Why 5 of The World's Priciest Fabrics Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider

From muga silk and leavers lace to Japanese denim and vicuña wool, we unraveled the stories behind the world’s most expensive fabrics and textiles.
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Why 5 of The World's Priciest Fabrics Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider

[@startrunning4461]

Well... this is more important than sleep.

[@michelemurphy3541]

Ha. Same. 1:40am. Sleep Shmeap. Ha.

[@TitanChromeE]

Same again. 12am… didn’t need sleep anyways

[@eolapark8801]

5:17am here we go 😂

[@lesliewarnell5172]

Same here.

[@BBB-rd2qi]

I found my people!

[@johnpartridge7623]

It's a real shame that the local makers/producers of all these wonderful products earn so little

[@vikkijenkins9350]

I felt sad but proud of their hard work

[@kells9k]

@@vikkijenkins9350 I felt white (that is right) and horned up x8 for that poose b whatchu doin fridat

[@BlackGirlLovesAnime6]

and their fabric are top tier quality

[@aieshaoliver]

Their work is art and should have the same value as a painting or famous designer. These artisans should be living well to reflect the value of what they make.

[@miscalotastuff733]

It is basically slavery. Work them cheap and get maximum productivity. They have dept slaves make bricks. This is what unregulated capitalism results in. Wage and dept slavery. Prices inflation rises but pay does not. As things improve companies continue to lower wages until they create a permanant poverty class. Then they create a system where they decide who can start a business to prevent competition. Aka your bbb.

[@catofthecastle1681]

One of the more interesting aspects of the story of French lace, I’m an avid collector of French lace, is the reason why so many machines are gone. Many of these border areas were bombed by Nazi Germany, destroying hundreds and hundreds of the buildings and machinery. I have many hundreds( at least 800)of patterns for different laces of different widths and a recent survey found that there are only about 340 different machines still in production.

[@nerd26373]

Textiles take a whole lot of effort, determination and hard work to get through. The whole process itself wears you out instantly, and yet these workers continue to be more self sufficient in everything that they do for a living.

[@WorldCitizenW]

Wait until the chapter on hand made carpet in Morocco and Turkey, feels like standing on cushion at the Blue Mosque

[@raccoon93]

Muga silk is stunning, so is orange Eri silk also from the Assam region both so soft and shiny compared to regular Tussah silk. I love using it in my wool blends despite it being pricey!

[@kells9k]

are you gay?

[@marlyg.9869]

My Goodness!! The kimono process is so complex, detailed and so pretty that I cried, like real tears streaming down my face. I wish all of the workers (for me they are out of this world artisans, the epitome of dedication and love for what they do) involved in the manufacturing of this fabrics and Textiles, from the silk in India to the Vicuña producers, got paid fairly!!

[@MrAsingh1989]

To all the people producing all fabrics shown… you guys Amaze and I appreciate you for your patience perseverance and skills… I am not going to take my clothes or the little things for granted even if my clothes come from a mass production… i am absolutely humbled

[@WorldCitizenW]

New technology has been incorporated in new textile, such as wrinkle free, UV, anti microble etc made my field exciting

[@grovermartin6874]

What an EXTRAORDINARY video! I feel that I have just taken a masters' class in these amazing products, about which I knew so little. So humbling. Thank you for your close attention to the details of each of these processes.🙏

[@LVXMagick]

I want to buy a yard of each to put in my fabric stash to hold adore and smell but never ever use 😂😂😂

[@missironmouse]

Spoken like a true sewing fan 😅 I have this beautiful silk that I’ve been hoarding for years. It’s only a quarter yard (it was expensive) but it’s gorgeous!!

[@LVXMagick]

@@missironmouse yesss!! I have a yard of silk I bought when I first got my sewing machine and I still have it rolled up in a drawer lol one day I will have the courage to cut and sew it!😂

[@eshbena]

Looking at my stash, I wonder why you outed me so completely. XD I won't even start talking about the various fabrics I've bought around the world that are sitting in neat piles untouched.

[@beataplaya]

Reality between fast fashion and niche market. If rarity (and quality, labor) is to be a consideration as it is with diamonds, these niche markets should command fair prices.

[@Nataliah3r3]

The last one. Think it’s kinda messed up they do all the work and they can’t have their own amount as well. Think that’s a little ridiculous is they meet what they have too. Companies and money sadly.

