mae x scalamandre
Scalamandré’s famous zebra print has always been one of my favorites. In fact, it was the wallpaper in the conference room of my first corporate job at Kate Spade, so needless to say this post is a full circle moment!!
I approached Scalamandré with the idea of translating their iconic Zebras into womenswear and collaborating on a signature collection late in 2022. I had met their director of content and communications, Laurel Potter, during one of my trunk shows in Charleston and we hit it off immediately. Over (many) cocktails, we started dreaming up what a collaboration between our two brands could look like.
Shortly into the design process, we discovered that we shared the same Italian fabric mill (literally what are the odds?!) who already produced the Zebras for Scalamandré’s home furnishing business. Within two weeks we had initial trials for the jacquard created from a mix of silk, cotton and recycled poly yarns.
The MAE x Scalamandre collaboration marks the first time in its history that Scalamandré has reimagined an iconic motif as a jacquard. Formerly available only as printed fabric and wallcoverings, Scalamandré’s signature Zebras now live as a showstopping tapestry, created exclusively in Italy. Each zebra is expertly woven into the warp and finished with a tonal black lurex, creating a subtle, luxurious sheen.
Here's a little more about the iconic print:
Scalamandré’s signature print reached star status decades ago - it all began at Gino's, an upper east side Italian eatery in Manhattan with splashy red zebra motif walls that became synonymous with the restaurant itself. When a fire ravaged Gino's in 1973, the Scalamandré family was tasked with restoring its interior.
Franco Scalamandré’s wife, Flora, freehand illustrated her own version of the original, and so began Scalamandré’s spin on the dashing print. Today it lives in classic film sets and countless designer projects.
I am so proud to introduce Scalamandré Zebras reimagined as luxury ready-to-wear and more striking than ever.
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