De Silk Boutique
Description
Address
No. 29, Samdech Tep Vong (St.), Mondul 2 Village
H/P: 011 775 168
About Us
Silk was introduced to Cambodia via Thailand in the 10th Century. By the 13th Century, sericulture (the cultivation of silk worms) and experimental silk weaving were taking place along the banks of the Bassac and Mekong Rivers. By the 19th Century sericulture was widespread on the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake, on islands in the Mekong River and in Kampot, Kampong Thom and Battambang Provinces.
The outbreak of World War II disrupted silk production in Europe and increased demand for Cambodian silk but, sadly, cultivation was decimated when civil war broke out in Cambodia in the 1970s. Many of those that knew how to rear the silkworms and process the thread into quality yarn for weaving did not survive the war and nor did the breeding stock or the mulberry plantations that are required to rear silkworms. As a result, Cambodia's silk yarn production declined dramatically in the post-war period, with sericulture continuing in only about 10 villages in the Phnom Srok area of Siem Reap Province.
DeSilk, Cambodia was established in 2002, in Siem Reap to promote Cambodian silk to the world. Cambodian silk is now recognised as one of
the purest silks in the world, is widely praised by many of fashion's great couturiers and is being used in fashion collections globally from Sydney to Milan but we are continuing to champion Cambodian silk producers in the international markets and to support them, and their interests, to ensure they receive fair terms when trading in Cambodia and overseas.
The scarcity of Cambodian silk during this post-war period made our silk very desirable and, as a result, various initiatives were put in place to support and rebuild Cambodia’s silk industry. Happily, by the end of 2005, silk production was taking place in over 100 villages with production output reaching over 12 tonnes annually. Today, the most famous area in Cambodia for the production of silk is Phnom Srok, in the hills above the Tonle Sap River in northwestern Cambodia.