[@oddievandijk4252]

Bolivia is very poor with a dismal GNP, hence they export what ever they can

[@jacquelynsmith2351]

It'd be great if they could get something set up to sell directly to merchants themselves, cutting out the middlemen. I know I'd buy from them if I could afford it (it's one of my life goals to get some vicuna in my collection). One of my favorite companies started out as a cooperative between Uruguayan alpaca herders and craftspeople in the 1960s in order to help them be more independent (Manos del Uruguay)

[@MrAsingh1989]

This is extremely interesting.. to the lady fixing the errors she has a lot of patience and a keen eye

[@jojosg414]

I had to take care of a baby vicuña once... for a day (and that was enough, such nervous creatures) His name was Fidel and he was an orphan, he was the cutest thing on earth 💖. Hope you are doing well Fidel 😊

[@cindyrissal3628]

So interesting! Thank you for posting this. And thank you SO MUCH for hiring an actual person to do the narration. I really don't like those fake sounding computer generated voices (or whatever they are). Your narrator does such a good job. Adds so much to the enjoyment of the video.

[@dhanslee]

I have Momotaro jacket and jeans.. They're truly masterpiece!

[@TwospotzArtAndCraft]

Such a fantastic story to follow along on here. I love my collection of vintage kimono and several of them are just absolutely breathtaking, and most of them handsewn. The paintwork and embroidery is beyond amazing and wearing them is such an honour and absolutely amazing. (I do not own any made by this company... I think. Many of them are unmarked altho three or four of them have artisan signatures on the fabric. .

[@ayeshaclassesgk]

Business insider❤️Congratulations ! You truly deserved it. You always work so hard on your videos and you truly do put so much effort and work into what you do

[@KristiContemplates]

My maternal family history has a story about some ancestors being two families of Noble lace makers hightailing it to Ireland and becoming Irish linen makers. Devereux and Courtney families combined, supposedly, their names to Devney, which was similar sounding to an already established Irish name.

[@Metonymy1979]

I had a friend that did her own lace and my God I did not realize how long it takes by hand. Insane

[@ClaLu]

Plus, synthetic dyes pollute the water...

[@wrenlittle8826]

Riveting. True dedicated humble craftsman is a tribute to humanity.

[@BassuleleMusic]

I love the Muga performance, I genuinely want more of her in my life. I bet she’s a great auntie or gramma 🥰 I was tryina use this to fall asleep but she energised me! 😊

[@codmgaming6284]

I asked my Indian grandmother and she said she actually has a big box filled with cocoons

[@QNN123]

Tradition should go on, when I have money I would buy those

[@lynnbetts4332]

The micron count on the alpaca fiber isn't exactly correct. High quality alpaca fiber in the US, Australia and other countries regularly is less than 20 microns. 23-26 micron fleeces are generally for items like socks and items not worn close to sensitive skin, like your face or neck. As the animal ages, their fiber usually gets coarser, but our goal is to maintain that fineness longer in life. Having a mature, breeding animal with under 20 micron fiber is quite doable. I personally had a breeding male with 20 micron fleece at 6 years of age. And some breeders have refined their herds even more and have reached that 13 micron level.

[@jesseholder1578]

I like seeing the people who harvest or make the super expensive textiles are wearing some of it too.

[@MichelleSMV]

That was so fascinating! I really learned a lot from this video…also I can imagine that kimono with a lot of embroidery is as expensive as it is. Embroidery floss is really expensive and I guess the number of ppl doing it isnt a lot sadly

[@rainstorm_jo]

Which is why I will probably never give up my floss and fabric hoard, erm, collection, even though I haven't cross stitched regularly for a few years. This stuff was not cheap and I have expensive taste 😆 High quality materials come at a high price; that said I would never disparage those who use budget friendly materials. Use what you can afford, and as long as YOU are happy with your piece, that's all that matters.

