Fashion Silk

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Fashion Silk F ASHION Deeya Nayar-Nambiar MOTHERS cherish their SILK has its roots in the Kanjeevaram saris that have been a part of bridal trousseaus, their culture and tradition of daughters love silk embroidered India and has evolved with footwear, fathers pick up the silk kurtas for a wedding, and sons time to be used for designer save their silk ties for an evening clothes and even T-shirts party. Indeed, silk is the queen of textiles spelling luxury, class and comfort. Shirts, skirts, shawls, upholstery, ties, and footwear - if it is made of silk, it must be good. The touch of soft, smooth silk reflects elegance, winning hearts around the world. “India is the biggest consumer (approx 27,000 metric tonnes per annum) of silk in the world,” says Alok Kumar, assistant director of Central Silk Board and executive of Silk Mark in Mumbai, “though we’re only second to China as pro- ducers of silk.” It is interesting to note that India imports silk from China too as domestic demand outstrips supply. Moving from traditional saris to embroidered and painted designer wear, most silk manufac- turers in India are registered with Silk Mark, a quality assurance label that is an initiative of the Central Silk Board to help the consumers identify genuine, natural silk prod- ucts. The multi-coloured outfits in hand painted, block printed are further enhanced with zari work or sequins and embellishments. The embroidery work in some Queen Of Fabrics 36 | btw | 11 February 2008 silk saris have wonderful traditional with Kusuma. motifs in shades of blue, green, black and Mulberry silk reeled from domesticat- red. The manufacturers claim that the ed silkworms feeding on mulberry leaves colours in the embroidery are not affected reared in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, “even if you dye the sari in your favourite Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and contrasting colours.” In fact, if you have a West Bengal and available as Pochampalli, light colour sari you can re-dye in another Kancheepuram and Banarasi is consid- dark colour and without affecting the ered natural silk. On the other hand, embroidery, you have a new sari ready. Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa and the Tribal prints are also a hot favourite and Northeastern states produce non-mulber- so are Kashmiri shawls and silk carpets. ry silks such as Tussar, Eri and Muga “Consumers ask for designer saris and called Vanya silk or wild silk. what makes them special are, they’re The shimmering golden Muga silk is exclusive handmade saris with unique exclusive to Assam and considered the designs. You’ll not find your friend or most expensive of silks. Produced by the neighbour owning the same,” emphasises muga silkworm, a caterpillar that feeds on Ruma Dutta Gupta of Mili saris and certain aromatic leaves and reared on dress materials in Kolkata. trees, Muga is an eco-friendly textile and The discovery of silk as a wearable its sheen increases with every wash. fibre is credited to Xi Ling Shi, the Despite keeping up with the times and 14-year-old bride of Emperor Huang changing its forms, the silk sari continues Ti of China. According to Confucius, to rule the roost. In India, silk saris domi- a silk cocoon that fell into her tea when nate 80-90 per cent of the market. Little she was sitting under a mulberry tree surprise then that when a silk sari woven slowly unravelled delicate fibres that were used to create a yarn for weaving. Such silk cocoons are protection that the silkworm spins in three to eight days around it. A single silk filament can reach up to 1000 yards. In sericulture farms, after the silkworms are reared, they preserve these filaments by heating the cocoons in water (the silkworm is killed in the process). This dissolves the outside gummy substance and it is joined and twisted with filaments of four to eight other cocoons to make a thread that is wound on a reel. Hyderabad-based Kusuma Rajaiah, the inventor and patent holder of Ahimsa Silk, had other plans. “Ahimsa silk is extracted after the silkworm has complet- ed metamorphosis and emerged from the cocoon. The Hindi word ‘ahimsa’ means non-violence. And since the fabric is manufactured in a process where silkworms are not killed, it’s also known with 12 valuable stones and metals as peace silk,” informs Kusuma. replicating 11 famous paintings of Raja Considering the increased awareness Ravi Varma was priced at Rs 40 lakh, it of animal protection around the world, created news and made space for itself Ahimsa silk is definitely a boon. Also, in The Guinness Book Of World Records. after weaving out extensive collections Silk matters to the economy of the that include everything from saris country and having its roots strong in and kurtas to skirts and crochet blouse, the culture and tradition of India, every Ahimsa Silks also takes pride in silk household has welcomed it despite T-shirts, an innovation that is a first changing fashions and styles. 11 February 2008 | btw | 37.
