Silk Fabrics

Silk Fabrics

Material knowledge

Bombyx Mori, the mulberry silkworm, is a rather inconspicuous moth whose larvae feed on mulberry leaves. The caterpillar secretes the silk thread in order to pupate within it. Day and night it spins a kilometre-long continuous filament around itself until it lies enclosed in a firm, dove-sized cocoon. Before the metamorphosis can be completed by the moth hatching, the pupa is killed in hot steam. In boiling water, the sericin that glues the delicate cocoon together dissolves, allowing the ultra-fine, snow-white silk thread to be reeled off.

The secret of silk production was kept by the Chinese for thousands of years. Silkworm breeding was under the protection of the empress, and espionage or betrayal of the production method was punished by death. Beyond the Great Wall of China, exorbitant prices were paid for silk fabrics - the most precious were literally weighed in gold. It was only about 1,400 years ago that some eggs of the Bombyx Mori moth found their way to Byzantium, smuggled in hollow pilgrim's staffs. Around the Mediterranean, mulberry plantations and silkworm breeding were established, and in the historical centres of silk weaving, the finest silk fabrics are still produced today.

Wild silk is produced by various species of wild emperor moths, the best-known being the tussar moth. Wild silk cannot be reeled, is irregular and coarser than mulberry silk. The sericin is harder to remove, resulting in a somewhat rougher yarn with a grainy feel. Natural colour pigments remain partially embedded, giving wild silk its lively structure and a silvery, sandy, brownish or golden shimmer. The silk fibres are processed according to their length. The long reeled fibres are twisted into smooth, shiny yarns suitable for the finest fabrics. Schappe silk is made from shorter fibres, for example from empty cocoons, which are combed and spun. The very short fibres are processed in bourette spinning into slightly knobbly yarns with little lustre. In feel and appearance, bourette silk is reminiscent of cotton. It is hard-wearing and provides good warmth.

Silk is a delight to wear against the skin, offering protection equally against heat and cold, and, like wool, it absorbs up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. It hardly creases, is highly elastic and tear-resistant. No other material is so flattering and sensual on the skin, while the shimmering lustre resembles spun light. Silk is said to protect our nervous system from negative influences, helping us remain centred and lifting our spirits.