Resources

local silk sources

When I write “local”, I mean Manhattan or New York City, and when I say “sources”, I really mean importers. I don’t believe anybody is actually weaving silk here in the city! To clarify even further, this list would be for small (even start-up) companies who are looking for ultra-low minimums, local vendors for quick pick-ups, and wholesalers (not jobbers) for steady access to set colors.

Now if you are just looking for sample yardage and do not want to worry about future ordering (in which case you would need to consider minimums), then you are more free to consider ordering sample cuts from whichever vendor suits your fancy. However, keep in mind that not all vendors have stock on hand — many of them make to order, and most must ship from overseas. This can make the wait time 6 weeks or more.

Also, if you have never ordered from a wholesaler before, be prepared to answer questions such as your company name, address, phone, and tax id number. This is standard practice, because you are buying goods wholesale, without tax, with the expectation that you will be reselling the goods in one form or another. (Soon I will write an article on how to set yourself up as a business.)

• Calamo Silk — on 55 W 39th St. Calamo has all kinds of silk on premises, with about 100 different colors in stock. They send over their color card practically overnight, and the quality of their goods is pretty decent.
• C&J Textiles — at 230 W 38th St. Their website doesn’t seem to be working (did they change it?), but they always have a huge selection of various silks, along with some wool fabrications. 96 colors in stock for the more common weaves. Here, again, be prepared to set up an account with an account manager.
• Eastern Silk Mills — the factory is in New Jersey and the office is in the city, at 561 7th ave, 15th floor.  They also have 96 colors in stock, for several silk fabrications including charmeuse, georgette, chiffon, and organza (plus more).  It is definitely worth checking them out, as they are one of the few (if not only) suppliers which still operate and produce within the United States.
• P|V — on the 11th Floor of 225 W 37th (the same building that Mood Fabrics is located), Preview Textile Group has a range of common silks in 96 colors as well. I’ve been there to check out their silk (this is when they just started their business), but have not ordered from them.

There it is. What a short list! But here I am only including the basic silk sources, not the smaller, more high-end ones which offer high quality one-of-a-kind prints or custom colors. This is because you would typically have to order big volumes and would have to be lucky enough that they have the color you want in stock for sampling yardage. Once I did just that — I ordered sample yardage of beautiful irredescent chiffons from a small local textile importer. I was very happy with the fabric, but I did have to wait for shipping, and I would not have been able to order the minimum quantity for production. This is why it is important to think ahead, even when it is impossible to know exactly what you will need in the future.

                              

No related posts

© 2008 C O U P de C L O T H.    Hosted by 1&1