The Silk Road. Benefits and history of a coveted fibre.

Every time you wear a silk shirt, remember that - apart from enjoying its shine and splendour - you are pampering your skin with a 'live' fibre that respects it (by having the same pH), with antibacterial, heat-regulating and moisturising properties.

Silk, a fibre with ancient origins, and a true youth elixir

This 100% natural fibre that comes from animals, helps to maintain our skin elastic and smooth, through sericin, a protein produced by the silkworm and present on the fibre surface, around the fibroin, whose chemical structure is, guess what, very similar to our skin's keratin.

Legend has is that, in Japan, the hands of old silk workers, when cocoons were placed in warm water to help sericin detach from fibroin (which was then used to prepare skin and hair beauty serums), had a smooth, young and soft skin, despite being obliged to keep it under water for long periods of time.

The precious silkworm who won Constantinople over

And this fabric was used in the ancient Far East to make fine fabrics, beloved by the Royal Family, insomuch so they kept their processing top secret for centuries, before reaching us during the Eastern Roman Empire Age. Indeed, Justinian I was the first to smuggle the silkworm eggs outside Central Asia. Henceforth, silk manufacturing and trade became an Imperial monopoly: Byzantine silks with their typical shiny colours, interwoven with golden yarns and elaborate jacquards, became very popular, thanks to the rare beauty and embroidery-like complexity.

After being the star of many red carpets and fashion shows, today silk is employed in no-season pieces, due to its heat-regulating properties, which allow it to be used at all temperatures, and to its transversal aesthetic, which makes it flexible, from comfort looks with a bold chic touch (such as Ali McGraw's famous outfits, or Alexander McQueen's FW pieces), to evergreen classics and elegant suits, to make its perlage shine under the night's spotlight.