One Of The Oldest Known Luxury Natural Fibers.

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DESCRIPTION

Silk is a very special natural fiber. Textile-used silk was often obtained from moth caterpillars. Long considered a luxury fiber, it is sometimes referred to as the “queen of fabrics”. Silk is the only natural filament fiber and is soft, lustrous, shiny, and smooth to the touch.

HISTORY

According to archeological evidence, silk has been used for at least 5000 years. According to Chinese legend, Empress His Ling Chi, Wife of the Yellow Emperor, sat under a mulberry tree and discovered that silkworm cocoons were made of a delicate thread. The Empress then learned how to make luxurious fabric by spinning the silk. It became very popular during the Han Dynasty, where silk became a currency that was traded.

MANUFACTURING

Silk can be produced by several insects, but the most common one is from caterpillar. Female moths lay 200-300 eggs over a couple of days and they grow from 2mm to 70mm in length during 25-30 days of non-stop eating. The silkworm starts to spin a cocoon of silk when it is fully grown, and one cocoon creates almost a mile of filament

POTENTIAL IMPACT

The boiling of cocoons and the killing of the chrysalis to obtain the long silk filaments raises concerns over animal welfare concerns.

SUSTAINABLE OPTION

The use of wild (tussah) silk, ahisma silk and organic silk are possible sustainable alternatives.

ANIMAL FIBER

WASH INSTRUCTION

[1]Hand wash with mild soap or dry clean[2]Do not bleach[3]Hang to air dry[4]Iron with low heat, inside out

CULTIVATED AND WILD

The mulberry silkworm is the only cultivated silkworm, and also produces the best-quality silk.

	MULBERRY	TUSSAH	ERI	TUSSAH
	CH	ID/CN/JP	TH/IN	ID
✓	*****	***	*	****
	White	Deep Gold	–	Honey Gold

MOMME

Momme count (mm) is used to measure the density and strength of silk. The higher the number, the better the quality and the stronger the fabric. A silk fabric of 6 mm is a lightweight silk, while 22 mm is a heavyweight silk.