Luxury Textiles Research Articles

Someone just posted on Instagram: Conspicuous consumption, anticipated engagement, and trait mindfulness

The practice of “flexing,” showing off one’s wealth and status, gradually penetrates daily life on various social media platforms, most notably Instagram. We investigated the extent to which exposure to conspicuous consumption by a stranger stimulated the viewers’ materialistic aspiration and whether this effect could be mediated by anticipated engagement and moderated by trait mindfulness. A large number of Instagram users in Indonesia (N = 2,296, 75.30% female; M age = 31.14 years old, SD age = 7.09) completed the trait mindfulness scale, randomly received a single Instagram photo showcasing luxury material vs. experiential purchase, provided an estimate of the intensity of love and comment from other viewers (i.e., anticipated engagement), and filled out the materialistic aspiration scale. Participants exposed to material purchase reported higher aspiration than those exposed to experiential purchase, but lower anticipated engagements also reduced materialistic aspiration. Participants with higher trait mindfulness were better at distinguishing the effects of conspicuous consumption on anticipated engagement and materialistic aspiration. These findings indicate that the viewers’ anticipation of collective attention could reverse the impact of exposure to conspicuous consumption and the potential of trait mindfulness as an anti-mimetic quality for situational materialism.

Reviving, Reinventing and Rethinking an Indigenous Luxury Textile: Piña Cloth, and Fashion in the Philippines

Piña cloth, or textile woven from the delicate fibers of the pineapple plant used to be the epitome of luxury and high fashion in mid-nineteenth century Philippines. The weaving and wearing of piña experienced a rapid decline largely caused by the influx of British cotton textiles so that by the last half or the 20th century it had all but disappeared. This article analyses the history of reviving piña and its afterlives. It argues that reviving piña resulted in re-inventing new blended forms of the textile (with silk, cotton, and linen), and creating new ones such as piña shifu. Because these blended varieties are cheaper and faster to make, piña has been democratized. The revival process has caused a re-thinking of piña to make it “modern” and “chic”—from adding color to it (as traditionally it was worn in its natural ecru color), turning it into casual or everyday wear, and painting on it to make it wearable art. Finally, the revival project has also altered the status of weavers and challenged gender norms.

Green synthesized clavate-shaped ZnO modified silk fabric with aging resistance and outstanding antibacterial and UV-shielding properties

Silk, a popular luxury textile with many years of history, is easy to embrittle and adsorb bacteria when stored for a long time or exposed to sunlight, which affects its service life. To improve the silk fabrics with excellent antibacterial activity, washing and aging durability, and UV shielding, multifunctional silk fabrics were designed and fabricated via a green finishing approach. Here, we proposed a simple strategy to fabricate silk fabrics with multi-functions via coating clavate-shaped ZnO nanoparticles (ZF-silk fabrics) by dipping and pressing for cycles. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the structure and properties of fabricated ZF-silk fabrics. Compared with raw silk fabric, the fabricated ZF-silk fabrics represented excellent UV shielding, good tensile strength, and superior antibacterial activity. Notably, the ZF-silk fabrics had good washing stability and aging resistance. In addition, the ZF-silk fabrics possessed superior antibacterial activity before and after aging treatment (under UV radiation for 72 h). Therefore, the durable and multifunctional ZF-silk fabrics indicate great potential for achieving to realize a long service life of the fabrics.

Analytical Methods for the Identification and Quantitative Determination of Wool and Fine Animal Fibers: A Review

The identification and quantitative determination of wool and fine animal fibers are of great interest in the textile field because of the significant price differences between them and common impurities in raw and processed textiles. Since animal fibers have remarkable similarities in their chemical and physical characteristics, specific identification methods have been studied and proposed following advances in analytical technologies. The identification methods of wool and fine animal fibers are reviewed in this paper, and the results of relevant studies are listed and summarized, starting from classical microscopy methods, which are still used today not only in small to medium enterprises but also in large industries, research studies and quality control laboratories. Particular attention has been paid to image analysis, Nir spectroscopy and proteomics, which constitute the most promising technologies of quality control in the manufacturing and trading of luxury textiles and can find application in forensic science and archeology.

