Furoshiki magic

I'd never come across these before, but furoshiki scarves (pronounced fu-ro-shki, the 'i' is silent) are big in Japan. Or, at least they were, now they're seen as a bit old fashioned so an enterprising Japanese woman, Kyoko Bowskill, is collaborating with Western designers to bring them over here. Through her company Link Collective she's hooked up with American illustrator Leah Duncan who has designed two new prints: the geometric 'Angles' and the more natualistic 'Mountain Blossom', pictured above.

So what is a furoshiki exactly? Well, it's a scarf, it's a bag, it's a wine carrier... wrap it, fold it, wear it... it's an accessory that more than earns its keep by serving multiple purposes is what it is. We all feel better when we can re-use something - and these would beat 'bags for life' hands down in a beauty contest - so I can see the trend for these screen-printed in Tokyo cotton/silk scarves taking off here. I think they're fab. They are available in the UK from Quill London.

 ps - here are some folding tips.