Interior designNatural Fabrics

• Animal fibres• Alpaca Wool• Angora Wool• Camel hair• Cashmere• Mohair• Silk• Wool

Natural fibres are greatly elongated substances produced by plants and animals that can be spun into filaments, thread or rope. Plant fibres•Abaca•Coir•Cotton•Flax•Hemp•Ramie•Sisal

Why natural fibres?• A high-tech choice• Fibres that give

strength and stability to plants are being incorporated in an ever widening range of industrial products

• A fashionable choice• Eco-conscious designers

offer “carbon neutral” collections that strive for sustainability at every stage of their garments’ life cycle

A healthy choiceMost synthetic fibres

cannot match the "breathability" of natural fibre textiles, which creates natural ventilationA responsible choice

By choosing natural fibres, we can contribute to the economies of developing countries and help fight hunger and rural povertyA sustainable choice

Renewable and carbon neutral, natural fibres leave residues that can be used to generate electricity. And they are 100% biodegradable

Natural fibresAlpaca

Soft and dense, or lustrous and silky, alpaca is used to make high-end luxury fabrics and outdoor sports clothing

Huacayo alpacas produce soft, dense, short fibres, while the fleece of the rarer suri is lustrous, silky and straight. Alpaca blends well with wool, mohair and silk.Uses of alpaca

For spinning yarns for fashion applications.

The primary end use is knitwear, but it is also woven into cloth for clothing, accessories - such as shawls and stoles - and rugs.

Natural fibresCamel

The best quality camel yarn is produced by nomadic households in Mongolia (above) and Inner Mongolia, China, where women spin the collected hair on drop spindles. Other significant producers are Afghanistan and Iran.Uses of camel hair

In Mongolia, camel hair is used by nomadic herders to make yurts , winter clothing and carpets.

Exported yarns are used for production of a wide range of garments - overcoats, suits, coats, blazers, jackets and sweaters - and winter accessories such as gloves, caps and scarves.

Since it is a premium fibre, camel hair is usually blended with wool to make it more economical. Nylon is sometimes used with virgin quality camel hair in hosiery and other knitted products, while camel/cashmere blends are targeted at the luxury market.

Natural fibresCoir

A coarse, short fibre extracted from the outer shell of coconuts, coir is found in ropes, mattresses, brushes, geotextiles and automobile seatsCoir is extracted from the tissues surrounding the seed of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), which is grown on 10 million ha of land throughout the tropics. There are two types of coir: brown fibre, which is obtained from mature coconuts, and finer white fibre, which is extracted from immature green coconuts after soaking for up to 10 months.

The fibreCoir fibres measure up to 35 cm in length with a diameter of 12-25 microns. Among vegetable fibres, coir has one of the highest concentrations of lignin, making it stronger but less flexible than cotton and unsuitable for dyeing. The tensile strength of coir is low compared to abaca, but it has good resistance to microbial action and salt water damage.Uses of coirWhite coir spun into yarn is used in the manufacture of rope (at left) and, thanks to its strong resistance to salt water, in fishing nets

Brown coir is used in sacking, brushes, doormats, rugs, mattresses, insulation panels and packaging. In Europe, the automobile industry upholsters cars with pads of brown coir bonded with rubber latex.

Geotextiles made from coir mesh (at left) are durable, absorb water, resist sunlight, facilitate seed germination, and are 100% biodegradable.

Natural fibresFlax

One of nature's strongest vegetable fibres, flax was also one of the first to be extracted, spun and woven into textilesFlax fibres obtained from the stems of the plant Linum usitatissimum are used mainly to make linen.In Poland, a hectare of flax plants yields 1.5 to 3.5 tonnes of fibre.The leading producers of flax fibre are France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Other significant producers are China, Belarus and the Russian Federation.

Uses of flaxFine and regular long flax

fibres are spun into yarns for linen textiles. More than 70% of linen goes to clothing manufacture, where it is valued for its exceptional coolness in hot weather - the legendary linen suit is a symbol of breezy summer elegance.

Linen fabric maintains a strong traditional niche among high quality household textiles - bed linen, furnishing fabrics, and interior decoration accessories.

Shorter flax fibres produce heavier yarns suitable for kitchen towels, sails, tents and canvas. Lower fibre grades are used as reinforcement and filler in thermoplastic composites and thermoset resins used in automotive interior substrates, furniture and other consumer products.

Natural fibresJute

The strong threads made from jute fibre are used worldwide in sackcloth - and help sustain the livelihoods of millions of small farmersJute is extracted from the bark of the white jute plant, Corchorus capsularis and to a lesser extent from tossa jute (C. olitorius). It flourishes in tropical lowland areas with humidity of 60% to 90%. A hectare of jute plants consumes about 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and releases 11 tonnes of oxygen. Yields are about 2 tonnes of dry jute fibre per hectare.Bangladesh and West Bengal in India the world's main jute producers, with Myanmar and Nepal producing much smaller quantities.

Uses of juteDuring the Industrial

Revolution, jute yarn largely replaced flax and hemp fibres in sackcloth. Today, sacking still makes up the bulk of manufactured jute products.

