in the colour hues are inevitable and may affect repeat print tests over a period of time. The studio prints a blanket for each new fabric base as well as new project. Investing in a one-meter colour blanket can save many tests and provides an accurate indication of how the final print will look on a particular fabric base.

Gina Pipét

Another huge plus for any small business is the flexibility in the amount of carried stock that on-demand digital textile printing offers. You do not need to have a warehouse full of stock! Choose what to print and how many to print as you make sales.

More about Gina

Early on in her career, Gina worked for some renowned pattern design companies, establishing her knowledge of the industry. She took that wealth of experience in the luxury fashion market and launched her own label, PIPÉT, in 2012. As features appeared in top fashion and design journals, such as Elle Decoration and The Times, her unique designs were soon recognised by some very prestigious establishments that she ultimately received exclusive commissions from.

Gina Pipét is a champion of British manufacturing. Each of her fine quality products has come about through the relationships she builds with the printers and finishers engaged in their creation. The Silk Bureau is delighted to be included in that group.

For the full story of Gina’s exhibition visit her virtual tour.

Gina Pipet at OXO

Find out more

PIPÉT:  pipetdesign.com

Instagram: pipetdesign

Facebook: @Pipetdesign

Photography:

Jonathan A Milton
Ollie Rudkin OXO Tower Wharf
@oxotowerwharf

Shop : Shop for gifts

professional service

on-demand textile printing

why not email us ⟶

© The Silk Bureau Limited 2024

Printing Scarves

Shrinkage

The processes involved in digital textile printing causes the original fabric to shrink. If you are printing scarves, the size of the finished product will be important to you. For example, if you have square artwork, you will be expecting your finished scarf to be square!

To get the printed fabric closer to the size you need, all fabric intended for scarves must go through an extra step to reshape it. Please allow extra time on your deadlines to allow for this process. 

Let us introduce you to the …

Stenter

The stenter is an enormous piece of machinery that has many uses, including coating our fabrics and reshaping scarf orders.

After travelling through a solution to soften the fabric, it then passes over a flat bed, gripped on the selvedge edges to pull it back into shape. 

It’s a long and precise process that needs to be carefully monitored.

Shrinkage Disclaimer

If you have selected to use our hemming service, we will check the stentered fabric for you before we begin to finish your scarves. If you are not using our service, it’s up to you to check the size BEFORE you cut out the individual scarves from the fabric length. We cannot re-size after your scarves have been cut out. 

Featuring: @clarehaggas Autumn Winter Collection