The Studio

What It Means to Commission Original Art for a Museum or Cultural Institution
When a museum gift shop works well, it is one of the best things in the world. The right object at the end of a visit. Something that carries the experience of the place into your daily life, catches your eye on a Tuesday and takes you back to the room where you first saw it. When a museum gift shop doesn't work well, you already know what it looks like: a shelf of magnets, a branded tote, a mug with the logo. Things that say "I went here" without... Read more...
How to Wash and Care for a Silk Scarf Without Ruining It
Silk has a reputation for being delicate, and I think that reputation has scared a lot of people out of actually wearing their silk things. So let me put this plainly first: silk is not fragile. It is different from cotton and synthetic fibers in ways that require different handling, but once you understand those differences it becomes very simple. I wear my scarves regularly and they have lasted years. Here is exactly what I do. Washing: hand wash almost always The safest way to wash a silk scarf is... Read more...
From a Painting to a Scarf: What My Design Process Actually Looks Like
A woman at a market last year picked up one of my scarves, turned it over in her hands, and said: "Did you actually paint this?" And I said yes, and she looked at me like I had said something surprising, which I suppose it is. So I want to explain what that means in practice, because "hand-illustrated" is something a lot of brands say, and I want to show you what it looks like when it's actually true. It starts before I touch anything Every design begins with research.... Read more...
The Best Silk Scarf Gifts for Women (For People Who Don't Want to Give Something Generic)
I'm not going to give you a list of "top 10 gifts for the woman who has everything." That format exists because it's easy to write and most of the items on those lists are things no one really wants. What I am going to tell you is what makes a gift actually good, and then show you where the scarves fit in. What makes a gift land A gift lands when it shows that the person giving it paid attention. Not necessarily money. Attention. When someone receives something and... Read more...
Why a $115 Silk Scarf is Worth It (And How to Tell the Difference)
Someone asked me this question recently and I appreciated that they asked it directly. They were looking at one of my scarves and they said: "I can get a scarf for $25 on Amazon. Help me understand why I would buy this one instead." That is a completely reasonable thing to ask. So here is a completely honest answer. What you're paying for isn't the fabric The silk itself, at the volume I produce, costs somewhere between $12 and $18 per scarf depending on the size. That is real silk,... Read more...
How to Wear a Silk Scarf: 10 Ways I Actually Wear Mine
I wear my scarves every day and I still find new ways to tie them. That sounds like something a brand would say, but I mean it literally. Last week I was running late and I grabbed one from the studio, wrapped it around my ponytail without thinking, and a stranger stopped me at the subway to ask where I got it. The honest answer: I made it. But that's beside the point. The point is that a silk scarf is one of those objects that keeps giving you new... Read more...
How I Designed a Custom Silk Scarf for an Indian American Wedding (And What Goes Into a Wedding Commission)
How I Designed a Custom Silk Scarf for an Indian American Wedding (And What Goes Into a Wedding Commission)
There is a specific kind of trust that comes with a wedding commission. Someone looks at your work and says: I want you to be part of one of the... Read more...
This is me, Bárbara and this is what Mali is
This is me, Bárbara and this is what Mali is
I'm Bárbara Vargas, a Venezuelan architect and artist based in New York. Before the commissions, before the collections, before the process, I wanted you to understand where this studio comes... Read more...
The Flower I Can't Stop Drawing
The Flower I Can't Stop Drawing
I have loved orchids for as long as I can remember. This is the story of how that obsession became a hand-painted pattern, a fabric sample, and the moment I... Read more...
How My Scarves Ended Up in a Cathedral
How My Scarves Ended Up in a Cathedral
A Mali scarf given as a gift found its way into the oldest cathedral in the Americas. This is the story of Woven Prayers — the commission, the research, and... Read more...
How to create a silk scarf design in watercolors? - Mali Collection
How to create a silk scarf design in watercolors?
A glimpse into our Creative Process. Dive into our handmade world, what inspired us to create this collection and the process behind Read more...
Notes From the Studio: Light, Fear and The MET Cloisters
Notes From the Studio: Light, Fear and The MET Cloisters
A reflection on a day at The Met Cloisters: where golden light, medieval walls, and Día de los Muertos celebrations reminded me that beauty and fear can coexist. An essay... Read more...
From Scarves to Tops: Elevate Your Summer Wardrobe Now! - Mali Collection
From Scarves to Tops: Elevate Your Wardrobe Now!
So, you've got a beautiful silk scarf but you're not quite sure how to rock it as a top? Fear not, dear reader, for we have the ultimate guide to... Read more...