Analisis Lingkungan Industri pada Pelaku Usaha Mikro di Hamzah Batik Yogyakarta

This research was conducted on 30 creative SMEs in Yogyakarta who supply their products to Hamzah Batik. The classification of the craftsmen are: snacks, traditional home decorations, aromatherapy oils, wood crafts, silver crafts, batik bags, batik shoes and sandals, batik fabrics, traditional herbs and herbs as well as luxury materials such as jars and paintings. The results show that by using descriptive statistical analysis of the industrial analysis model created by Porter, the "buyer power" dimension with the indicator "consumer bargaining power in determining product selling prices" has the highest score or the most influential when compared to other indicators. Meanwhile, the “intensity of competition” dimension with the indicator “industry concentration affecting business in creative industries” has the lowest score. However, all indicators are in the very high category, which means that all indicators have a very high influence on the success of creative MSMEs in Yogyakarta which supply their products to Hamzah Batik. With the increase in globalization and to increase national GDP, the authors suggest increasing the competitiveness of MSME creative products in Yogyakarta by expanding their market, such as exporting their products abroad.

SIMULATION OF THE SEGMENT FILLING INSERTION FABRICS AT THE YARN LEVEL

Fabrics with segment filling insertion are finding application in several traditional luxurious textiles, clothing, and in the latest time as well for smart textiles. Segment filling allows the integration of conductive yarns for contacting areas, keeping the textile character of the structures. This work presents a method for 3D modeling woven structures with segment filling at the yarn level. The pattern image is analyzed by an image processing tool, written in Python, and used to create the initial weaving information. After that, the different regions are filled with suitable preselected weave types, such as plain, twill, or others. Finally, this data is used to compute the 3D coordinates of the weft and warp yarns, and saved in a suitable format. The 3D visualization is done by the TexMind Viewer, which allows its advanced version export in various formats for FEM, CFD, and other computations.

Utilization of submicron autoclaved aerated concrete waste to prepare eco-friendly ultra-high performance concrete by replacing silica fume

Silica fume (SF), as the main submicron filler material in ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), determines the bulk density and final mechanical properties of UHPC. With the rapid increase in the demand for UHPC in the construction industry, SF is gradually becoming a luxury material. In the present work, wet grinding technology was used to prepare an alternative submicron material to replace SF. Wet-grinded submicron autoclaved aerated concrete waste (WSA) was prepared, and UHPC was prepared with the replacement of SF by WSA under different replacement levels (up to 100%). The results showed that at the level of 100% WSA replacement, UHPC's hydration process was promoted, the 28-day compressive strength was the same, and the pore structure was refined. But the cost of WSA is only 41% of SF, indicating that it is possible to completely replace SF in UHPC using WSA. The results propose a new technical approach for the replacement of high-cost SF in UHPC, which is expected to achieve high value-added benefits for construction waste.

Sea Change: Ottoman Textiles between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean

Sea Change: Ottoman Textiles between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean

Motor activity of the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) as a factor of synchronization of population development

Natural silk was and remains the most elite and luxurious material. Silk is made from cocoons of the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.). The silkworm is part of the Holometabola group (insects with complete transformation). This means that the silkworm goes through several stages of development: egg, larva with four molts, pupa, butterfly. Each stage, depending on the breed and conditions of maintenance, is characterized by a certain duration and the so-called amity of development. In Uzbekistan, it is customary to carry out one feeding per year, timed to the beginning of the mulberry vegetation, therefore, tens of billions of caterpillars are simultaneously subjected to reproduction for 28–30 days. Changing the duration of any of the stages of development of the silkworm leads to destabilization of the feeding process and, as a result, to large material losses. Selection by motor activity, which implies the selection of the most active, and therefore the most viable individuals, leads to an acceleration of the metabоlism of the silkworm, synchronizes the development of a huge number of organisms at all stages of development, allows to coordinate with accuracy up to 1 day the work of all departments of the silk industry, accurately calculate time, human resources, the use of technical means and monetary costs for each stage and the entire cycle of reproduction of the silkworm.

Ecclesiam de Glasinac – archaeological Excavations on the Crkvina in Bjelosavljevići

More than one century after the initially discovery, Glasinac is still one of the most important archaeological areas in the Balkans. In the last few decades the main focus was on the interpretation of already existing numerous materials from more than thousand prehistoric tumulus. In addition to this, very small quantity of archaeological materials from historical periods have been published. This paper presents results from rescue archaeological excavation from site Crkvine in Bjelosavljevići on Glasinac. Three-year archaeological excavations discovered the remains of medieval church decorated with frescoes, and 48 graves from the necropolis, all dated to the 14–15th century. Some of the graves contained luxurious material that indicate to the high status of the deceased.

