1970s CHRISTIAN DIOR WAVE ABSTRACT PRINT MULTICOLOR SILK SCARF

This scarf was made in France for Christian Dior in the late 1970s. It is silk, printed with a multicolour abstract wave design in brown, yellow and cream, and finished with hand-rolled edges. It measures 75 by 75 cm. In the late 1970s Dior, under Marc Bohan, produced scarves in a wide range of designs, and abstract prints like this one reflected the softer, more fluid mood of the decade's end.

Late 1970s fashion favoured warm, earthy colours: browns, ochres, creams and rusts. These tones suited the soft tailoring, knitwear and flowing dresses of the period. A scarf in this palette could be worn with almost anything in a 1970s wardrobe, adding pattern without harsh contrast.

Abstract and wave-like patterns appeared across 1970s design, in textiles, wallpapers and graphics, often suggesting natural movement such as water or wind. On a scarf, such a design moves with the body and changes as the silk is folded and tied.

Hand-rolled edges are a sign of quality in silk scarves: the edge is rolled and stitched by hand rather than machine-hemmed, giving a soft, rounded finish. Combined with a flowing print, they give the scarf a refined, light drape.

Vintage Dior scarves are collected for their designs and their quality. This late 1970s abstract print, in very good condition with hand-rolled edges, is easy to wear and easy to style, at the neck, in the hair or on a bag.