Jute yarn and twines are also woven into curtains, chair coverings, carpets, rugs and backing for linoleum. Blended with other fibres, it is used in cushion covers, toys, wall hangings, lamp shades and shoes. Very fine threads can be separated out and made into imitation silk

Jute is being used increasingly in rigid packaging and reinforced plastic and is replacing wood in pulp and paper.

Geotextiles made from jute are biodegradable, flexible, absorb moisture and drain well. They are used to prevent soil erosion and landslides

Natural fibresRamie

Not widely known outside the East Asian countries that produce it, ramie is lightweight, silky and made for summerNative to East Asia and commonly known as China grass, ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is a flowering plant of the nettle family. Its bark has been used for millennia to make twine and thread, and spun as grass-cloth. The ramie plant is grown for fibre mainly in China, Brazil, the Lao PDR and the Philippines. While it is considered a promising "ecological" fibre for use in textiles, fibre extraction and cleaning is difficult and labour-intensive.

Uses of ramieCoarse ramie fibres are

suitable for making twine, rope and nets. Wet-spun, it produces a fine yarn with high lustre (at left), suitable for a wide range of garments, ranging from dresses to jeans.

Fabrics of 100% ramie are lightweight and silky, similar in appearance to linen. The Korean traditional costume, the ramie hanbok (at right), is renowned for its fineness

However, since it has low elasticity and resilience, ramie is usually blended with other textile fibres. It increases the lustre and strength of cotton fabric and reduces shrinkage in wool blends. It is also blended with silk.

Natural fibresSisal

Too coarse for clothing and upholstery, sisal is replacing glass fibres in composite materials used to make cars and furnitureSisal fibre is obtained from Agave sisalana, a native of Mexico. The hardy plant grows well in a variety of hot climates, including dry areas unsuitable for other crops. After harvest, its leaves are cut and crushed in order to separate the pulp from the fibres. The average yield of dried fibres is about 1 tonnes per hectare, although yields in East Africa reach 2.5 tonnes.

Sisal is cultivated for fibre in Brazil, China, Cuba, Kenya, Haiti, Madagascar, and Mexico. Production patterns differ between counties. In Tanzania and Kenya sisal is predominantly a plantation crop, while production in Brazil is largely small-scale.Uses of sisal

Sisal is used in twine and ropes, but competition from polypropylene has weakened demand

It is used as reinforcement in plastic composite materials, particularly in automotive components, but also in furniture. Another promising use is as a substitute for asbestos in brake pads.

By-products from sisal extraction can be used for making bio-gas, pharmaceutical ingredients and building material.

Natural fibresAbaca

Once a favoured source of rope for ship's rigging, abaca shows promise as an energy-saving replacement for glass fibres in automobilesAlso called manila hemp, abaca is extracted from the leaf sheath around the trunk of the abaca plant (Musa textilis), a close relative of the banana, native to the Philippines and widely distributed in the humid tropicsThe world's leading abaca producer is the Philippines

Uses of abacaDuring the 19th century

abaca was widely used for ships' rigging, and pulped to make sturdy manila envelopes.

Today, it is still used to make ropes, twines, fishing lines and nets, as well as coarse cloth for sacking. There is also a flourishing niche market for abaca clothing, curtains, screens and furnishings.

Paper made from abaca pulp is used in stencil papers, cigarette filter papers, tea-bags and sausage skins, and also in currency paper (Japan's yen banknotes contain up to 30% abaca).

Natural fibresAngora

Fine, silky and exceptionally soft to the touch, the wool of the Angora rabbit is used in high quality knitwearThe angora is a variety of the Old World domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with a special characteristic: the active phase of hair growth is double that of normal rabbits.An adult angora produces up to 1.5 kg of fibre per year.Angora wool is very soft to the touch, thanks to the low relief of its cuticle scales. The hairs are light, absorb water well and are easily dyed. Premium wool is taken from the back and upper sides of the rabbit.

Until the 1960s, France was the leading producer of angora wool. Since then it has been overtaken by China, where angora farms count more than 50 million rabbits. Other angora producers are Argentina, Chile, Czech Republic and Hungary.Uses of angora

Light but warm, angora wool is used mainly in knitted clothes, such as pullovers, scarves, socks and gloves, producing a moderate "fluffing" effect.Garments made of 100% angora wool are considered too warm and the fibres are too fine to provide density. It is therefore usually blended with other fibres, such as wool (right) to improve its processing performance, elasticity and wearability.

Natural fibresCashmere

Its luxurious, rare and expensive: the wool of six kashmir goats is enough to make just one cashmere sports jacketThe only source of true cashmere is the kashmir goat (Capra hircus laniger), native to the Himalayas.China is the world's leading cashmere producer, while Mongolia produces the finest fibre (with diameter of around 15 microns). Other, smaller producers include Australia, India, Iran, Pakistan, New Zealand, Turkey, and the USA. It has natural crimp, allowing it to be spun into fine, lightweight fabrics. Cashmere has small air spaces between the fibres, which makes it warm without weight, while thin cuticle cells on the fibre surface make it smooth and lustrous.