[@sunitafisher4758]

🌸 I saw the natural indigo dye for jeans in different KZbin channel I was so impressed with their hard work and dedication to their fine craft, no wonder the end result looks like a masterpiece I’d love to own one myself, imagine something so well made your daughter or son could wear it later in life & say this was my mom’s etc. or many yrs later the quality so supreme it always look brand new, if you take care of it 🌟✨

[@itsgoingtobeok-justbreathe4808]

i appreciate fine artistry and craftsmanship, but it's a shame that only the very rich can afford it. I am grateful that the quality of mass-produced goods is good enough that a working class person can still have beautiful things. i'm also grateful for thrift stores that don't charge an arm and a leg and free piles. I bought a beautiful vintage silk brocade Japanese Obi when I was in college in 1990 for $25-- a lot of money for me then as a 19 year old. The store was going out of business and it was originally marked $400. I have displayed it as a wall hanging in every home I've lived in for over 30 years. I treasure it's beauty and workmanship

[@aescala]

Probably not as known, but you have DEFINITELY missed the fabric known as "espolín", woven in Valencia (Spain) with intricate floral motifs, 100% handwoven and customizable, and currently used in many local traditional costumes. They are textile jewels that are passed from generation to generation, and they also have a fairly high cost given that to make one of these women's costumes (fallera costumes) you need up to 15 meters of fabric

[@dayangmarikit6860]

Could you do an episode on Philippine Gold Pearls which are farmed by the company Jewelmer.

[@bongocat401]

Jew 😳 average ye fan 😂

[@ClaLu]

Yei! Bolivia! Their management of Vicuñas is masterful! Bravo! 🤠🙌🏻💫

[@amykins9870]

I would buy the beautiful shawl or one just like it! It would make the price go down they want it to be niche market and if there’s a street market they can get shawls made less expensively consumers will probably want to go to where they pay less.

[@KristiContemplates]

I love this channel. It helps me appreciate the value - human and material - of the goods in my world 🙂 Thank you

[@happytraveller8953]

Wish there was a way to get the silk from the cocoons without boiling the poor caterpillars alive. What a horrible way to die...that said, the fabric made is gorgeous...

[@hannahheutte9473]

yea you dont want to know how all your food is bug free then lmfao.......

[@Dara_107]

You cannot have everything in life. You like the fabric you HAVE to boil cocoons to get premium continuous lustrous threads. You wait the threads are dry, less lustrous and broken. it’s like the womb of growing moth.. taking it away comes with a price.

[@nadias6435]

there is. its called Peace Silk (eri silk).

[@nadias6435]

@@Dara_107 look up what peace silk is

[@binaisrani291]

That's why I stopped wearing silk😢

[@ddawe31635]

I wondered if those looms were made by Toyota. I have a vintage Toyota sewing machine and love it! The Japanese made superior sewing machines back in the day! That's why they last so l8ng!

[@bakusya96]

i think it says Toyoda ?(on the loom) not sure though

[@888SpinR]

@@bakusya96 It does, and it is the same Toyota that manufactures cars today.

[@mybhed4680]

It’s Toyota or toyoda it’s the same

[@alexisnadal1486]

Toyota originally was a weaving and knitting machines (looms) manufacturer. And original family (company) name was pronounced “Toyoda 豊田”. Because one of their black-sheeped sons started the “automobile shop” and it became a serious business, they started to call themselves “Toyota 豊田.”

[@cturner7050]

Thank you. Very interesting.

[@Zireael83]

nice collection of interesting videos :)

[@nikkicastelline]

I truly enjoyed this video. ❤

[@GRACEAK01]

Great video! I was surprised they didn't include muskox qiviut though.

[@Doodlebug48]

Very informative and interesting subject. Really enjoyed learning about the magical fabrics that are gatered, wspun and woven into high end garments.

[@singaboiz]

I hope it includes the Lotus silk which is considered one of the most expensive fabrics in the world.

[@saraswatisky3119]

Amazing attention to detail.

[@annroberts5965]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. Ann from Va USA 🇺🇸

[@ultramarinewaters9325]

Very interesting!

[@crazwizardlizard]

i wonder if they could use greenhouses for the muga moths. i cant imagine they could afford the setup of all that industrial scale technology easily, but i wonder if it would work for the moths, biologically. seems like if it could the government could help them in order to retain the culturally significant industry.

[@pranobkalita5710]

This is our Pride of Assam.. our heritage.. Love Assam❤ Love India❤

[@sunrise1201]

Very informative and interesting video, thank you! I wonder if those Japanese denim last longer than mass-produced ones?

