While Europe now imports most of the silk it processes, an ambitious project is taking shape in Romania: to revive a sericulture sector that has all but disappeared and establish a leading research centre dedicated to silkworms and mulberry cultivation in Băneasa, near Bucharest.

Led by the Băneasa Sericulture Research Station and supported by the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the project aims to gradually rebuild an entire silk production chain, from mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing to the production and processing of silk thread.

Brochier Soieries is contributing to this ambitious initiative through the involvement of Eliza Ploia, a member of the International Sericultural Commission. From Lyon, she is helping to build connections between Romanian and French teams and facilitating the transfer of knowledge and expertise needed to support this revival.

Romania, a Historic Land of Silk

Silk has a long history in Europe. Introduced via Greece as early as the 6th century, sericulture gradually spread across the continent from the Middle Ages onwards. In Romania, it became firmly established in Wallachia during the 18th century before developing extensively in the 19th century, particularly across the Danube Plain. Silk, known in Romanian as “borangic”, became part of domestic textile production in rural households.

As in France and much of Europe, the industry subsequently went into gradual decline. Silkworm diseases, the emergence of man-made fibres and increasing competition from Asian countries progressively weakened European production. In Romania, sericulture survived for longer, particularly during the Communist period, before declining rapidly from the 1990s onwards.

Today, only a small number of Romanian producers remain and the sector is still in its infancy. Yet the many mulberry trees found throughout the country continue to bear witness to the importance sericulture once held there.

It is upon this heritage that Romania now hopes to rebuild.

Băneasa: A New Research Centre for the Future of Sericulture

At the heart of this revival is the Băneasa-Bucharest Sericulture Research Station.

Established in its current form in 2023 as a public institution under the authority of the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, it is the heir to a long tradition of sericultural research. Among its most valuable resources is an exceptional genetic heritage comprising 84 pure lines of Bombyx mori, the domesticated silkworm.

Under the direction of Teodor Mihalcea, the station is now undergoing a major programme of development: the construction of a modern research centre, the creation of a team of researchers and technicians, the preservation and improvement of silkworm strains, research into mulberry varieties and the development of improved rearing techniques.

Together with two additional development sites in Cislău and Dolj, the new Băneasa centre is expected to be fully operational from 2027. With its new facilities and remarkable genetic resources, its ambition is to become a European reference centre for sericultural research.

But the objective extends far beyond scientific research alone. In the longer term, the revival plan envisages rebuilding the entire production chain: increasing the area planted with mulberry trees, training silkworm breeders, expanding cocoon production, developing new silk-reeling facilities, and ultimately rebuilding silk throwing and weaving capabilities.

The ambition is therefore to revive a genuine silk production sector in Romania.

Eliza Ploia: Building a Bridge Between Lyon and Romania

Eliza Ploia

It was in 2024 that Eliza Ploia first learned about the project to revive the Băneasa Research Station.

Born in Romania and based in Lyon since 2004, Eliza has worked with Brochier Soieries since 2005. Since 2014, she has also maintained an educational silkworm (Bombyx mori) breeding programme at Brochier Soieries Vieux Lyon, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the different stages of the silkworm’s life cycle through to the production of its precious thread.

Each year, she also provides silkworm eggs to nearly 200 schools in France and across Europe for educational breeding projects. Her interest in sericulture also led her to become a member of the International Sericultural Commission.

When she learned in 2024 that Romania had reactivated its sericulture research station, she contacted its director, Teodor Mihalcea. A first meeting took place in Lyon in May 2025 during a visit by a delegation from the International Sericultural Commission, followed by a visit to Băneasa in July of the same year.

Eliza then proposed establishing an exchange of expertise between the Romanian team and French sericulture specialists.

An initiative that soon began to take very concrete form.

From Lyon to Băneasa: Sharing and Passing On Expertise

On 16 and 17 March 2026, Eliza Ploia and Signorino Leonardi travelled to Băneasa for a new working visit. As members of the International Sericultural Commission, they helped establish a technical and scientific collaboration aimed at preserving Romania’s genetic resources and supporting the redevelopment of silkworm rearing.

The visit also provided an opportunity to assess the existing facilities and identify the technical, scientific and economic requirements involved in rebuilding Romanian silk production.

A further step was taken from 24 to 28 May 2026. Under the auspices of Brochier Soieries – Vieux Lyon, Michel Costa, an agronomist and sericulture specialist, and Alexandra Gaidos, an economist and co-president of Cévennes en Soie, travelled to Romania. Their mission directly continued the work initiated by Eliza Ploia and Signorino Leonardi two months earlier.

Michel Costa brings particularly valuable expertise to the project. Based in Monoblet, in the Cévennes region of southern France, he has extensive knowledge of the entire sericultural process, from mulberry cultivation and propagation to silkworm rearing and cocoon reeling. He has also taken part in several international technical-assistance missions dedicated to silk production.

