Simple d'Abaca
id card
100% abaca fibers
composition
Cellulose
building blocks
Organic
material origin
Woven
shape
9 – actual system proven in operational environment
TRL
Bisson Bruneel was the first fabrics editor to introduce abaca into their collections
over 20 years ago
with thereference “simple d’abaca”. First a little reminder of this wonderful natural and ecological fiber. Abaca, also known as Manila Hemp, comes from an endemic species of banana tree. The fiber is extracted from the heart of the plant’s trunk.
Properties
An irregular woven look we know from linen fabrics gives a traditional handmade look. Perfect for interior projects or summer garments.
Simple d'Abaca has a sturdy soft handfeel.
Depending on the mixture of the weaving the abaca makes it possible to make and realize a raw rendering but also a very elaborate.
The variations in color of abaca in weaving are inherent in the seasons and places of harvest of the fiber and give each piece its unique and exceptional side.
Abaca mixes with many other materials, such as copper and leather makes very creative and innovative fabrics.
Cyclability
APPLICATIONS
Sliding panels, blinds, furniture sheets – BB also experiments by sandwiching the fibers between glass to achieve crafty natural looks in interiors.
Since its first collection “Simple d’abaca”, Bisson Bruneel has been developing and innovating each year with creations where abaca is mixed with other materials, such as copper, imitation leather, jeans or other threads recycling.
FOOTWEAR APPLICATIONS
Production process
The production is based on the ancestral Filipino know-how in woven braiding and hand woven in vegetable fibers.
80% of Abaca’s production is used for paper feet and 20% for textiles. Sorted into five quality levels -from the thinnest to the thickest- the fibers are knotted by hand to obtain skeins. Each piece is woven manually on traditional looms in wood or metal.
The use of Abaca respects the concern to work with natural fibers and contribute to the protection of the planet. There is no deforestation, the banana is not uprooted, the trunk is cut 40 cm from the ground and the plant regrows in two years. The trees are scattered throughout the wild and are not planted according to the intensive production method.
Manufacturing facts
2 years of growth time + 10 days to get a roll of 21 meters
production time
It is not clear if the process from harvest to final product happens fully in the Philippines or is divided between France and the Philippines. BB can you clarify :-D ?