Issue 23

Thai silk's reputation for high quality weaving techniques and patterns is well established, but the industry needs to change in order to match consumer's needs and the world fashion market.

While the conventional weaving patterns and techniques of Thai silk are valuable to Thai culture, the Modern Thai Silk project aims to promote contemporary Thai silk to serve the demands of the fashion world.

“Fashion designers love silk, but they need materials that suit the consumer’s needs and lifestyles,” says Dr. Chanchai Sirikasemlert, Director of the Thailand Textile Institute's Technology Promotion Department. “Traditional Thai silk has a limited range of colours and textures, but designers need to follow fashion trends and people’s lifestyle.”

Over the past year, the department has carried out research and development across the industry, from silkworm raising, thread reeling and yarn spinning to design, dyeing, printing and marketing. This revealed that Thai silk can be classified into four characteristics – lustre, uneven, textured and fluid, according to Sirikasemlert.

“This year we have developed the yarns and fabrics to have more characteristics,” he says. “For example, stretchy like spandex, light and thin as chiffon, twisted with linen to make it more ventilated, mixed with hemp to help protect UV or even having collagen to nourish the skin. It is more functional and suitable for daily use.”

Samples had been on display at the world's top fabrics fair Premiere Vision 2015 in Paris. Fashion brands and designers were there to examine materials from more than 700 weavers around the world and to buy what suits their needs best.

Thailand exported US$16.95 million of silk products in 2014, an increase of 8.53% compared with the same period the previous year. Key markets included the US, Germany, the UK, Japan and Hong Kong.

 “We need creativity and innovation to differentiate our silk from other exporters,” says Sirikasemlert. “We cannot compete with them in terms of export volume or lower prices, so we have to promote the quality of Thai silk and expand the variety.”

According to Sirikasemlert, the research indicated that many young Thais tended to regard silk as very special because it is expensive, best reserved for formal occasions only, too delicate for daily use, too hard to take care of, more associated with elderly people, and uncomfortable because it does not breathe.

"So we should start changing the image of Thai silk in our own country, turning clothing that is formal and uncomfortable into a fabric that can breathe and be worn every day,” says Sirikasemlert. “We would love Thais to use silk in their daily lives so that our ancestors’ wisdom of sericulture and the silk-making process does not disappear. Hopefully designers, both foreign and Thai, will check out our Modern Thai Silk and use it in their collections.”

For more information, please visit www.thaitextile.org

Words by: Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi