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CRÙBAG!
CRÙBAG
is no ordinary
textiles company. Borne out
of a desire to share the hidden
ocean, it fuses a knowledge of
science with luxury fashion. The
result; a high-end accessory
and interiors brand, dedicated
to marine ecology and its
ambitions set on being stocked
in some of the world’s most
renowned department stores.
One summers day in her
hometown of Oban, Jessica
found herself taking notice of
the scarves adorning women’s
necks – which saw butterflies
and floral prints a plenty, before
it hit her, the eye-catching and
intricate details of the ocean
would make for an interesting
textile design.
So, turning the fascination of
phytoplankton and the strange
Founder, Jessica Giannotti, a
organisms, she had seen under
marine science graduate had
her lens into an evocative,
little to no knowledge of fabrics
sustainable design business,
and fibres, but started her
was a very unexpected turn of
business because she loved
events. One that was not without
aqua life. Jessica had trained in
its challenges, especially when
a marine lab not an artist studio.
Jessica was pushing new print
She was used to microscopes not and manufacturing techniques.
ink and print manufacturing.
From a young age, Jessica was
truly fascinated by the ocean and
spent much of her time by the
water, consumed by the variety of
colours, textures and movements
in the sea. Moving to Argyll
back in 2006 – a coastal town
blessed with idyllic beaches and
picturesque scenery – Jessica’s
love of the ocean was re-ignited
and a desire to share this with
others became her biggest
passion.
After getting Crùbag off the
ground, Jessica enlisted the
help of the Highlands and
Islands Innovation Team who
over time have played a pivotal
role in supporting Crùbag’s
growth and development. By
providing introductions to its
expansive network, offering
mentorship, small grant funding
and courses, HIE’s innovation
services enabled Jessica to
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Jessica to improve Crùbag’s
existing products, expand its range
and move towards scaling up.
“Sometimes a good idea isn’t
enough. I wanted to develop a
product that could compete with
brands such as Hermes, and sell
in Liberty and Selfridges. But for
this I had to have consistency of
quality,” Jessica tells us.
“I work with digital printing, which
is a relatively new development,
and not without its hurdles. It’s
advancing very fast, but it’s not the
same as screen printing. With my
technique I don’t have to separate
the colours so I can show the
world of the oceans without losing
the nuances and the vivid shades.
“I’m able to work with photography
and research images and it gives
me a freedom that another type
of printing would never give me.
But with this novel technique I
faced many issues trying, from
the technicality of getting ink
penetration right to bringing the
right depth and richness of colour
alive on the fabric.