Hualuo Fabric Maker

 *All conversations published have gained the consent of speakers.

Suzhou City is located on the bank of Taihu Lake. It has an outstanding cultural richness: Su gardens, Kunqu opera, guqin, Song brocade, stone carvings, Su embroidery... Skilled artisans let Suzhou’s history pass on, and their heritage flows through thousands of years. Suzhou is always exquisite and delicate in people’s minds. I, one among them, having always been fascinated by fabrics, began an interview with Master Wu, the successor of the Hualuo weaving technique from Gusu City.

“Master Wu, from ancient times to the present, we describe people as well-dressed and have a good quality of life. We always say that we wear 绫罗绸缎, silk and satin. The second character of this phrase is 罗, “Luo,” which Hualuo contains. You are an expert in the fabric industry. Can you introduce some relevant knowledge?”

“That phrase is used to describe exquisite silk fabrics. Generally speaking, each is a different weaving technique that gives off a certain vibe. The first is simple, and Luo, the second, is romantic and splendid. The third looks noble, while the fourth is characterized by elegance.

Among them, Luo is a silk fabric weaved with strip-shaped twisted warps, with yarn holes on the surface, and can be divided into horizontal Luo and straight Luo. It is also characterized by its light and thin texture, slender strands, and the shape of pepper holes after the silk is intertwined. The texture is tight and robust, and the yarn holes are ventilated and comfortable to wear. Precisely because of that, it is suitable for making summer clothing, embroidery base fabrics, and decorations.”

“Luo has a long history. The most popular type of Luo made is the Hualuo, your main business, right?”

“In our industry, it is said that of the four types of silk and satin, Luo is the most luxurious!

 

Our Wu-region Luo uses a traditional weaving technique that originated in the Warring States Period and is known for its lightness and softness. This thread structure we use to create Luo—the four-warp knuckle—makes it extremely light and allows the surface of the fabric to show a statuesque relief effect, which, other than being eye-pleasing, has little friction with the skin and is easy to dissipate heat. Suzhou is the hometown of Luo, and I’m proud to say that its Luo weaving skills are superb. The weaving technique of the four-warp knuckle is complicated and a masterpiece of ancient invention.

On the hollow yarn base, as thin as a cicada’s wings, are clusters of colorful and dazzling flowers. The kind of Luo that forms built-in relief patterns on its surface through the twisting of warp threads and weft threads is called Hualuo. The plain Luo that is not Hualuo still has relief effects, but these would be straight lines rather than patterned. The best mulberry-silk made Hualuo has been a representative of wealth and luxury since ancient times. It is the general name of Luo fabrics with various patterns.

Hualuo’s weaving process is extremely complicated and sophisticated, with nearly 30 processes including thread-picking, soaking, twisting, drawing, and weaving on the machine.”

“From your point of view, what is Hualuo’s current market trend?”

“This line from a poem describes the ancient market: “There are many tributes when the Jinjiang River is dry, and the palace is filled with Luo silk.” It was very popular in the imperial courts and high society back during the ancient dynasties. Hualuo was a tribute from our region that was rewarded to and enjoyed by princes and nobles. After more than twenty processes, due to the difficulty of weaving and the high production cost, it was beyond the consumption of ordinary people. Due to the impact of foreign cloth during more modern times, Luo is even demanded by fewer people, and the weaving skills are almost extinct. In 1986, the Suzhou Silk Museum worked hard to restore the weaving skills of the four-warp knuckle and was only successful in restoring one type, the plain Luo. In the 1990s, Jiaming Zhou, the director of Jiaming Kesi Factory, had to keep attempting restoration for many years before the weaving skills of Hualuo were successfully restored.

The quality of life in modern society has generally improved, and more and more people can afford Hualuo, which is more comfortable, breathable, hygroscopic, and UV-resistant. The market situation is generally consistent, and the customer base is small but relatively stable. We hope to expand, but as an intangible cultural heritage artist, I am already very satisfied with a steady customer population. This is a privilege many of my peers do not enjoy.”