[@fernandamartinez6494]

So AMAZADED by the Vicuña producers!😍

[@RealPlatoishere]

Silk is amazing ,muga silk looks incredible

[@Robin-MP]

Just amazingly beautiful. I want a muga silk sari now

[@Glenn-F-Rice]

Save on sun screen. When you see how it's made they are worth every penny

[@peterhickox9137]

Wonderful documentary of fabrics around the world with crafts men & women . 👀♥️💯👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@rainbow7548]

absorbing 85%of UV is definitely a marketing story 🤣🤣🤣

[@tom1644x]

Imagine if you were the last artisan to work on a kimono and you screw it up! 😆

[@rainstorm_jo]

I would presume said artisan is highly experienced and could figure out how to resolve or obscure a mistake =)

[@writerinrwanda]

Thank you, this was so interesting. Can you also cover sea silk? I'd love to see how that's made.

[@Nero_Jero]

Look up Chiara Vigo, she's one of the last people making sea silk.

[@writerinrwanda]

@@Nero_Jero Thank you, I will 🙏

[@nancytestani1470]

So cool..the lace is gorgeous, so incredibly fascinating…kudos…is this the lace made during the Renaissance….?the lace collars around the neck..thanks..

[@allanturmaine5496]

I've always wondered why working silk took animal husbandry in Civ 6. Thanks!

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nice video

[@Smoki.95]

Amazing

[@leemackie8434]

Masters making Masterpiece’s this amazing, wonderful, beautiful work must be preserved 💗👏👏👏🇦🇺💗💗💗💗💕👏👏

[@rahulphukan5396]

From Assam India

[@surendersingal2192]

Very awesome n genuine video on gard labor processes of different fabrics. More so the people who work with these patiently. Hats off to them n you. Thank you Jussojuan surender singal

[@fatimajnaid4609]

Very entrestec to seeing the way haw they get Silky matrel. We knew it's Expencive .it's worth..

[@madLphnt]

This woman's voice, dear lord.

[@surendersingal2192]

This kind of work of Art must not ever die n should be taught in schools so mire people can learn n give average person a chance to enjoy work of Art by wearing. I sure lije to be student of these masters.

[@TheCornDavis]

Humans are fascinating. This is so cool!

[@My_Op]

Subtitle error: 20:53 -> 20:57 The subtitles read "40 of which are in the northern French city of quadri" but the name of that city is "Caudry".

[@thatpengman]

Those are automatically generated subtitles - it's not their fault

[@My_Op]

@@thatpengman I know, I just point out an error. I don't blame them.

[@nancytestani1470]

Beautiful..

[@arunramnarace1444]

Great to know

[@verybarebones]

Synthetic dyes are also very polluting and one of the reason the fashion industry is so bad for the environment. Natural dyes should be more valued and popular with the whole "responsible slow fashion" movement.

[@theCosmicQueen]

they sure need to ban the chemicals that are killing the moths. and besides, nobody needs all that in thier tea leaves either.

[@aliabbaswadia3974]

Thankyou.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

Thank you.

[@aliridwan8339]

Nice

[@mochii.lifeless]

i read the title as "why 5 of the world's priciest testicles are.." i think i need some sleep...

[@ijusttoucant4211]

37:12 Did anyone else think he was wearing a straight jacket for a sec?

[@user-hv5nb1ou7w]

The disparagement between what the Bolivians are paid for the raw wool and the price for a suit or coat made in Italy utilizing that same wool is, at the very least, disgusting.

[@xiangyusi3160]

And their grammar speaking skill is superior than average USYD ones

[@williamkuhns2387]

The rarest has to be golden orb weaver spider silk cloth from Madagascar.

[@silveritea]

Vicuña are beautiful in the wild, and the fiber is incredibly soft. Impossibly expensive tho.

[@ppineault]

thank you for this video!! 🤗 I've never been one of those 'fashionable gheyz' but I have always a deep appreciation for things of quality and beauty. I am awed and moved by the dedication of some of these artisans...hats off to them! 😘😘

[@xiangyusi3160]

when you drag them into a whole market, also take the responsibility for the chain effect, to all the Itily gelato

[@xiangyusi3160]

The credit part, ask that who don’t buy 1200 sweater when hold the 1200 banc

[@retineshilares2497]

I wish the tea gardens start to grow sustainably their biological crops and that every one can get a fair trade salary. Ethical investors should get reached, it's a rich ecosystem we should treasure and protect.

