Korean velvet fabric, how did the downfall and resurgence develop?

Youngdo Velvet, which was on the brink of bankruptcy, revived in the 2000s with the development of poly velvet and regained its former reputation.​

[Fashion Journal: Daegu = Correspondent Gu Dong-chan] Velvet fabrics, which accounted for a significant portion of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk textile industry in the 1970s and 1980s, are reviving splendidly by overcoming a 10-year recession after the great downfall in the 1990s and regaining its old reputation.

Youngdo Velvet (Chairman Byungseon Yoo), the only company that survived the bankruptcy crisis in the 1990s, is embroidering velvet fabrics in the global market with the worlds best technology and products in the mid-2000s.

What was the cause of the downfall of velvet fabrics in Korea in the past? Also, how could Korean velvet fabrics, which were facing a crisis, spread their wings of revival?

In the 1970s and 1980s, one of the biggest gifts for handsome men and women who were about to get married was velvet fabric. At that time, velvet fabric was a high-quality fabric that could be said to be extravagant. Women wanted to make clothes with velvet fabric at least once, and it was used for scarves, accessories, and decorations.

Women in the United States, the worlds No. 1 economic powerhouse, were also enthusiastic about velvet fabrics, and in the Middle East and Central Asia, womens biggest treasured items were velvet products, which were so popular.

At that time, 4,000 velvet looms in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province were in full operation 24 hours a day, and the products produced were exported to the domestic market, the United States, and the Middle East, and Koreas velvet products enjoyed popularity as the highest quality products. However, a crisis came in the 1990s.

In the US market, as velvet fabrics using tricot looms became popular, the image of velvet fabrics as a high-end product faded and export orders plummeted. In the Middle East and Central Asia, as low-priced Chinese products swept the market, our velvet products were I lost my seat.

As the situation deteriorated rapidly in just a few years, velvet fabric companies folded their businesses one by one or went bankrupt and left the velvet industry. , and was driven to the brink of bankruptcy due to lack of new product alternatives.

Yushin Textile (Chairman Ha Young-tae) also tried to escape the crisis by relocating production facilities to Qingdao, Shandong Province, China in the late 1990s after repeatedly reducing domestic production facilities.

At that time, velvet fabrics produced fabrics using acetate or cotton materials, but due to the nature of velvet, dyeing was specially treated to prevent damage to the brushed pile, so productivity was low and cost was high, so it was not competitive. There was an extreme atmosphere prevailing in the domestic industry that velvet fabrics could no longer be released to the overseas market.

The card of reversal in this atmosphere was micro poly velvet fabric. In 2002, when Youngdo Velvet was on the verge of bankruptcy, Chairman Yoo Byung-seon sought a way out and recruited current vice president Lee Seong-ryeol as a relief pitcher.

Vice President Lee judged that the cotton or acetate-based velvet products that he has been using so far are too expensive, the dyeing work process is complicated, and the production cost is high, so he cannot win the competition with Velboa products or Chinese products. Started developing velvet products using polyester. However, this strategy soon ran into difficulties.

There was no problem with weaving, but dyeing with the conventional method was not profitable, so I had to dye it with a rapid dyeing machine that can be mass-produced. First of all, after testing the Pilot Rapid Dyeing Machine for about a year, the dyeing was successful.

In addition, the poly velvet fabric features micro polyesters unique flexibility and resilience, which features elegant drape and fascinating colors, and excellent durability of pile, no pressure or wrinkles, and can be washed in water, and does not change color even after long-term use, so anyone can use it. It was created as a practical product that can be easily purchased and used.

As this product is commercialized, exports as well as domestic demand will gradually recover. Since the late 2000s, Youngdo Velvet products have been praised as the worlds best velvet fabric and are gaining popularity in the global market.

Yushin Textile also struggled with a loss of more than billions of units for two to three years after relocating its facilities to China, but it turned into a surplus in the recent four to five years, and it is known that Chinas domestic demand as well as exports have entered the right track.

Lee Seong-ryeol, vice president of Youngdo Velvet, said, "Velvet fabrics using polyester yarn led to the revival of velvet in the 2000s, and it is expected to continue for a considerable period of time in the future."

In addition, Vice President Lee said, “It is judged that we cannot continue to lead the future of Velvet with the current product, so we are doing our best to develop new products.” he added.

If cotton or acetate velvet fabrics enjoyed their heyday in the 70s and 80s, polyester velvets led the market in the 2000s. And, since 2010, new material velvet fabric and LCD-use rubbing cloth, led by Youngdo Velvet, are in the limelight as the next generation velvet fabric, heralding a heyday once again.

Velvet fabric is still a fabric that fashionable women want to make and wear clothes at least once. The scope of application is expanding from decorative items such as scarves and accessories to interior and IT items as well as clothes. Reflecting this trend, Korean velvet fabrics are expected to solidify the image of luxury fabrics in the overseas market and spread the wings of revival once again.

(Fashion Journal & Textile Life ⓒ World Textile Newspaper)​