Episode 12: DOMELLE's Silk Knit
Hello everyone.
The cherry blossoms have turned completely green and the weather is gradually getting warmer as we approach summer.
I just pulled out a short-sleeved shirt from my closet last week, thinking that it was about time to prepare for summer clothes. During the season of changing clothes, it has become my annual tradition to organize my clothes while remembering the ones I bought, saying, "Oh, that reminds me, I bought this outfit last year."
Putting that aside, DOMELLE has currently started planning for its 2025SS collection, and recently I went to a materials exhibition held by Toyobo, a textile company that mainly deals in cashmere and silk.
This time, I would like to talk about the Toyobo silk material that is used in DOMELLE knitwear.
About Silk
What kind of image do you have of silk?
"Expensive," "Made from natural materials," "Gentle on the skin because it's natural," "Seems environmentally friendly"
Perhaps that is the image you have.
Silk is a natural protein fiber made from the cocoon of silkworms.
Among natural fibers, it is not only rare because there is a limit to the amount that can be harvested, but it is also treated as an expensive material because it goes through many processes before becoming a fiber.
Silk is a popular material for clothing, but its delicate nature makes it difficult to wash and it is weak against friction, which has been a problem.
However, in recent years, washable silk has appeared on the market.
Basically, silk is processed to increase its resistance to moisture and friction by adding some kind of material or chemical, and most of it is coated with a resin.
Most of the washable silk currently on the market uses a petroleum-derived resin coating, which means that the benefits of this natural fiber are not realized.
Toyobo Silk
However, the Toyobo silk used by DOMELLE is pure silk made from 100% natural fibers and can be hand washed.
By using our own special protein coating technology , we are able to coat the thread with natural protein while retaining the smoothness and excellent moisture-regulating properties of silk, making the silk thread easy to handle and highly resistant to washing and abrasion.
Processing techniques that bring out the best in the materials themselves are amazing, aren't they?
Furthermore, silk has the tendency to stretch when washed with water, but the protein coating prevents this stretching and makes it possible to hand wash it.
Washing, friction, and other factors can cause pilling and fine peeling of the surface layer, which can make the fabric appear whitish. This is known as bleaching, but this product helps prevent this bleaching.
Our skin and silk are made of almost the same amino acids (protein components), and silk is said to have a high affinity with humans, be gentle on bare skin, and be less likely to cause rashes or contact dermatitis.
In addition, it also has excellent deodorizing and UV protection properties.
In this way, Toyobo is constantly developing new silk threads.
The silks that have been developed have been given a variety of adorable names, which make you chuckle even during business meetings.
For example, there is "MAYUCA," which is likely derived from the name of a cocoon.
And they have developed a new variety of silkworm called "Natsuko" that is strong enough to grow even in the scorching hot summer.
DOMELLE actually uses "MAYUCA" and "Natsuko".
Silk, including ``MAYUCA'' and ``Natsuko,'' is a very delicate material, so there are only a few knitwear factories that can handle it.
It takes time and effort to handle it with care.
So the other day, I went to visit the factory in Nagano where DOMELLE knitwear is made. I will tell you more about what happened there in the next issue, Vol. 13.