A Touch of Paris in Providence

The scarf – le scarf, if you will – is a French staple, and the origins behind a Providence-founded company called Yorscarf. CEO Thao Ly Bui Tran was inspired by her studies in Paris, where she noticed how a single scarf could instantly transform an outfit.

When she moved here for a job, a lack of scarves stood out, and a business idea crystallized. Yorscarf resulted, geared towards style-conscious women short on budget and time. A kickstarter campaign generated funds, and buzz followed. A RISD-trained textile designer created “modernly vintage” prints for the company, and the co-founders settled on an L-shape that can twist into eight different looks. (P.S.: their scarves cost a tenth of what Parisian luxury brands charge.)

Frenchifying local fashion is only part of the Yorscarf story, however. The company’s partners all hail from Ho Chi Minh City, and some even went to middle school together. They’re committed to empowering Vietnamese women and families by providing jobs at fair wages, and by donating sewing machines as income sources. Their globally-minded, internet-savvy enterprise reflects the newest direction in Rhode Island’s historic textile trade – and that’s a good thing. Find the scarves online for now, with a brick-and-mortar shop to come.