Art and Culture

Silk production is based on balancing ancient processes and techniques alongside innovation where appropriate. Since the Yuan Dynasty in China, the Taihu Lake Basin has been the top producer of Chinese silk as it has the optimal natural terrain and skilled artisans, providing high quality silk for the royal families and for export via Silk Road. We are honoured to work with Jiangnan Palace supporting with ancient, patented techniques in weaving and embroidery. We also believe that our work in silk is a true artform and we have collaborated with many artists and museums to showcase designs.

We want our employees to be truly happy working at Silkinc, feel satisfied with their work each day, an environment in which they can thrive, learn and surround themselves with friends. We know we can always do more. To progress in the right direction, we have started by focusing on a few specific areas:

We are a female led organisation and truly believe a diverse workplace results in the best decisions for our customers, planet and business. We aim for equal representation in all areas of work, from our board, handicraft and sewing teams, design workshops and farmers. We choose to work with suppliers who have the same values and continuously review that all those we work with meet our standards of best practice.Silkinc actively encourages the employment of those with disabilities and offers training opportunities to develop weaving and embroidery skills in particular. For example, Silkinc have partnered with XiuNiang to set up the XiuNiang Embroidery Academy for those with hearing impairments.

Silkinc offers secondments and rotations within the various handicraft departments allowing our employees to keep learning and developing their skills. We offer training in management as well as technical skills to provide all our employees the opportunity to progress in their careers at the pace that works for them.

Our workshops and orchards (as well as those of our partners) are often less than 40 people, enabling teams to really get to know one another and to have a comfortable and well-lit space. Each individual is encouraged to have an ergonomic set up that is relevant to their work and many of our larger workshops have a welfare manager to monitor and support this.

We all know that life is more than just work! We also want to enable our employees to enjoy time with their families and provide them with the best opportunities. Our handicraft working hours are predominantly during daylight and many of our workshops offer after school clubs to provide additional teaching and a safe space to be cared for. Many of Silkinc’s workshops and orchards are located in rural areas providing employment opportunities in what would be less developed regions, encouraging a more diverse population with old and young families living harmoniously and looking after one another.