The collaboration initiated by Eliza is therefore helping to connect Băneasa’s scientific and genetic resources with sericultural expertise that remains alive in France.

30,000 Mulberry Seeds and New Training Projects

This cooperation is now beginning to translate into concrete action.

Michel Costa has donated 30,000 mulberry seeds to the Băneasa Research Station. The Romanian team plans to begin its first sowing trials in 2027, with the aim of studying the propagation and selection of varieties suited to local conditions.

Mulberry cultivation is a fundamental part of any sericulture revival: the quality and quantity of leaves available directly determine the successful rearing of silkworms and, ultimately, cocoon production.

A practical training programme in the Cévennes is also being discussed for spring 2027. Members of the Băneasa team could join Michel Costa in Monoblet when he begins his annual silkworm rearing cycle, allowing them to receive hands-on training in both sericulture and mulberry cultivation.

The transfer of expertise has emerged as one of the central issues identified during the various missions. After several decades during which European sericulture virtually disappeared, some of its knowledge and skills now need to be recovered, shared and passed on to a new generation of researchers and producers. The May report therefore highlights the importance of training those who will manage future pilot farms and of developing a genuine European and international network around Băneasa.

A Movement Extending Beyond Romania

This revival is now attracting interest well beyond Romania itself.

In October 2026, the International Sericultural Commission will meet in Romania, with the programme including visits to silk-reeling facilities that remain in operation. The meeting reflects the growing momentum in the region and the desire to reconnect researchers, producers and silk-processing specialists.

Behind the Romanian project lies a broader question: what future is there for silk production in Europe?

Both France and Romania once mastered the entire production chain, from mulberry cultivation to silk reeling. Today, Europe is highly dependent on Asia for its supply of silk thread. Rebuilding European production will take time and require investment, research and, above all, the transmission of skills that have become increasingly rare.

With its sericultural heritage, favourable environmental conditions and textile expertise, Romania nevertheless has significant assets that could enable it to play a pioneering role in this European revival.

Visit of the International Sericultural Commission to Brochier Soieries Vieux Lyon on 19 May 2025, with delegations from Romania, India, Bangladesh, Japan, Thailand, Uganda, Ghana and Mozambique

Brochier Soieries: Committed to the Future of Silk

For Brochier Soieries, supporting this initiative is a natural extension of the history of a House that has worked with and transformed silk in Lyon since 1890.

For more than a century, the House has preserved and passed on expertise associated with this exceptional material. But preserving silk does not simply mean preserving the skills required to weave, print or transform it. It also means looking to the very origins of the material, its production, and the women and men who still hold the knowledge required to produce it.

Through Eliza Ploia’s involvement, the connections established between Băneasa, Lyon and the Cévennes, and the exchange of expertise now taking shape, Brochier Soieries hopes, in its own way, to contribute to passing on sericultural knowledge and to the revival of silk production in Europe.

L’article Reviving Silk Production in Europe: Brochier Soieries Supports Romania’s Sericulture Revival est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

This itinerary offers an immersive journey through the workshops and boutiques of the neighbourhood, revealing the richness and diversity of the artisanal and creative skills that bring Croix-Rousse to life today. Maison Brochier Soieries opens its doors and shares its universe dedicated to Lyon silk.

Through this visit, participants discover a living heritage where craftsmanship, materials, and contemporary creation engage in a dialogue with the legacy of the canuts. The Maison fully embraces this continuity by transmitting its know-how and history.

By joining “Au fil du temps”, Brochier Soieries reaffirms its strong connection to its district and its commitment to the local actors who contribute to the cultural influence of Croix-Rousse.

Download the Show Les Pentes programme and book your place now.

L’article Maison Brochier Soieries joins “Au fil du temps” at Show les Pentes in Lyon est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

On Wednesday November 6, the Mayor of Lyon, Mr. Grégory Doucet, presented the certificates for the Fabriqué à Lyon 2025 label.

This guarantees all Lyon residents that the products presented by retailers with the Made in Lyon label have been inspected and meet strict specifications.

The “Made in Lyon”  label :

• guarantees manufacture within a 20km radius of Lyon
• testifies to a certain know-how (traditional, technical, original or innovative);
• highlights a particular focus on resource conservation (re-use, short circuits, circular economy, sober, ecological, bio-sourced materials, etc.).

Each year, Maison Brochier Soieries renews its commitment to producing all its Lyonnais silk accessories in Lyon, with a strong attachment to its history, to its know-how handed down from generation to generation, and to its region.

The Maison Brochier Soieries production site is open to the public every day from Monday to Saturday, or by reservation at https://visites.brochiersoieries.com/.

Cédric Brochier at the FABRIQUÉ À LYON award ceremony.

L’article Brochier Soieries, the Lyon silk house with the Fabriqué à Lyon label. est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

Thanks to the Chinese Consulate in Lyon for relaying this information.

