At the Palais de la Bourse in Lyon, the recent Silk in Lyon International Festival—celebrating the luxurious textile that shaped Lyon’s industrial and cultural identity—honored the Greek town of Soufli this year, highlighting its rich sericulture and silk-weaving heritage on an international stage.
The festival featured the exhibition “From Soufli to Lyon – The Journey of Greek Cocoons: From the Fineness of the Thread to the Brilliance of Fabrics,” showcasing the historical connection between the two silk cities and their contributions to the global silk industry. The exhibition was curated by the Friends of Silk Association “Chrysalida”, with support from the Municipality of Soufli, the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, other local bodies, the Honorary Greek Consulate in Lyon, and under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The festival aims to highlight the craftsmanship and creativity associated with silk, bridging tradition with modern innovation. Emphasis was placed on the adaptability of the silk industry to contemporary challenges, as well as opportunities for sustainability and technological innovation. The event also underscored the importance of sericulture, traditional silk-related crafts, and the diverse applications of silk and cocoons in cosmetics, jewelry, and haute couture.
About 120 professionals and exhibitors participated, including renowned international houses and workshops such as Beglarian Fabrics, Bianchini Ferier, Maison Malfroy, Soieries Cheval, Soieries Saint-Georges, Laboratoire Silkbiotic, and Maison Bocko. Beyond Soufli, the Municipality of Karavas from Cyprus also presented at the festival.
Soufli’s selection as the honored city affirms its international recognition for contributing to global silk culture. Previous festivals have celebrated historic silk-producing cities like Hangzhou, Kyoto, Como, and Lyon itself.
The Greek Ambassador to France, Antonis Alexandridis, attended the event, exploring high-aesthetic creations from Soufli silk and learning about the area’s sericulture and silk-weaving history through archival materials, photographs, and selected exhibits. The exhibition featured creations from Greek fashion houses Zeus & Dione, Silkline, Parthenis, and Ioanna Kourbela, highlighting the modern vitality of Greek silk.
Information provided by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Embassy in France.
