Carefully selecting her fabrics and suppliers, Sonia obtains the best results for her pieces. For her spring-summer collection, she choses linen, which consumes less water than cotton. A reasonable choice of quality fabrics with low impact on the planet.
Linen, where does it come from?
It comes from very far back! Linen is the oldest fabric in the world. Fragments have been found in Georgia in rock caves, dating back to 30,000 years before our era.
Traces of linen weaving were found in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. In France, Charlemagne developed the culture of flax. In the 18th century, this culture reached its peak.
Nevertheless, In England, Indian cotton replaced linen. Historical suppliers such as Brisbane Moss are becoming importers from Western Europe.
Thus European flax is mainly produced in France, Haut de France and Normandy, its cultivation requiring a temperate and humid climate.
On the other hand, in linen, everything is good. Seeds are used for food (oil and seeds), straw for insulation or the manufacture of light materials, and fibers for textiles.
Its manufacture requires different mechanical steps: - Scutching process separates fiber and straw by passing through cylinders to break the straw. Here we get the tow. - Combing which consists in separating the fibers and ridding them of the last impurities. - Spinning is carried out in a machine after soaking the yarns in water at 70°C.
Fine and homogeneous threads are obtained from the fibers, ready to be woven on a loom. At this stage, it is possible to incorporate other fibers like cotton in order to adjust the fabric's properties.
Why linen?
Linen has unique properties: it is thermoregulating, its fiber retains heat when it is cold, and offers freshness in case of heat. It is absorbent without feeling wet and dries quickly. It is very resistant and acquires a patina over time. However, it is a non-stretchy fabric, repeated folds in certain places break the fiber. In confection, we can then mark these folds to create some pleat.
Linen at Sonia Taouhid?
It is for its properties that Sonia chose 100% linen for her Spring Summer City Linen collection. A collection of classics, Etienne and Samara models, for elegant and comfortable outfits for all occasions. Discover our City Linen collection here.