Luxury and Modernism: Architecture and the Object in Germany 1900–1933

Luxury and Modernism: Architecture and the Object in Germany 1900–1933

French fashion and textile during COVID-19. Once again, flying to high quality and innovation to survive

This article studies the consequences of the COVID-19 global health crisis on the fashion and textile industry in France. This crisis is only part of an already long, slow decline in the industry. The paper analyzes the composition and organization of textile industry. It offers data related to: sales, consumption, employees, company size, as well as imports and exports - all highlighting the importance of fashion and textiles in France today. The paper shows how lockdown has asphyxiated production and retail sales. COVID-19 caused the appearance of new challenges: mask production, new aspects of CSR in luxury textiles and the development of antiviral fabrics. Mask production can be considered as a case study useful in the analysis of textile challenges. In this context, the French textile industry should continue to improve on innovation and quality. Promoting labelling on the global market can help the sector to develop its high-end. France is credible to expanding its fashion and textile supply in luxury.

‘I dress in silk and velvet’: women, textiles and the textile-text in 1930s Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT In the 1930s, luxury textiles such as silk and velvet appeared frequently in agitation and propaganda addressed toward women in Uzbekistan. After examining the cultural and material significance of luxury textiles for Central Asian women before collectivization, this article investigates how luxury textiles were used in the effort to mobilize Central Asian women during the years of collectivization and cottonization (c.1929–37). The article concludes with a close reading of several ‘textile-texts’ produced by Central Asian women, focusing particularly on women’s poetry about luxury textiles. The article argues that the discourse of ‘silk and velvet’ tapped into affective resonances rooted in, among other conditions, the local gift economy, Central Asian women’s material conditions, Orientalist discourses and Stakhanovite propaganda. The discourse of silk and velvet thus bolstered hierarchical relations between Central Asian women and the Party–state, while at the same time it generated lateral ties to a public of other Central Asian women. The article relies on research in a variety of archival sources and the Uzbek-language Soviet press, particularly the women’s press.

The Circadian Clock in Lepidoptera.

With approximately 160,000 identified species of butterflies and moths, Lepidoptera are among the most species-rich and diverse insect orders. Lepidopteran insects have fundamental ecosystem functions as pollinators and valuable food sources for countless animals. Furthermore, Lepidoptera have a significant impact on the economy and global food security because many species in their larval stage are harmful pests of staple food crops. Moreover, domesticated species such as the silkworm Bombyx mori produce silk and silk byproducts that are utilized by the luxury textile, biomedical, and cosmetics sectors. Several Lepidoptera have been fundamental as model organisms for basic biological research, from formal genetics to evolutionary studies. Regarding chronobiology, in the 1970s, Truman’s seminal transplantation experiments on different lepidopteran species were the first to show that the circadian clock resides in the brain. With the implementation of molecular genetics, subsequent studies identified key differences in core components of the molecular circadian clock of Lepidoptera compared to the dipteran Drosophila melanogaster, the dominant insect species in chronobiological research. More recently, studies on the butterfly Danaus plexippus have been fundamental in characterizing the interplay between the circadian clock and navigation during the seasonal migration of this species. Moreover, the advent of Next Generation Omic technologies has resulted in the production of many publicly available datasets regarding circadian clocks in pest and beneficial Lepidoptera. This review presents an updated overview of the molecular and anatomical organization of the circadian clock in Lepidoptera. We report different behavioral circadian rhythms currently identified, focusing on the importance of the circadian clock in controlling developmental, mating and migration phenotypes. We then describe the ecological importance of circadian clocks detailing the complex interplay between the feeding behavior of these organisms and plants. Finally, we discuss how the characterization of these features could be useful in both pest control, and in optimizing rearing of beneficial Lepidoptera.

بررسی ساختار و سامان‌بندی‌های به‌کار رفته مخمل‌های عثمانی کاخ موزه توپکاپی

بررسی ساختار و سامان‌بندی‌های به‌کار رفته مخمل‌های عثمانی کاخ موزه توپکاپی

Daily Lifestyle and Inflammatory Skin Diseases.

