On every trip I look for fabrics I can later turn into guitar straps for you. And that’s exactly what I did in Vietnam. I have to admit, Kasia is always the one who finds the best spots. Both the places worth seeing and the ones where you can come across really special materials. And this time was no different.
This trip was a mix of family time and constantly keeping an eye out for something interesting. On one side you’ve got mountains, raw, green and a bit wild. On the other side beaches where everything slows down and you start breathing a little differently. In between there are cities, temples, small streets and places where time just moves at its own pace. We found ourselves surrounded by rice fields stretching to the horizon, riding scooters through all that nature, often right in the middle of local life. Sure, we visited a few bigger places too, but we’re always drawn more to the edges. Away from the noise.
One of the strongest moments of this trip for me was visiting a place where silk is actually made. Not a shop. A real place where everything starts with silkworms. I got to see the whole process, from cocoons to the final thread and fabric. It completely changes how you look at materials.
I also learned the only real way to tell if silk is truly 100 percent natural. You can’t figure it out just by touch. If someone tells you they can, they’re just guessing. The only way to really check it is by burning it. When you burn pure silk, you get a very specific smell, like burnt hair. You can’t miss it. That comes from proteins. If the silk is mixed with synthetic fibers, you’ll immediately smell burnt plastic. There’s no way to confuse those two.
There’s one more thing. Ash. Just rub the burnt piece between your fingers. With real silk you’ll notice tiny shiny particles in the ash. With synthetic blends it looks completely different.
Mixing silk with other fibers is actually very common and makes a lot of sense. Those extra fibers are what give the material strength. And that’s exactly the kind of silk I used for two straps from the World Series Vietnam Custom Shop. Pure silk would simply be too delicate for this kind of use.
I hope you enjoy the photos and the fabrics I brought back from this trip. The World Series Vietnam straps are something really different and fresh. I truly recommend them.
If you’d like to see the straps from this series, you can find them in the Custom Shop.
Michał