Recommended publications
  • Lee Luna.Pdf (3.311Mb)
    RESPONSIBLE SILK – A PLAN OF ACTION FOR EILEEN FISHER A Project Paper Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Professional Studies in Agriculture and Life Sciences Field of Global Development by Luna H. Lee August 2019 © 2019 Luna H. Lee ABSTRACT For apparel companies, agriculture is connected but often far removed. For EILEEN FISHER, being a socially conscious clothing company does not stop at the finished garment level. The company has been tracing its raw material supply chains for a few years, and is interested in expanding its human rights and environmental sustainability work to include the wellbeing of farmers and the land. In recent years, the company has started engaging suppliers and other external stakeholders at the agricultural level for cotton, wool, and man-made cellulosic. Silk is one of the top five fibers at EILEEN FISHER, representing 8% of its total materials in 2018, but one that is not well studied by the company. Grounded in literature review, this paper examines the different dimensions of the silk agricultural supply chain; the people, the land, and the silkworm. A review of the company’s silk supply chain revealed that 100% of its 2018 silk fiber comes from China, but little is known about its supply chain beyond the yarn spinner level. In collaboration with the company, a survey is conducted with its silk suppliers to trace the origin of silk cocoons within China. Findings indicates that the company’s silk originates from the provinces of Jiangsu and Guangxi.
    [Show full text]
  • Study of Dental Fluorosis in Subjects Related to a Phosphatic Fertilizer
    Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 7(1), January 2008, pp. 178-181 Contemporary breakthrough in Ahimsa silk spinning Sanapapamma KJ & Shailaja D Naik* Department of Textiles and Apparel Designing, College of Rural Home Science, UAS, Dharwad 580 005, Karnataka Received 5 July 2006; revised 28 September 2007 Karnataka is the premier mulberry silk producing state in India, contributing nearly 73% of the country’s total production. Around 764 drainages distributed in different parts of Karnataka cater to the seed requirement of the Seri culturist. During drainages operation moths emerges out by piercing the cocoons thus become unreelable. Such cocoons amount to about 240 tons per year, hence proper utilization of these cocoons is of utmost importance for product diversification. The silk spun from pierced cocoon without letting pupae to die considered as Ahimsa silk is widely accepted by Hindus. Ahimsa silk spun on traditional devices viz., Takli, NR Das, Chuodhary Charaka and Medleri Charakas, did not produce regular tpi though the production was less. Hence, there was need to develop appropriate technology to spin quality spun silk. The CSTRI, Bangalore realized the necessity and to develop the improvised “Motorized Spinning cum Twisting Machine’’, a real break through in silk spinning. This machine was perfectly suitable to spin unreelable silk to 30-35s and the production rate ranged to 100-40g/8 hrs, which exhibited greater tenacity with remarkable elongation. Keywords: Ahimsa silk, Silk spinning, Cocoons, Traditional spinning devices IPC Int. Cl.8: D01 Karnataka is the premier mulberry silk producing long spindle having a basal round plate placed slightly state in India.
    [Show full text]
  • Get to Know Silk! Silk Is Known As One of the Most Highly Prized and Sought After Fibers for the Last 5,000 Years
    Get to Know Silk! Silk is known as one of the most highly prized and sought after fibers for the last 5,000 years. Originally discovered in ancient China, silk was exclusively used for royalty, but desired by all. It wasn't until 300 AD that sericulture, or the production of silk, started spreading to Korea, Japan, and India. From there, the production and desire for silk products and fiber spread like wildfire. We have King James of England to thank for ordering silk to be brought over to the United States in 1603. Everyone was fighting over who produced the best silk until it was quickly learned that cotton and tobacco was a more profitably investment here in the United States. What is silk made from? Well, it is a matter of who makes silk. Silkworms are technically the silk moth in the pupa life cycle, scientifically known as Bombyx Mori. There is a variety of insects that can produce silk or silk like fibers, but have yet to be use for commercial purposes. Silk is one of the strongest fibers available. It is also highly durable, has a naturally reflective sheen, and absorbs dye well. Silk will be stronger the softer it is and does not like being stretched out. Types of Silk! Mulberry Silk - is the most common type of silk that is cultivated for commercial use. These silkworms are bred to produce fine white silk to make the dyeing process easier and more efficient. Tussah or Wild Silk - also known as Peace or Ahimsa Silk. These are cocoons that are found naturally in the wild once the silkworm is done with it.
