French fashion giant Dior displayed the precious fabric used by the Ottoman sultans in the 2022 Paris Fashion Week.
Kutnu fabric used to make clothes of sultans in the Ottoman Empire was used for the men's collection by Dior. The production phase of kutnu fabric also used in sportswear was shared on the brand's social media account.
“This historical fabric, once used by the Ottoman royal dynasty, was reborn in the Dior collection,” the brand said.
The brand's creative director, Kim Jones, has included the yellow gilded kutnu fabric in Dior's 2023 Summer menswear collection.
Kutnu is a type of silk fabric woven only in Gaziantep, south-central Turkey. The fabric's raw material is floss silk, rayon and cotton thread, which is generally used in local clothes, bags and touristic clothes.
The fabric was frequently used in the Ottoman period and it was a valuable fabric used only by the upper classes. It reflects elegance and aesthetics. Ottoman sultans used to grace with their gilded stances within kutnu clothes that are finely sewed.
The kutnu fabric, which was used in Ottoman palaces in the 16th century, is known as one of the brightest fabrics of all time. The kutnu fabric, produced by hand-woven silk and cotton, was generally used in striped and colorful designs.
What distinguishes kutnu fabric from other woven fabrics in the region is the historical importance of Gaziantep. The city, which was located on the Silk Road, paved the way for a brand new fabric to be produced by mixing the local cotton and the silk carried by the merchants passing through the region throughout history.
