Rapp Scarves

'Palm' scarf by Melbourne designer Eloise Rapp.

'Clock' and 'Chronicle' scarves by Melbourne designer Eloise Rapp.

Melbourne textile designer Eloise Rapp brings a wealth of experience to her fledgling label, which she launched in December last year.  After studying fashion and textile design at the University of Technology in Sydney, Eloise spent time working as a print designer for a handful of Australian fashion companies, before moving to Tokyo in 2010. Here she found herself working in trend forecasting for international forecasting agency WGSN, whilst also freelancing as a textile print designer for two Tokyo fashion labels.  Now back on home soil, Eloise has finally launched her own label, with a debut collection of digitally printed silk scarves entitled 'The Reckoning of Time'. We are loving the brave colour combos and kaleidoscopic prints going on here... and at one full metre square they're also a super generous size, allowing for all kinds of versatile styling! I'm thinking some kind of wrap-around head band situation would be amazinnggg. Eloise has a great website where you can view and purchase the full range... and she has lots of new product in development so keep your eyes open for more gorgeousness to come later in the year! We asked Eloise a few questions about her background and her debut range  -

Can you tell us a little bit about your background – what did you study, what were you doing before Rapp and what inspired you to start designing scarves?

My background is in textile print design, having studied fashion and textiles at UTS in Sydney. I felt an affinity with graphic design from quite an early age. Back in high school when Photoshop 5 had just come out (yikes!), I got my hands on a copy and became absorbed for hours by paint blobs and the lens flare effect. I hope my style has become a tad more sophisticated since then! The course at UTS gave me a fantastic foundation in design and fashion, but textiles really grabbed hold of me - I adore pattern, colour and fabric, so that was that!  I started working as a print designer at a Sydney studio after I graduated, then went on to work at another couple of fashion companies, until I moved to Tokyo in 2010. I covered Tokyo fashion week for Japanese Streets, picked up some trend forecasting work for WGSN and freelanced as a textile print designer for a couple of emerging Tokyo labels and fashion companies back in Sydney. It was magical and chaotic, and after all that I felt a need to focus my creative drive and ideas into one practice - and so came the idea for developing my own label. I moved back to Australia to work more and start the ball rolling. My first product was always going to be a scarf. The idea of working within the confines of a square of fabric appealed to me as an illustrator, and the idea of making something wearable appealed to me as a clothed human. I'm trying to dedicate all the time I have to Rapp now, but I still have a day job as a print designer, and have recently sold a few prints to some overseas labels including J Brand!  So it's nice to have both things going on.

What's next for Rapp?

Oh god, so many plans for 2013! I'm putting together a little scarf-involved publication with a friend and fellow Melbourne creative (I won't reveal too much yet!), I have another couple of products in the works and I have a ridiculous list of about 20 themes ready to go for more scarves. I'll be designing them till I'm 80 at this rate, I've just got to find the time! How did Hermés do it?! I'll be working on some costume stuff with my hoop performer sister Phoebe which will be awesome – sibling power trumps all yo! Hoping to get back to Tokyo for a textile residency too. I find it so hard to turn down a creative prospect – I get excited by anything new. Hyperactivity is in my nature.

Rapp scarves are available online or from stockists including Dead & Buried, M.e and Co., and Monkhouse Design.

'Ostara' and 'Avalanche' scarves by Melbourne designer Eloise Rapp.