The story behind

Leafing through the pages of a catalogue of 19th-century military uniforms found in the Emile Hermès collection, Virginie Jamin was struck by the power of the designs. This scarf takes its name from the uniforms of zouaves – North African light infantry units in the French Army – and dragons, or dragoons in English – cavalry soldiers who fought on foot or horseback. Adorned with passementerie, braids, insignia and silk embroidery, the costumes seemed to come to life. "It was as if I could hear their conversation," she explains. "I detected […] a unique connection, like that between dancers in a troupe." These thoughts inspired her to create this composition evoking a dance of swirling jackets, here embellished with the stars, dots and trimmings of a two-tone bandana.