FINEST LUXURY CLOTHS: DORMEUIL JADE
Following on from the post about Madame Paulette were I touched on new innovations in luxury cloth, today I am going to be talking about a very interesting new cloth by Dormeuil called "Jade".
Bunch # 104 Jade (to be precise) is a super 160s wool sourced from the archipelago of New Zealand blended with Jade.
Two years ago Marlborough (New Zealand) farmer Richard Bell imagined blending micro particles of jade, or pounamu, into his Haldon Range wool fibre which is grown exclusively to Dormeuil specifications.
He discussed the idea with jade sculptor Ian Boustridge and samples of the stone were sent to Dormeuil in Paris for testing.
"Trials showed that minute jade particles washed into the woven fibre created a finished cloth smoother and softer than any high fashion wool garment made previously," Richard said.
"Its tactile qualities encouraged Dormeuil to manufacturer a new line of wool-jade cloth and make it available to leading tailors around the world".
Ian Boustridge, an expert in working with jade, said the fibrous nature of the stone when reduced enables it to lock into wool fibres and gives a distinctive feel to the end product.
"The manufacturing process had to be proven by Dormeuil, but is not surprising given the extremely smooth feel of jade when polished."
After two years of research the cloth is now manufactured and available in a variety of patterns and colors, although I feel patterns with natural jade shades of green are really the only way to go with this cloth. The samples for Jade are presented not in a book but in a box encased in this rather Indiana Jones looking outer sleeve.
Jade is so fresh out the blocks that very few suits worldwide have been made but recently John Key the Prime minister of New Zealand wore a suit made from this cloth at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
John Key (Right) wearing Dormeuil Jade With HRH Prince charles
What I really like about Dormeuil is the way this 168 year old company still strives to be on the leading edge of luxury. With the economy the way it has been many very good cloth manufacturers have frozen there prices or have indeed dropped them. They have done this by compromising the quality of their cloths and cutting corners. I think Dormeuil quite wisely recognizes that the highest of quality will always be in demand. I admire their creativity and uncompromising approach, which is to produce the most luxurious and unique cloths in the world.
Dormeuil Jade is available for use in David Reeves custom and 6000 stitches suits.
