Golden Cape Made from Spider Silk

Last Updated on January 23, 2012 by Babita

Silkworms move over, its time for the spiders to take over the textile world. For centuries silkworms were used for making silk and now the textile team from Godley and Peers after extensive research have designed this golden cape made from spider silk. The Golden Orb spider, a rare species from Madagascar produces these gorgeous golden filaments with vibrant saffron color. This golden cape is the largest piece of clothing made using over a million spiders over a period of four years. All spiders used for weaving are females and once done with weaving are releasing into the wild again.

This is not the first time spider silk weaving was attempted. In 1710 a French citizen Francois Xavier Bon de Saint Hilaire was the first man who introduced it to Europeans. Later in the 19th century Jesuit priest Raimondo Maria de Termeyer discovered and extracted threads from the spiders. Since then the Madagascar government has been encouraging spider silk weaving. Along with being very lightweight the Madagascar spider silk is also known to be stronger than Kevlar. The fashion industry is giddy with excitement and the military is also taking a keen interest in this silk.

If you are in the vicinity of Victoria & Albert Museum in London, then definitely make it a point to check it out. This golden cape is currently being displayed there.

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