Ilona Tambor at The London Artisan – October 2020

Ilona Tambor at The London Artisan

In October 2020, Ilona Tambor brought her hand-illustrated silk scarves to The London Artisan at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane — an opportunity to take the collection beyond the studio and meet people who could see, touch and experience the scarves in person.

The event brought together independent designer-makers and artisan producers from across different disciplines, creating a space where objects could be encountered through the people and processes behind them.

For Ilona Tambor, it was a chance to present the illustrated scarf collection in that same spirit: original drawings transformed into pieces designed to be folded, worn and made personal.

The London Artisan

The London Artisan was created around independent design and craftsmanship, bringing makers together with an audience interested in objects with a more individual story.

That made it a natural setting for Ilona Tambor. Every scarf begins with an original hand-drawn illustration before the composition moves onto fabric and becomes something entirely different through colour, scale and movement.

Seeing the collection outside an online shop also changes the experience. A large square can be opened fully so the complete illustration is visible, while folding the same scarf reveals only fragments of the drawing.

Meeting the People Behind the Scarves

Independent events offer something that is difficult to reproduce online: the possibility of talking directly about the work.

Visitors could see the scale of the scarves, feel the silk and look closely at the individual illustrations while hearing more about the stories and ideas that inspired them.

For a young independent brand, those conversations were as valuable as the event itself. They created a direct connection between an original drawing, the finished scarf and the person who might eventually wear it.

Brick Lane, London – October 2020

The event took place during an unusual year for independent makers and physical retail, making the opportunity to present the collection in London particularly memorable.

Looking back, it remains part of the early story of Ilona Tambor — a moment when the illustrated scarves moved from the studio into a shared space of independent design, craft and conversation.

From the Studio to the Collection

The collections have evolved since 2020, but the process at the centre of Ilona Tambor remains the same.

Each design starts by hand, with drawing and composition, before moving onto fabric. Today that illustrated world extends across silk scarves, wool, cotton-silk and cashmere.

Events such as The London Artisan are part of that history — places where the story behind the work could be shared directly with the people encountering it.

An early London chapter in the story of illustration made wearable.

Each piece begins with a line.