the silk market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

The silk is a natural fibre of animal origin used for the manufacture of textile articles, which is said to have been discovered more than 2000 years before the present era. Silk comes from arthropods, including spiders and the caterpillars of some butterflies. The best silk is obtained from cocoons of the larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori The process of rearing silkworms to obtain and produce silk is called sericulture

The main outlets for silk products are therefore the The textile industry but also that of the household linen and high-end furnishings . Applications in the health and cosmetics are also possible

However, silk only represents 0.2% of the world textile fibre market while it is in strong competition with cotton, wool or linen in the natural fibre category, but also with acrylic, polyester and polyamide in the chemical fibre category. It is nevertheless more expensive and more refined, and is therefore very much appreciated by luxury players such as Hermes and Chanel because it offers comfort, is extremely soft and adds elegance In 2019, the Hermès Group's Silk and Textile business had sales of €592 million

Silk production can be thought of in several stages: from the rearing of silkworms, to the preparation of cocoons, spinning, milling, weaving and finishing. Traditionally, silk production in France is carried out in the Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne region, with a particular focus on the Lyon area Hermes has internalized a from milling to finishing (notably for its famous silk scarves or squares), alongside other actors such as Perrins Weaving or Denis that perpetuate a historic know-how . However, sericulture has almost disappeared in France and silk yarns are mainly imported from the world's largest producers, namely China, India, Brazil.