Dye for Two Tones: The Story of Sustainable Mud-coated Silk

Abstract

Since the early beginnings of Chinese silk production many forms of silk textiles have been created. Jiāo-chou and Xiang-yun-shā are two types of Chinese silks that use eco-friendly vegetable dyeing and iron-rich mud-coated techniques to create a unique texture and two-tone color—shiny black on one side and reddish brown on the other. Mud-coated silks, which have been around since the fifth century, are making a comeback in the fashion world as high-end, luxury textiles. This trend has been initiated by boutique stores and high-end fashion designers with Asian cultural roots who know of the fabrics. These silks are specialty products of Guangdong and enjoy good reputation due to their purely natural dyeing and processing techniques, as well as their cultural significance. The production process for mud-coated silks is very labor intensive and season specific making these fabrics rare and valuable. Mud-coated silks are culturally significant, rare, and valuable but there has been very little research involving them. This article discusses characteristics of mud-coated silk, the dyeing and mud-coating process, sustainability, adoption by current designers and boutiques, and the battle of patent for this silk-producing technique.