The days of worrying
if that certain ill-snapped drunk photo will end up on Instagram or
Facebook are over, thanks to the arrival of the ISHU scarf, otherwise known
as ‘the modern day invisibility cloak.’ An impressive six years in the
making, this scarf is the world’s first specially developed fashion item
that disrupts flash photography photographs to ensure the wearer’s privacy.
“My main mentality behind the scarf was that I wanted to create something
that would ruin an unwanted photograph in the most high-fashion way
possible,” explained Saif Siddiqui, founder of The ISHU to FashionUnited.
Siddiqui, who also happens to be the founder of Access All brands, an
online platform which connects emerging brands to celebrities for product
placement, first came up with the idea for the scarf back in 2009, when he
was visiting family and friends in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and he
stopped to take a picture of his friends on a bridge. “I saw how the
reflector on the bikes affected the photo I took with flash on my mobile
and thought it was cool,” he said. This brief moment inspired him to create
something that was both fashionable and functional, as well as unique in
the sense it would give a sense of power back to the wearer that has been
lost with the rise of Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.
The scarf has been spotting making the rounds during Paris and London
Fashion Weeks, but was officially launched this October in Toronto, Canada
ahead of ‘soft’ launches in Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles and Dubai. Since
then it has been spotted around the necks of celebrities such as Nick
Jonas, Nina Dobrev and Hannah Simone. Available online in red and black,
the scarf, which measures 145 centimeters by 145 centometers is both lighter weight and durable, making it easy to carry around at
all time. It’s unique function – the power to disrupt any flash photograph
taken via a mobile device means the scarf is likely to become a fashion
favourite for anyone who favours their privacy, both on and offline.
Ironically, Siddiqui has never seen a single Harry Potter movie, or read a
book for the matter, until the ISHU launch in Toronto. The link between the
scarf and a magical cloak, which could make people disappear whilst
standing in plain sight, or hide their identity if they chose too, was too
much for him to pass up on. “People were trying the scarves on and taking
photos with them at the launch and then they just started saying it was
like the cloak of invisibility. Later on the media picked up on it as well,
and it just stuck with us since then so we ran with it,” he added.
Currently retailing online, and set to launch in select stores in London
and Amsterdam, Siddiqui stands firmly behind the scarves ‘magical power’ in
spite what some may call a hefty price tag (289 pounds for the red version
and 355 pounds for the black). “I am not it in it for a quick buck,” he
stressed. The scarf development phase took up the better part of 6 years
for several reasons, one of them being Siddiqui quest for perfection. “I
wanted to create a product in which I put in 120 percent – I wanted to have
a full understanding of the product first, as well as the perfect team in
place, stylists and fashion designers as well.”
– #Banksy #invisiblitycloak #WhatsTheISHU?
A photo posted by THE ISHU. (@ishu_scarves) on Dec 2, 2015 at 12:06pm PST
The scarf production process, which began long before the current
developments of online social media channels such as Snapchat and
Instagram, first started when Siddiqui began researching pattern making and
emblems and as well as several months of design study. “I have boxes and
boxes of trial versions of the scarf at home before I finally ended up with
the scarf you see today.” In the end, he founded the existing pattern
featured on the scarf which causes the camera in mobile devices to focus on
the print rather than the wearer and disrupts the image capturing process
by making it the main focus and most important thing in the image.He noted
that there is another scarf which can disrupt flash photographs taken with
any camera, including DSLRs, but he chose not to officially release it
alongside the other two. “The grey on grey version disrupts all flash
pictures and cost 2,000 pounds,” he explained, adding that the difference
in price tags may scare off or discourage potential consumers. “The
red/black version are more functional for most consumers anyways in today’s
modern world as well as aesthetically appealing as everyone nowadays uses
their smartphone to take photos.” He may have a point there, as the scarf
officially sold out online within 2 and half weeks of its launch.“Privacy is something everyone should be able to decide for
themselves”When he first start developing the scarf Siddiqui admits that he himself
could not have foreseen the future developments of the rise of social
media, but feels as if the timing for the scarf launch could not of been
better. “Especially with the growing importance of online privacy and
keeping your mystery online should you choose too, the scarf gives you back
the choice to decide what you want to share,” he added. Although the scarf
launch could not have been better timed, Siddiqui is still quite surprised
with the all the positive feedback he continues to receive.“It’s nuts how fast it was picked up!” Of course, being savvy with
celebrities and be able to ensure the right people were seen wearing The
ISHU scarf, helped promote the scarf, but Siddiqui noted that most of the
marketing for the scarf happened quite organically. “I was just lucky that
the right people happened to pick it up. Celebrities in particular love the
scarf as it’s something that messes up social media for them, but at the
same time they love to share it.” But Siddiqui maintains that privacy is
something that we are all entitled to, no matter your status. “It’s also
about keeping your personal space online – thanks to the rise of social
media there are now things that used to be yours, but no longer are yours.”
He believes that the ISHU is a means to take it back and retain your
“mystery.”Although the scarf in itself is an impressive product, Siddiqui has plans
to expand his fashion offering, as the ISHU is a prelude for an entire
clothing collection set to launch during the upcoming Paris Fashion Week.
The clothing range will includes menswear, womenswear, childrenswear as
well as accessories. “The scarf will act as the statement piece of the
collection, but the rest of the collection will not necessarily be exactly
like the ISHU,” he explained. Unwilling to give too much about the
collection away before its launch next year, Siddiqui notes that the
clothing range is based on street style trends as seen on the likes of
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and their daughter North West, but with a more
“subtle and contemporary” twist. “I really hope that it will be something
people do not expect from us,” he added.Photo credit: The ISHU Facebook