IT ALL STARTS WITH WHITE VELVET…

Lisa Kiss starts most of her designs painting directly onto velvet in the Sag Harbor studio.

Each “run” of fabric, measuring 9 yards long, begins as a blank white canvas. Lisa’s painting technique utilizes an ancient Japanese method of stretching fabric with “Harite” clamps and “Shinshi” bamboo tension bars—an ancient process used to paint fabrics for Kimonos.

After the painting is complete, a drying period and a series of rinses allow the dye to set, preventing any future color bleed and ensures that the fabric remains bold and bright for many years to come. The full process can take up to four days to produce a finished scarf, depending on the complexity of the design. While Lisa used to sell these as scarves, she now just designs on the velvet and then the designs are sent to printers in both China and Italy to be made into silk scarves. The Cashmere/silk blend scarves are meticulously handpainted for us in Jaipur India.

Who Is Lisa Kiss?

The artist behind all of our pieces, Lisa, began painting textiles in 1984. For 17 years she operated out of her Lower Manhattan studio where she painted silk and velvets for scarves, women’s and children’s clothing, and homewares. Throughout those years Lisa Kiss Scarves could be found at Barneys, Nordstrom, and over 200 stores nationally and internationally. After losing her studio on 9/11, Lisa relocated to the East End of Long Island where she paused her textile design work for 17 years to raise her two daughters.

Lisa was trained as a young girl(age 15-18) in the Old Masters approach to drawing in an apprenticeship under a protégée of Norman Rockwell, and continued her education as a student of painting and art history. It was while attending a class in painting on fabric at Penland School of Craft in NC that she found the work that would be her life’s passion. Many of her designs are inspired by painters throughout history and spanning artistic eras, from Hokusai of Japan’s Edo period, to Botticelli, Paul Klee, Gustav Klimt and so many more.

In 2018, Lisa Kiss debuted her first collection since 2000 in NYC at the Grand Central Holiday Market. Now, Lisa produces small batches of new designs each season available in Silk, Cashmere and Silk/Cotton Sarongs. New to the line are Silk twillies & Leather & Silk Handbags.

FAQ's

  • All our Velvets are painted and sewn in her Sag Harbor studio. Scroll to the next section to see a video of our velvet production and read more about the ancient dying technique we use.

    Our Cashmere collection was first designed in Sag Harbor, then reproduced by painters in Jaipur, India.

    Our Silk collection designs were first designed in Sag Harbor, then printed in Italy.

  • The best way to stay in the know on new designs and drops is by signing up for our email list and/or following us on Instagram at @lisakiss.ny.

    Subscribers will get early access to new drops, exclusive sales featuring archived designs, and invites to our in-person shopping pop-ups and events.

  • We release new designs in small batches seasonally. If you want early access to new drops, be sure to subscribe to our email list.

  • Because we only release our designs in limited batches, old designs will be archived.

    How can I shop old designs?

    We will host online and/or in-person archive sales infrequently throughout the year, where customers can shop archived styles that we still have remaining stock of. To esnure you hear about these sales when they come along, subscribe to our newsletter to get first access.

  • If you would like to exchange or return your new, unworn scarf—we are happy to offer a refund minus a $10 restocking fee. Returns must be delivered to our studio within 30 days of the delivery date.

    If you would like to exchange your scarf, you must return your new, unworn product and purchase your new piece as a new transaction.

    Customers are responsible for shipping cost on returns. Please contact us at info@lisakiss.net to initiate your return.

  • Designs may not be available in every size. Depending on the product, you will find a range of the following sizes per fabric type:

    Velvet
    (Please note, our scarves are cut and finished by hand so dimensions may vary by 1”)

    Small — 10” x 72”

    Medium — 13” x 72”

    Large — 20” x 72”

    Cashmere

    Oblong — 27” x 80”

    Square — 27” x 27”

    Silk

    Small Square — 19” x 19”

    Large Square — 52” x 52”

  • Velvet: When you’d like to clean your velvet scarf, you can hand wash with gentle soap and then put it in the dryer to fluff it back up (we’re serious!)—all our velvet scarves have already been set in the machine so it will not harm them. Do not iron, only steam.

    Silk & Cashmere: Dry Clean Only. To address any wrinkles, we recommend only steaming your silk and cashmere Lisa Kiss scarves.

  • Have a special design in mind that you’d like to have custom made for an event? Perhaps you’re looking for a unique, artisanal gift for a group or event attendees? We can provide bespoke designs and work with you on the product you have in mind. Reach out to us at inf@lisakiss.net.

  • Email us at info@lisakiss.net, send us a message on Instagram via @lisakiss.ny, or submit a form on our contact page <3.