Stylish Scarves- A fresh take on an old classic

Israeli designer Adi Bakshi offers a unique collection of hand-made scarves, designed to wrap elegantly around the neck and fasten with a perfectly matched button.

By MIRANDA LEVINGSTON
A model wears one of Adi Bashki's scarves (photo credit: ZOHAR SHITRIT)
A model wears one of Adi Bashki's scarves
(photo credit: ZOHAR SHITRIT)
During these colder, winter months, it is essential to dress in layers to stay warm.  With a designer like Adi Bakshi, style and streamlined practicality aren’t mutually exclusive traits.  And when it comes to accessories, Bakshi has got the scarf game in the bag.  
The Israeli designer offers a unique collection of hand-made scarves, made to wrap elegantly around the neck and fasten with a perfectly matched button adding a fashionable touch and a variety of styles to all garments. Her unique scarf design is the perfect addition to any garment, a clean design – no knots, no ties, fringes or tassels.  
Bakshi has been designing her unique scarves professionally since 2008 when she began her business after getting her start at a community craft fair in Kfar Saba.
"I was very excited about the fair!" she recalls. "I didn’t buy any new fabric; I only had enough to make scarves. I wanted them to be special so I added a button to keep the scarf in place. People were very excited and gave me many compliments about my scarves and their unique design."
She says she spent the next week after the fair improving her scarves. "I didn’t have much money, only the money I made from the craft fair. I began to have offers from companies and stores.  I had customers asking for an online store and to have business cards. The customers were very interested and I was completely flattered when there were two big orders from America and Canada. It kept me going.”
Chasing her discovered passion for design, she went to Shenkar College of Engineering and Design to study fashion design, which gave her the prestigious opportunity to have an apprenticeship with River Island Accessories in the UK.  
She tells The Jerusalem Post that she has “many plans for the future. But I’m trying to be patient. I try to keep what’s working and develop new ideas and reach new audiences. My husband is in engineering and he works with me. We work on the online shop and we do a lot of pop up shops. I really love what I’m doing, but it’s hard because you have to be patient and look for success in the long run. I have to think five years forward. You have to really believe in what your doing.”
And Bakshi’s patience is paying off. Her online store has gotten customers from all over the world. When asked what advice she could give to younger designers, she replies saying,  “Don’t be afraid. Take risks, go sell, see if they like it, and give it a shot. With my ‘Mini Me’ collection, a mom and a daughter walked up to my booth at a craft fair, and the mom tried on a scarf and the daughter wanted to try on the smallest one. They looked great so I took a picture of both of them, and I put it on my Facebook page. Everyone wanted a kids line, and I listened to my customers. It was such a great idea, I didn’t want to wait for next year! We had a photo shoot the next week, and people really liked it. Do it, and don’t think about it too much. That’s my advice.”