    [Show full text]
  • Eri: the Silk of the Century
    International Journal of Engineering Technology Science and Research IJETSR www.ijetsr.com ISSN 2394 – 3386 Volume 3, Issue 5 May 2016 Eri: The Silk of the Century. Manjula Harapanahalli1, N.Vasugi Raaja2 1.Ph.D Scholar, Dept. Textiles and Clothing, Avinashilingam Deemed University, Coimbatore. 2. Dean, Faculty of Home Science &Professor, Dept. Textiles and clothing, Avinashilingam Deemed University, Coimbatore. ABSTRACT The textile heritage of India is very rich and old. It dates back to the Vedic period. The finest cottons like muslins, pashmina wool and shimmering silks of India have always been popular all over the world. The craftsmanship of our weavers has been appreciated since the time immemorial. Textiles have been the backbone of the Indian economy and the social structure. The climatic conditions and the biodiversity have also contributed to the availability of a number of natural fibres in this country. An increasing awareness about eco-friendly, sustainable practices and organic products have made us to turn towards the alternative fibres. Eri silk is one such natural fibre which is gaining importance and been the favourite of designers and animal activists. The present article is an effort to understand all about Eri silk including its properties in comparison with the most popular silk, mulberry. Key words- Indian textiles, silks, wild silk, Eri silk, mulberry silk, properties 1.INTRODUCTION Silk is a natural protein fibre and one of the earliest fibres discovered by man.China is believed to be the home of silk. A beautiful story about the Chinese empress Shiling T. discovering silk during 2640 BC when cocoon fell in her tea cup, describes the invention of silk in China.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessment of Physical Properties of Cotton with Ahimsa and Conventional Silk Union Fabrics
    International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Assessment of Physical Properties of Cotton with Ahimsa and Conventional Silk Union Fabrics Neelam Sharma1, Dr. Minakshi Jain2, Dr. Radha Kashyap3 1Research Scholar, Fashion and Textile Department, The IIS University Jaipur 2Associate Professor, Govt. Girls College, Chomu (Jaipur) 3Professor, Fashion and Textile Department, The IIS University, Jaipur Abstract: Silk fiber is the most beautiful natural fiber known as the “Queen of Textiles”. Ahimsa silk is an eco-friendly, sustainable and non-violent process of the production. Cotton is a versatile fabric full of comfort properties. Hand spun and hand woven cotton fabric is another model of sustainable fabrics. Therefore, union fabrics in different ratios were prepared from Khadi cotton and ahimsa silk yarns (Eri Silk) and conventional Silk yarns (Muga Silk and tussar silk). Assessment of physical properties of Khadi cotton with Ahimsa silk and Conventional Silk union fabrics has been accomplished in this research. Objective of the study was to prepare union fabrics in three different ratios Eri*Cotton 33:67, Eri*Cotton 50:50 and Eri*Cotton 67:33 and assessment of its physical properties. These fabrics were tested in the wool Research Association for their crease resistance (resilience), pilling, shrinkage, tearing strength; moisture regain (absorbency) and drapability etc. The results indicate that Khadi cotton-ahimsa silk union fabrics are compatible to the other Khadi cotton- conventional silk union fabrics in their physical and comfort properties, so can be used for various garment construction. Keywords: Ahimsa silk, conventional silk, Khadi cotton, physical properties, union fabrics 1.
    [Show full text]
  • E-ZINE of BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES We the People of Northeast Always
    http://babrone.edu.in/blog/?p=3055 E-ZINE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES ISSN: 2456-7264 | Issue – 15 | Published On 07/09/2020 We the people of northeast always take pride of our invaluable wealth of prehistoric memories, legends, mythology and history. Assam being the gateway of the northeast, also goes by the name “The silk heaven of India”, it is the reputation set up by the skilled weavers of the state. Three indigenous wild silks are produced in Assam -Golden Muga, White Paat and Warm Eri Silk and the center of Assam’s silk industry is “Sulakuchi” which is a few kilometers from Guwahati city. Well, Assam is the largest producer of Muga silk in the world and Muga silk is considered as one of the costliest silks in the world. A Muga mekhela chaddar (traditional wear of Assam women) is always the prized and pride possession for every Assamese woman. Finally, the Assam weavers got recognition in 2007 with Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Muga Silk. Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by the click-clack sound of the loom in my home. Though my mother is not a professional weaver, the art of weaving she carried out always mesmerized me. The hard work she does on weaving a pair of mekhela chaddar, shawl, blanket, gamosas and many more just for her satisfaction is just a mere example of the womenfolk of Assam. On the contrary, I inherited weaving lessons from my mother which reflects the most important feature of being an Assamese. The women weave the fairytales on their looms.
