I was very intrigued when I heard of this and so was textile baron Pier Luigi Loro Piana when he was given a piece of cloth that was made of fiber coming out of lotus plant! He got a jacket made out of the fabric and wore it all fall. He says that the fiber seemed like a mixture between silk and linen. It is not so warm, but is very comfortable, and does not seem to get crushed or stained easily.
Considering the man is the sixth generation in a line of textile manufacturers, he was not simple satisfied with wearing a jacket made of such a novel fabric. He got the fabric tested and did indeed find out that it was made out of lotus fabric. Apparently this fabric is a local tradition in Myanmar. This is how it is made: the ends of a handful of stems is slashed. The long strand of fibers from the stem are tugged with a twisting motion, spinning it into a long thread. The thread is then washed, dried, and later woven on hand looms.
The company has trademarked Loro Piana Lotus Flower fabric and plans to sell scarves and around 20 jackets by Christmas. The jackets will cost roughly 4,000 euros, or about $5,600.
Via: Online.wsj