[@1mezion]

The muga farmers need to cut out the middle man, form a cooperative and sell direct

[@nadias6435]

Handmade lace is more impressive than machines and takes real skill. Also, those silk moths look awfully ill. Peace Silk (eri silk) is better and doesn't harm the moth in production. This is the best and most expensive silk imo.

[@KellyBrown-qh1oy]

I don't see why these animals are going extinct

[@emag1765]

Muga is found in the north Easter region of India not only Assam. Infact all Silkworms are found in these regions. Its just that Assam put GI tag first.

[@maddiphen2538]

5th. Edit: I'm also the fifth child, born on May 5 at 15.05, and this is a video about 5 expensive textiles

[@akashpaul4143]

😂😂

[@DrachenGothik666]

So? This only has significance to you. A neat coincidence, but it doesn't have any meaning other than what you put on it. My wife shares her birthday with you, but big deal. Oh, and BTW, you were actually 13th, not that it actually matters. Why do people care about that shit, anyway?

[@bastienlapeyre8110]

You forgot upholstery fabrics from Lyon, it can be 10 times more expensive.

[@jeff__w]

2:57 “They shoot clay pellets into the fields to keep potential predators at bay and protect the larvae.” They’re not aiming at anything in particular? They’re just shooting clay pellets into the fields? How does that work, exactly?

[@TwospotzArtAndCraft]

Scaring off rodents and such that climb the trees to eat the larvae.

[@bluemesa5341]

Believe them, they know what they are doing for ages

[@audreyh6628]

They have done this for thousands of years - you don't need to worry that they know what they're doing

[@animeloveer97]

Seems like there's a better way to do this tbh lol

[@RaviGoel1]

The only reason Japanese anything is so expensive is because they are paid as per international standards vs say in poorer countries like India. Indian art & craft are light years ahead of Japanese handicrafts. There is no comparison. If Muga was made in Japan, it would have costed 30 times higher. Japanese shibori and indigo art forms are simply Indian craft done by them. Ajrakh is natural indigo textile print that is way ahead & more tedious than mere indigo jeans but are way way more affordable.

[@roshnileichonbam8500]

Assam is not the only place,, There's Manipur one of the largest producer hmm

[@matdharsono2319]

Oh ya

[@loveloreal]

so to make the silk from the cocoon does it need to be unraveled while they are in there? isn't that defeating the point of them making it for themselves. are they boiled alive then? it seems like they are soaked to get it off, so I bet they are boiled.

[@Dara_107]

If they wait for the moth to release from cocoon the continuous thread would be broken from the middle (like an egg broken for chick to release) hence for high quality continuous thread it’s inevitable to boil the cocoons.

[@audreyh6628]

Yes, all silk requires boiling the caterpillar - this is why vegans do not wear silk

[@KellyBrown-qh1oy]

Cotton bras

[@nickorange4881]

what happens to the catepillars though ? O.o

[@audreyh6628]

they are boiled...eep

[@toshawebster6523]

😊silk are really expensive 4 real when I was a kid I use to play with these silk worm cocoon didn't know these things are priceless wow right now I buy a dress from a lady in my community she travels and the dress is expensive 💯 silk maybe I changed it to 🧣 fashion 🔥 and also had a Levi denim jeans that still has a outstanding color is so such a passion for me I love this patient in business I don't definitely agree with these now day school rules about fashion these bunch of idiots who are setting rules yet they had the intuitions had it these for students to improve their careers in the future stop suffering the kids dreams these are the places we should invest in these kind of behavior are only keeping slavery to still available I got to find these places in the future love the work and effort these individuals put out in their day to day great job 🎉😇🙏🏾💯

[@cole1714]

I love my japanese denim! 👖❤️

[@kingjames4886]

count on japan to take something that was designed to be affordable work wear make it in the most difficult convoluted way possible...

[@amanbajwa233]

Sucks how so many people in India claim to be vegetarians and wont even touch an egg but love to wear silk saris, sport leather handbags, wallets, shoes and even leather car seats

[@nongnouthphounsavan515]

They should go learn how to produce silk in Thailand, they feed the worms indoor not on the tree this way they can keep close eyes on the product