    [Show full text]
  • Greetings from Salt Spring Island We Wish All of You Peace, Tenac- Is Through Slow and Sustained Effort
    Silk Tidings January 2009 Greetings from Salt Spring Island We wish all of you peace, tenac- is through slow and sustained effort. spirit. We have a lot to offer and can ity, hope and productivity for 2009. The silver lining of these chal- produce the feeling of quiet joy and The end of 2008 felt tumultuous lenging and hopeful times is a accomplishment acquired through and went out with a bang on many slowing down and re-evaluation of the hard work of our minds and levels. 2009 is the Year of the Earth what makes life worthwhile and re- hands. Ox in the Chinese lunar calendar. connecting with our values. As fibre We have some new products, The ox is a calm, steady, hard work- artists we are at home with these specials and information to feed the ing and trustworthy creature that is things and can share them with our souls of those around you as well not prone to get rich quick schemes. friends, family and community by as your own during this upcoming For this year it is predicted the way passing along our valuable knowl- year. to prosper in all aspects of our lives edge of all fibre arts and our creative Clay/Straw House Update Work continues on our house. will become very tough and an ideal the sheep and clothing industry – Terry finished the wiring and it material to stand and walk on for the and feels like a soft, warm blanket. passed inspection. What a huge job, health of your feet and ankles and Most sheep meat farmers burn or so many wires to keep track of! all the way up to your shoulders and bury their wool as they cannot find We are making an earthen floor neck.
    [Show full text]
  • Entomological Aspects of Sericulture Based on Antheraea Assamensis and Samia Ricini (Saturniidae) in Assam and Meghalaya
    SEIDEL & PEIGLER: Review of muga and eri silk culture TROP. LEPID. RES., 28(1): 13-18, 2018 13 Review: entomological aspects of sericulture based on Antheraea assamensis and Samia ricini (Saturniidae) in Assam and Meghalaya Cody Lane Seidel1 and Richard S. Peigler2 1H-E-B School of Business & Administration, University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78209-6397 USA; 2Department of Biology, University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78209-6397, USA; Research Associate, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32601, USA; [email protected] Date of issue online: 31 May 2018 Zoobank registered: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2AF98106-2000-4CE7-8AF7-33060C2258D8 Electronic copies (ISSN 2575-9256) in PDF format at: http://journals.fcla.edu/troplep; https://zenodo.org; archived by the Institutional Repository at the University of Florida (IR@UF), http://ufdc.ufl.edu/ufir;DOI : 10.5281/zenodo.1248200 © The author(s). This is an open access article under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Abstract: We review entomological aspects of the rearing of muga silkworms (Antheraea assamensis) and eri silkworms (Samia ricini) from egg to adult in northeast India with the aim of harvesting cocoons for silk. Rearing of the latter species, ericulture, is also practiced to provide pupae for human consumption among tribal peoples in rural villages. Muga silkworms are reared outdoors and are subject to a large number of biotic and abiotic challenges such as parasitoids and predators, resulting in major losses of the crop.
    [Show full text]
  • Silk Production: Global Scale and Animal Welfare Issues
    Silk production: global scale and animal welfare issues Summary and key takeaways Introduction Industry background Description of practices Potential welfare concerns Rearing issues Slaughter issues Industry scale Potential interventions Historical advocacy on silk issues Hygiene improvements Silk bans Promoting silk alternatives Consumer advocacy against silk use Areas for further research Conclusion Acknowledgements Appendix Scale estimate methodology Potential issues in this estimate Supporting documents Citations Summary and key takeaways - At least 420 billion to 1 trillion silkworms are killed annually to produce silk. - While only 61 billion to 170 billion of these worms die due to diseases and pests, diseases cause up to 99% of the cumulative days of potentially negative experiences I identified on farms, (with the remaining 1% caused by slaughter). - This suggests that research to inform the prioritization of the silk industry for animal advocates ought to focus on the sentience of silkworms, not pupating silk moths, as has usually been assumed. - Campaigns to ban silk or stop its sale at retail locations are plausibly the most promising avenue for animal advocates to reduce silk production, therefore reducing the days of potentially negative experiences caused by diseases on silk farms. Developing and promoting alternative silks may also be promising as an intervention. - I think that while there are promising interventions to reduce the suffering of silkworms, marginal resources in the insect space might be beer spent in other areas, such as reducing the painfulness of pesticides, reducing the number of insects farmed for animal feed, and reducing the harms of cochineal farming. - That being said, given the scale of silk farming, advocacy on this issue could plausibly be highly cost-effective when compared on a species-neutral basis to interventions to reduce vertebrate farmed animal suffering.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Empowerment Through the Silk Industry of Assam, India, and Its
    Journal of International Women's Studies Volume 21 Issue 5 Women as Enablers of Change Article 3 August 2020 Women’s Empowerment through the Silk Industry of Assam, India, and its underlying Economy Ranjit Singha Surjit Singha Follow this and additional works at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws Part of the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Singha, Ranjit and Singha, Surjit (2020). Women’s Empowerment through the Silk Industry of Assam, India, and its underlying Economy. Journal of International Women's Studies, 21(5), 9-31. Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol21/iss5/3 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2020 Journal of International Women’s Studies. Women’s Empowerment through the Silk Industry of Assam, India, and its underlying Economy By Ranjit Singha1 and Surjit Singha2 Abstract In the medieval era, the Royal families of Assam, India produced Muga silk fabrics. During the time of the Koch Dynasty (Historical Koch Country), Muga silk from ancient Pragjyotishpur and Koch Behar became an integral part of the trade with Bengal, Bhutan, Tibet, and the Mughals. Most households in Assam weave cloth and every girl child in the household acquires weaving skills at a very young age from her mother. In Sualkuchi, a town in Assam, there are approximately 6,872 female weavers.
