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Weaving new silk for the world
By Xu Wenwen |
May 13, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE cost of raw silk has more than doubled in two years and Hangzhou's famous silk manufacturers are developing innovative and affordable mixed weaves of silk with cotton, linen and lycra. Xu Wenwen spins the yarn.
Hangzhou silk is famous around the world, and it turns out both silk and innovative silk-mixed weaves for top fashion houses, as well as silk souvenirs for the World Expo Shanghai.
The city is home to dozens of manufacturers, including leading national enterprises such as Wensli Group that has been designated to make Expo silk souvenirs, and earlier to make souvenirs for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Other enterprises include Jinfuchun Group, which manufactures for Chanel, Banana Republic and a dozen high-end fashion houses around the world, and High Fashion Group, which works with leading Italian designers and develops innovative weaves with cotton, linen, lycra and other fabrics.
These ventures produce traditional silk bolts, silk garments, home decor and other products, as well as new silk textiles.
However, they are transforming and upgrading their enterprises as the price of raw materials - silk cocoons - has more than doubled in two years.
Industry experts say the price of pure silk has risen from 130,000 yuan (US$19,045) per ton to 280,000 yuan - thus making mixed fabrics, those woven with silk and other materials, more affordable and popular. Manufacturers have changed accordingly.
"The research and development of interweaving fabrics like silk with cotton or linen is now a priority for many Hangzhou manufacturers," says Kong Xiangguang, design director of Zhejiang Cathaya Apparel Co.
Natural silk tends to wrinkle and requires careful maintenance but finishing technology improves wearability, so after-finish is a major development for many manufacturers, says Wu Lan, an official with the research and development department in the High Fashion Group in Xiaoshan District. It was founded in 1978 and serves retailers and importers around the world.
In 2006 it cofounded a research and development center with an Italian company and now employs Italian experts for technical support in design and after-finish.
It also has five Italian permanent designers and experts who have developed many mixed fabrics for fashion, home textiles and other products.
"Interwoven fabric is recommended since even machine washing doesn't change its shape," says Wu. Using less costly materials such as linen and cotton is popular now because it can reduce product cost at a time when silk is more expensive.
Jinfuchun Group in Fuyang was the first silk manufacturer in China approved by DuPont to manufacture innovative products.
It recently developed a new material combining silk, bamboo fiber and lycra. The fabric has the coolness of silk, the antibacterial and permeable properties of bamboo and the elasticity of lycra.
It is also cheaper than pure silk because less pure silk is used and the other materials are inexpensive.
In cooperation with DuPont, Jinfuchun has developed an elastic silk material welcomed by international brands though it costs 50-100 percent more than ordinary silk. It produces 8 million meters a year.
Improved textile printing techniques are also being used by Hangzhou silk companies.
High Fashion Group is developing a way to print pure silk with eco-friendly natural dyes from plants, rather than commonly used chemical dyes.
Wensli Group, which received a 50-million-yuan order for World Expo 2010 silk souvenirs, is now using digital printing technology. It can transfer pictures from computers onto any fabric, just like printing on paper.
This makes the process faster and more efficient and reduces environmental pollution. The technology is supplied by Atexco Digital Co in Hangzhou.
"Hangzhou's silk industry is innovative and leading the way," says Wang Ying, director of the textile and garment department of the Hangzhou Economic and Trade Committee. "The city's technologies of combining silk with new fabrics, printing and the city's silk infrastructure are all at the top level."
Hangzhou silk is famous around the world, and it turns out both silk and innovative silk-mixed weaves for top fashion houses, as well as silk souvenirs for the World Expo Shanghai.
The city is home to dozens of manufacturers, including leading national enterprises such as Wensli Group that has been designated to make Expo silk souvenirs, and earlier to make souvenirs for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Other enterprises include Jinfuchun Group, which manufactures for Chanel, Banana Republic and a dozen high-end fashion houses around the world, and High Fashion Group, which works with leading Italian designers and develops innovative weaves with cotton, linen, lycra and other fabrics.
These ventures produce traditional silk bolts, silk garments, home decor and other products, as well as new silk textiles.
However, they are transforming and upgrading their enterprises as the price of raw materials - silk cocoons - has more than doubled in two years.
Industry experts say the price of pure silk has risen from 130,000 yuan (US$19,045) per ton to 280,000 yuan - thus making mixed fabrics, those woven with silk and other materials, more affordable and popular. Manufacturers have changed accordingly.
"The research and development of interweaving fabrics like silk with cotton or linen is now a priority for many Hangzhou manufacturers," says Kong Xiangguang, design director of Zhejiang Cathaya Apparel Co.
Natural silk tends to wrinkle and requires careful maintenance but finishing technology improves wearability, so after-finish is a major development for many manufacturers, says Wu Lan, an official with the research and development department in the High Fashion Group in Xiaoshan District. It was founded in 1978 and serves retailers and importers around the world.
In 2006 it cofounded a research and development center with an Italian company and now employs Italian experts for technical support in design and after-finish.
It also has five Italian permanent designers and experts who have developed many mixed fabrics for fashion, home textiles and other products.
"Interwoven fabric is recommended since even machine washing doesn't change its shape," says Wu. Using less costly materials such as linen and cotton is popular now because it can reduce product cost at a time when silk is more expensive.
Jinfuchun Group in Fuyang was the first silk manufacturer in China approved by DuPont to manufacture innovative products.
It recently developed a new material combining silk, bamboo fiber and lycra. The fabric has the coolness of silk, the antibacterial and permeable properties of bamboo and the elasticity of lycra.
It is also cheaper than pure silk because less pure silk is used and the other materials are inexpensive.
In cooperation with DuPont, Jinfuchun has developed an elastic silk material welcomed by international brands though it costs 50-100 percent more than ordinary silk. It produces 8 million meters a year.
Improved textile printing techniques are also being used by Hangzhou silk companies.
High Fashion Group is developing a way to print pure silk with eco-friendly natural dyes from plants, rather than commonly used chemical dyes.
Wensli Group, which received a 50-million-yuan order for World Expo 2010 silk souvenirs, is now using digital printing technology. It can transfer pictures from computers onto any fabric, just like printing on paper.
This makes the process faster and more efficient and reduces environmental pollution. The technology is supplied by Atexco Digital Co in Hangzhou.
"Hangzhou's silk industry is innovative and leading the way," says Wang Ying, director of the textile and garment department of the Hangzhou Economic and Trade Committee. "The city's technologies of combining silk with new fabrics, printing and the city's silk infrastructure are all at the top level."
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