Vegan silk (fruit silk)
Also known as: Fruit silk, Orange fibre, Banana silk, Lotus silk
Silk-like fibres from plant residues such as citrus peel (Orange Fiber), banana stems or lotus stalks — cruelty-free and often from by-product streams.
Description
„Vegan silk" or „fruit silk" is an umbrella term for various plant-based fibres that mimic the silky hand and lustre of true mulberry silk but are produced without silkworms. Prominent examples include Orange Fiber (Italy, from citrus pomace of the juice industry, regenerated in a viscose-like process), banana silk from the fibres of the banana pseudo-stem after harvest and lotus silk from the fibres of lotus stems — traditionally hand-processed in Myanmar and Vietnam.
Since many of these fibres come from food-industry by-product streams, they are considered particularly resource-efficient. Orange Fiber was first commercialised in a Salvatore Ferragamo collection in 2017; banana and lotus silk are mainly used by small artisan mills for luxury niches.
- Hand and lustre similar to silk, but fully plant-based (PETA-approved vegan)
- Partly from food-/agriculture by-products (citrus pomace, banana harvest residues)
- Often blended with other fibres (silk, cotton) for easier processing
- Certifiable via GOTS, GRS or PETA-approved vegan
Properties
| Fibre type | Plant-based regenerated or bast fibre |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Citrus pomace, banana stem, lotus stalks |
| Vegan | Yes — no silkworms |
| Application | Blouses, dresses, scarves, luxury niche |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Orange fiber Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_fiber
- PETA-approved vegan peta.org https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/peta-approved-vegan-logo/
