When Jean Goulbourn was deciding what to name her line of handwoven silk fabrics and fashion 18 years ago, a friend suggested “Cocon de Soie.”
This later became Silk Cocoon, a brand that made everyone in Paris curious when Goulbourn joined an exclusive trade show in 1996, in a small space beside great big names in interiors such as Fendi, Nobilis, Andrew Martin, Zimmer-Rhode, Creation Baumann.
Silk with abaca, silk with copper, silk with “ananas” (piña)—everyone came to touch, to see what were these natural fibers from the Philippines felt and looked like.
Today, Silk Cocoon continues to quietly innovate with its textiles and fashion, namely its silk barong translated in a modern way which Goulbourn has managed to historically update in a big way.
The designer knows no boundaries in her creative process with the barong, playing around with a series of embroidery collections—from the baroque period in Europe to the Filipino primitive tattoo and the Filipino architecture of past centuries.
As Silk Cocoon turns 18 years old, it looks back on memorable highlights: the 1996 Apec leaders in Barong Tagalog, the Biennale exhibit in Europe, and dressing up Prince Albert of Monaco, Nelson Mandela and President Clinton, among other significant world and local figures.
Last Dec. 16, as Silk Cocoon celebrated its anniversary, 11 renowned Filipino artists were featured: National Artists Arturo Luz and BenCab, painters Manuel Baldemor and Ramon Diaz, architects Lor Calma and Ed Calma, sculptors Impy Pilapil and Gabriel Barredo, furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, artist/chef Claude Tayag, and photographer Wig Tysmans—all highly respected in their fields of creation.
Each artist managed to put a strong stamp on each artwork, painting, drawing and concept that was then interpreted in embroidery.
“A beautiful experience I shall treasure, with their gift of allowing me to glimpse into and share a little bit of their world,” said Goulbourn. “But I am not done yet! As some of their designs can be translated in three, four or five variations of embroidery methods and color combinations. Thus each client will not have the same placement of embroidery on his shirt.” This is a special limited-edition set of barong—a collector’s item that can be passed on from generation to generation.
This tribute to artist friends will also benefit the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” with the kind support of Farid Schoucair, general manager of New World Hotel, Silk Cocoon’s home for 18 years.