    [Show full text]
  • Life Cycle of Bombyx Mori Compiled by Dr Nidhi Garg Life Cycle of Bombyx Mori
    Life Cycle of Bombyx mori Compiled by Dr Nidhi Garg Life Cycle of Bombyx mori Introduction • Bombyx mori is the closest relative of Bombyx mandarina, the wild silk moth from which it has been domesticated. • Bombyx mandarina, which has a range from northern India to northern China, Korea, Japan, and the far eastern regions of Russia. The domestic silk moth derives from Chinese rather than Japanese or Korean stock. • Silk moths were unlikely to have been domestically bred before the Neolithic Age. Before then, the tools to manufacture quantities of silk thread had not been developed. • The B. mori and the wild B. mandarina can still breed and sometimes produce hybrids. Introduction • Domestic silk moths are closely dependent on humans for reproduction, due to selective breeding. • Domestic silk moths are very different from most members in the genus Bombyx: 1. They have lost the ability to fly. 2. Their color pigments have also been lost. Wild silk moth Bombyx mandarina Domestication • The domestic species, compared to the wild species, has increased cocoon size, body size, growth rate, and efficiency of its digestion. • It has gained tolerance to human presence and handling, and also to living in crowded conditions. • The domestic silk moths cannot fly, so the males need human assistance in finding a mate, and it lacks fear of potential predators. • The native color pigments have also been lost, so the domestic silk moths are leucistic, since camouflage is not useful when they only live in captivity. • These changes have made the domesticated strains entirely dependent upon humans for survival.
    [Show full text]
  • Silk Designed by Upasana, Auroville Www
    A Journey into the World of Silk Designed by Upasana, Auroville www. upasana.in Series- Know India through Textiles Published by Bestseller Fund, Denmark www.bestsellerfund.com ISBN 978-87-993725-1-5 Printed at Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd. 17, Red Hills, Hyderabad 500 004 India 2010 To the Bestseller Foundation for inspiration and opportunity Preface 09 The Journey 16 Making Silk 32 Silk Trade 80 Silk in India 114 Creativity Across Cultures 122 The Gift 144 The Team 153 Credits 155 Resources 156 Preface “Watching a silkworm weave is mesmerising. One long strand, carefully strung here and there, wound round and round itself, it constructs one of the great marvels of nature – a cocoon. Soft and delicate to look at, it harbours a beautiful secret within – silk. A secret guarded for centuries, a beauty unparalleled, the touch of silk is enough for humans to lose themselves in a sensory journey.” 02 Preface 0310 “Silk has been called the ‘Queen of Textiles’ and perhaps rightly so. Finer than human hair, strong as steel, light and versatile with an inherent shimmer and a satiny feel, silk stands apart from all other fabrics. It is not made from plants like cotton and hemp; rather it is made by silkworms and harvested from their cocoons. It’s not surprising that when silk was introduced to Europe in the first millennium, Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, wrote, “Silk was obtained by removing the down from the leaves with the help of water.” In fact, silk is a protein fibre; similar to wool or to human hair and this is what gives it most of its matchless qualities.“ Preface 12 “The enigma of silk captivates one and all and it is no wonder that this wisp of a fibre has led to wars and espionage, as well as trade on a global scale.
    [Show full text]