丝绸将法国和中国紧紧相连——花儿与少年第六季来到里昂

芒果TV 中国驻里昂总领馆 2024年10月18日 15:43

欢迎花少团此次来到里昂丝绸印花工坊参观，体验手工画染等传统工艺。法国与中国一直保有着友好的往来与深厚的联系，里昂的纺织印花工艺也是深受中国丝绸制作的影响。希望未来中法交流互动能够更加紧密，让文化继续碰撞，绽放出更加美丽的花路！

L’article Divas Hit the road (season 6), 9 Chinese celebrities at L’Atelier de soierie est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

Located at 90 rue Edouard Herriot, in the heart of the City of Light’s most elegant district, Aux Trois Archers is a true Lyon institution, created in 1955 and dedicated to a passion for writing, leather goods and office accessories. The boutique is home to all the big names: Montblanc, Graf Von Faber Castell, Caran d’Ache, Namiki, S.T Dupont, Smythson.

Montblanc’s new limited edition Masters of Art Hommage à Gustav Klimt will be presented at the Musée Soieries Brochier: hand-crafted gold nibs and engraved ornaments are just a few examples of the brand’s excellent craftsmanship. Maison Brochier Soieries will also be presenting items from its catalog of artists’ editions, in which the works of Gustav Klimt are also featured.

L’article Two Lyon institutions of refined silk craftsmanship and haute écriture pay tribute to Gustav Klimt est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

Discovering the crafts and luxury professions

On June 6-7-8 and 9, 2024, Lyon’s Cité des Congrès hosted an event organized by the Société Nationale des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France and the Comité Colbert, in which Le Tissage Mattelon and Brochier Soieries enthusiastically participated.

In front of the Tissage Mattelon stand, which featured a brocaded silk voile square created by Georges Mattelon in 1955 and for which he was named Meilleur Ouvrier de France, visitors were able to discover a mini silkworm farm. Entrusted for a weekend by the boutique Brochier Soieries du Vieux Lyon, the mini-farm fascinated young and old alike. While the Tissage Mattelon team recounted the secrets of silk weaving, one of Lyon’s finest crafts, the Musée Soieries Brochier exhibited a 1960 Hubert de Givenchy haute couture ball gown from the Brochier and Bianchini Férier collections. Next door, Ateliers AS, Hermès’ silk printing workshops, presented demonstrations of frame printing ‘a la lyonnaise’, a technique also practiced in Lyon by L’Atelier de Soierie. Denis et fils, Chanel, Dior, Christofle, Van Cleef et Arpels, MOF and MAF enthusiastically manned booths to showcase French crafts and luxury goods, and inspire vocations. A successful challenge!

L’article Discovering craft and luxury professions est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

The professions of Brochier Soieries and Brochier Technologies

Interview with Cédric Brochier,
Erasme, A web documentary on the textile industry of the Métropole de Lyon

Many are the professions related to silk and more broadly to textiles. On one hand, there is the creation with the designers, but also the skills involved in dyeing, printing, weaving. Training is provided in textile schools, but there is also a lot of in-company training. The majority of engineers at Brochier Technologies have followed the training at ENSAIT in Roubaix, France.

L’article The professions of Brochier Soieries and Brochier Technologies est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

Brochier Soieries, Characteristics of Silk

Interview with Cédric Brochier,
Erasme, A web documentary on the textile industry of the Lyon Metropolis

Silk has numerous characteristics: it is a natural fiber produced by the silkworm. It exhibits thermoregulatory properties and demonstrates great strength once spun while retaining a soft touch. Its limited water consumption and natural component place this material at the forefront of current concerns.

To learn more about the silkworm…

L’article Brochier Silks, characteristics of silk est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.

The Jacquard Loom, at the Heart of Silk Weaving

Interview with Cédric Brochier – Erasme, A web documentary on the textile industry of the Lyon Metropolis

Silk weaving is the art of crossing silk threads vertically and horizontally. The weave of the fabric defines the mode of interlacing the warp and weft threads. There are many types of weaves such as plain, twill, and satin, each containing a multitude of combinations.

Operated using punched cards, the Jacquard mechanism allows each warp thread of the loom to be raised or lowered independently of all others. It operates on the same principle as a barrel organ. A hole in the card causes the thread to rise. No hole, the thread remains in place. This is the binary language invented by the Lyonnais Joseph Marie, known as “Jacquard,” in 1801, the ancestor of computer language.

The Jacquard mechanism has been at the heart of innovations developed by the Brochier family. Today, it remains an indispensable tool for modern, mechanized, and computerized looms.

Brochier Soieries now owns one of the largest single-thread looms, individually controlling 18,700 threads thanks to its Jacquard mechanism.

L’article The Jacquard loom, at the heart of silk weaving est apparu en premier sur Brochier Soieries.