A Brief Overview of the History of Silk

Presently living and working in New York, Remi Landau has extensive experience in the fashion industry as a designer and an assistant to a personal stylist. Remi Landau possesses many essential skills relevant to the fashion industry related to designing, beading, and working with a range of fabrics.

Silk is one of the most popular and revered fabrics in use today. Typically obtained from mulberry silkworm larvae cocoons, silk was first produced and used in China in 3500 BCE. Eventually, the production of silk extended around the globe, despite the efforts of Chinese emperors to keep silk production a secret.

By 1200 CE, silk earned its status as the most valuable material in the world, and was considered a luxury fabric. In the late 19th century, China and Japan produced the greatest amount of silk in the world, with Italy following as the third-largest producer. Silk production began in America in the early 1600s, and the fabric was first produced in the country by American colonists. One of the original major centers for silk production in America was Paterson, New Jersey.