Cambodian brand turns lotus flower into luxury fashion
By: Eléonore Sok - Photography by: Morgan Fache - POSTED ON: August 1, 2016
In Cambodia’s rural west, an ethical fashion brand is turning the lotus flower into a highly sought-after – and rather expensive – niche fabric.

A model wears a Samatoa-designed sarong, made from a luxurious blend of lotus and silk.
Weaving tradition
[But,] in 2009, the company’s future took a dramatic turn when Delaval learnt about a fascinating tradition in Myanmar. In the Inle Lake region, during an annual Buddhist celebration, high-ranking monks would wear special robes made from lotus fibres. Inside the stems were long fibre filaments that created a soft, delicate thread. The resulting fabric, almost a cross between silk and linen, was naturally stain-resistant, waterproof, and soft to the touch, he learnt.

“I heard that weaving lotus flowers was an ancient practice,” he tells me. “Cambodia has a similar Buddhist background to Myanmar, and in Angkor Wat’s bas-reliefs some weaving scenes are depicted, so [one] can imagine that the lotus fibres were also crafted here. I felt a bit sad that this beautiful tradition might have disappeared, so I came back to Cambodia with the idea of reintroducing it.”
Full article: http://sea-globe.com/lotus-flower-luxury-fashion/

Saw a tv program recently on making this thread from lotus flower stalks in Laos, which is a ancient weaving tradition . Apparently it is finer, softer and a lot more expensive than the usual silk made from silk worms.

Samatoa, the Cambodian company which launched the development of lotus silk fabrics, picked up a prestigious international award last month. Well done.

Lotus silk loom. PPP.
Sustainable spinners awarded
Fri, 2 December 2016
Nicky Sullivan

Awen Delaval and his 30-strong team at Samatoa were recently rewarded for their pioneering work in developing a silk-like fabric made entirely from lotus stems.

The London-based Institution of Engineering and Technology announced their 2016 Innovation Awards winners on November 16, with Samatoa picking up the prize for sustainability. The judges were impressed with its zero-waste target, a toxic chemical-free production process and job creation.

“It’s a great recognition for all the spinners, weavers and technicians of Samatoa who are working hard [for] many years to provide this unique fibre,” said Delaval.

Even though Samatoa only commercialised its lotus fibre in 2012, it has already been recognised by UNESCO and by the French government’s “France commits to the South” program, which seeks to reward social innovators from across the globe.

The lotus stems come from farms to the south of Siem Reap in Battambang. The smooth microfibre is created through a process of threading and spinning that transforms 40,000 individual stems into one metre of fabric...

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weeke ... rs-awarded

40,000 stems for 1m of fabric. No wonder it costs $300 for a scarf