Zebrafish Silk Habotai Scarf

DESIGNER'S NOTES

An intricately patterned large Fox & Chave silk habotai scarf of stunning colours derived from a microscopic section of tissue from the species Danio rerio, a freshwater fish of the minnow family commonly known as the Zebrafish.

The zebrafish has become one of the most important model organisms in modern biology due to its transparent embryos, which allow direct observation of cell development.

Native to South Asia, it was first introduced to laboratories in the 1970s and is now widely used in genetics, developmental biology and regenerative medicine. Zebrafish can repair parts of their heart and spinal cord, a capacity rarely found in vertebrates.

Their striped pattern results from the interaction of three pigment cell types; black melanophores, yellow xanthophores and reflective iridophores, that migrate and communicate to self-organise into parallel bands. This cellular choreography provides insight not only into how patterns emerge in nature but also into the molecular signals governing tissue formation.

COLOURS

STYLING

A Fox & Chave habotai silk scarf can be worn with the classic knot style or a pussycat bow. You can even create a shawl effect by knotting two scarves together behind your neck and allowing them to drape over your shoulders. More scarf styling ideas are available in this wonderful How to Tie a Scarf book.