Uses of cashmereCashmere is luxurious,

rare and expensive: spun and woven, the annual fibre production of six kashmir goats is enough to make just one cashmere sports jacket.

Coarser cashmere is used for rugs and carpets.The fabric is widely used as cashmere sweaters (at right) because of its warmth and in babywear because of its softness. It is also used as blazers, coats, jackets and underwear. Pashmina is a type of cashmere, used mainly in scarves and shawls, produced in the valley of Kashmir

Natural fibresCotton

Almost pure cellulose, cotton is the world's most widely used natural fibre and still the undisputed "king" of the global textiles industryThe cotton fibre grows on the seed of a variety of plants of the genus Gossypium. Of the four cotton species cultivated for fibre, the most important are G. hirsutum, which originated in Mexico and produces 90% of the world's cotton, and G. barbadense, of Peruvian origin, which accounts for 5%. World average cotton yields are around 800 kg per hectare.

Cotton is almost pure cellulose, with softness and breathability that have made it the world's most popular natural fibreIt absorbs moisture readily, which makes cotton clothes comfortable in hot weather, while high tensile strength in soap solutions means they are easy to washUses of cottonAn estimated 60% of cotton fibre is used as yarn and threads in a wide range of clothing, most notably in shirts, T-shirts and jeans, but also in coats, jackets, underwear and foundation garments.

Cotton is also used to make home furnishings, such as draperies, bedspreads and window blinds, and is the most commonly used fibre in sheets, pillowcases, towels and washcloths.Its is made into specialty materials suitable for a great variety of applications: fire-proof apparel, cotton wool, compresses, gauze bandages, sanitary towels and cotton swabs. Industrial products containing cotton include bookbindings, industrial thread and tarpaulins.

Natural fibresHemp

Easy to grow without agrochemicals, hemp is used increasingly in agrotextiles, car panels and fibreboard, and "cottonized" for clothingHemp fibre is obtained from the bast of the plant Cannabis sativa L.Production of hemp is restricted in some countries, where the plant is confused with marijuana. Optimum yield of hemp fibre is more than 2 tonnes per ha, while average yields are around 650 kg.Long, strong and durable, hemp fibres are about 70% cellulose and contain low levels of lignin (around 8-10%).

Hemp fibre conducts heat, dyes well, resists mildew, blocks ultraviolet light and has natural anti-bacterial properties. Shorter, woody core fibres ("tow") contain higher levels of lignin.The world's leading producer of hemp is China (above), with smaller production in Europe, Chile and the Democratic People's Republic of KoreaUses of hemp

Hemp has been used for centuries to make rope, canvas and paper. Long hemp fibres can be spun and woven to make crisp, linen-like fabric used in clothing, home furnishing textiles and floor coverings.

In China, hemp is de-gummed for processing on flax or cotton machinery. Blending with cotton, linen, silk and wool gives hemp a softer feel, while adding resistance and durability to the product. In Europe, hemp fibres are used mainly in the special paper industry - thanks to lower lignin content, it can be pulped using fewer chemicals than wood.Hemp fibres are also used to reinforce moulded thermoplastics in the automobile industry. The short core fibres go into insulation products, fibreboard and erosion control mats, while the fibrous core can be blended with lime to make strong, lightweight concrete.

Natural fibresMohair

Thin surface scales make mohair smooth to touch, while light reflected from its surface gives it a characteristic lustreMohair" is derived from Arabic (mukhayyar, a goat's hair cloth). The goat in question, the Angora (Capra hircus) is thought to have originated in Tibet. Turkey was the centre of mohair textile production before the goat was introduced, during the 19th century, to southern Africa and the USA.Light and insulating, its tensile strength is significantly higher than that of merino wool. Like wool, mohair has surface scales, but they are thinner, making it smooth to the touch. Light reflected from the surface gives mohair a characteristic lustre.

the major producer is South Africa. Uses of mohairMohair dyes exceptionally well and is moisture-absorbing, resilient, and flame- and crease-resistant. It is used mainly in yarn for knitting and crocheting, and in fabric for stoles, scarves and durable upholstery. Fine hair from younger animals is used in clothing, while thicker hair from older animals goes into rugs and carpets and heavy fabrics for jackets and coats.Mohair is often blended with wool to make top quality blankets. Weavers in Italy and Japan use mohair in blends as low as 20% to add crease resistance and lustre to luxury garments.

Natural fibresSilk

Developed in ancient China, where its use was reserved for royalty, silk remains the "queen of fabrics"Silk is produced by the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Fed on mulberry leaves, it produces liquid silk that hardens into filaments to form its cocoon. The larva is then killed, and heat is used to soften the hardened filaments so they can be unwound. Single filaments are combined with a slight twist into one strand, a process known as filaturee or "silk reeling".Silk is produced in more than 20 countries. While the major producers are in Asia, sericulture industries have been established in Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt and Madagascar.