Throughout life, it is necessary to adapt to the Earth’s environment in order to survive. A typical example of this is that the daily Earth cycle is different from the circadian rhythm in human beings; however, the ability to adapt to the Earth cycle has contributed to the development of human evolution. In addition, humans can consume and digest Earth-derived foods and use luxury materials for nutrition and enrichment of their lives, as an adaptation to the Earth’s environment. Recent studies have shown that daily lifestyles are closely related to human health; however, less attention has been paid to the fact that obesity due to excessive energy intake, smoking, and alcohol consumption contributes to the development of inflammatory skin diseases. Gluten or wheat protein, smoking and alcohol, sleep disturbance, and obesity drive the helper T (Th)1/Th2/Th17 immune response, whereas dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids negatively regulate inflammatory cytokine production. In this review, we have focused on daily lifestyles and the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases.

The myth of phocaicus: new evidence on the silk industry in Byzantine Central Greece

The article originates from a record David Jacoby drew attention to but left mostly unaddressed in his path-breaking article on the silk industry in western Byzantium. It examines three underexplored hagiographical texts concerning the endeavours of Arechis II, the prince of Benevento (758–787), in the translation of holy relics. These texts all feature the word phocaicus when describing the luxurious textiles Arechis dedicated to the relics. This article argues that this word is a geographical designation pointing to a so-far unidentified centre of the Byzantine silk industry sometime around 1050–1150, most likely Phokis in Central Greece.

The Paradox around the Social Representations of Compressed Earth Block Building Material in Burkina Faso: The Material for the Poor or the Luxury Material?

Compressed earth brick (CEB) is a masonry material which has the thermal properties that are better adapted to the hot and dry climate of tropical and Sahelian context like in Burkina Faso. Despite these advantages, CEB are still not largely used in the construction sector in the city of Ouagadougou. In order to better understand the obstacles linked to this low diffusion of CEB, the present empirical study proposes a deep analysis of the social representations of construction using CEB in the urban place. The results show that four main categories of social representations coexist in the construction sector using CEB: 1) the perception of CEB as the “material for the poor”, 2) the perception of CEB as “improved or precarious adobe” inherited from successive public policies to rehabilitate the material, 3) the symbolic perceptions linked to the red color of the brick and the durability of the material, and 4) the contemporary post-materialist perception (luxury materials), according to a minority of wealthy elites who have built their houses using CEB. These social representations are essential to take into consideration for the implementation of new public housing policies in general and promotion for the usage of CEB in particular. This could accompany the studies which aim at improving the technical performances of CEB and lead towards the socio-economic acceptance of the materials.

Eggstraordinary artefacts: decorated ostrich eggs in the ancient Mediterranean world

Decorated ostrich eggs were luxury items in antiquity. They were engraved, painted, and embellished with ivory, precious metals and faience fittings. They have been found primarily in elite funerary contexts from Mesopotamia and the Levant to the wider Mediterranean throughout the region’s Bronze and Iron Ages (third-first millennia BCE). Most scholarship has assessed their iconography to determine craftsman origin, equating decorative style with cultural identity. This is tenuous at best, given how readily motifs can be copied or adapted, and especially challenging for periods in which artisans were reliant on royal/elite patronage and known to migrate between regions, as during these eras. Furthermore, the full extent of the roles of non-elites in the production and distribution of these elite artefacts has never been considered directly. Thus, the role these luxuries played as social actors across a spectrum of society has been overlooked. It is this aspect that the present work addresses. It does so by building upon a recently concluded study that has used isotopic analyses and scanning electron microscopy to assess where and how eggs were acquired in the ancient Mediterranean and the working techniques used to decorate them. The results allow us to consider the role these objects played as social actors upon more than just their elite consumers. This suggests that, as scholars, we must adopt different questions, methodologies, and thus perspectives, to recognise the wider social effects of luxury material culture and its impact upon diverse groups and individuals beyond wealthy consumers.

Utilization of orange peel waste in textile industry: A review

Utilization of fruits and vegetable wastes are one of the important and challengeable works around the world. Orange peels are one of fruit waste generated mainly by the juicing industries that cause environmental problems due to its large volume of generation and physicochemical characteristics, such as soil and water pollution. Meanwhile, textile industry has been growing interest on utilization of bioresource waste derived from fruits as an important step toward sustainable development. Recently, researchers have developed various luxury materials using fruit waste from pineapple, apple, grape, and banana etc. Similarly, orange peel wastes are used as a source of natural dye, green absorber, mosquito repellent, perfume retention agent, and antimicrobial agent, and produced a luxury fiber in textile industry. This review describes the various application of orange peel waste as sustainable material in textile industry.