The silk market - France

Silk is a natural fiber of animal origin used in the manufacture of textiles, and is thought to have been discovered more than 2,000 years before the present era. Silk comes from arthropods, including spiders and the caterpillars of certain butterflies. The best silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori, the process of rearing silkworms to obtain and produce silk being called sericulture. The main outlets for silk-based products are the textile industry, but also the household linen and high-end furniture industries. Applications in the health and cosmetics sectors are also possible. However, silk only accounts for 0.2% of the global textile fiber market, although it competes strongly with cotton, wool and linen in the natural fiber category, and with acrylic, polyester and polyamide in the chemical fiber category. It is nevertheless more expensive and more refined, and is therefore much appreciated by luxury players such as Hermès and Chanel , as it offers comfort, is extremely soft and adds elegance. In 2019, sales of the Hermès Group's "Silk and Textile" business reached €592 million. Silk production can be thought of in several stages: from silkworm rearing, to cocoon preparation, spinning, milling, weaving and finishing.traditionally, silk processing in France has been carried out in the Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne region, with a particular focus on the Lyon area. Here, Hermès has internalized a production chain from milling to finishing (notably for its famous silk scarves or carrés), alongside other players such as Tissages Perrins or Denis & Fils, who perpetuate a long-standing know-how. However, sericulture has all but disappeared in France, and silk yarns are mainly imported from the world's biggest producers, China, India and Brazil.