For nearly 20 years now Benoit Pierre Emery has been collecting silk scarves—perhaps the ultimate fashion accessory—exploring boutiques and flea markets to amass an astounding assortment of 10,000 pieces (and growing). Carré. A Vintage Scarf Collection presents around 6,500 of these scarves, which Emery acquires according to their individual aesthetic merit, not the prestige of the brand that may be printed on them—many pieces remain tantalizingly anonymous, even as others boast the names of renowned fashion houses (Dior, Hermès, Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Balenciaga…) and great artists (Picasso, Sonia Delaunay, Victor Vasarely, Enzo Mari…).

From geometric rhythms to psychedelic designs, from minimalism to the explosive colors of Pop Art and the optical games of kinetic art, Carré sweeps through many artistic trends from the post-war period to the 1980s. Showing the scarves both in full-page reproductions and in grids, the book gives us an up-close look at the textures and compositions of individual pieces, as well as allowing us to trace patterns, colors and trends across the collection.