What is kutnu? How is it made?
Gaziantep‘s kutnu fabric is a type of woven fabric with silk and consists of a floss, cotton yarn, and artificial silk mixture. Artisans manually weave this precious fabric with various shapes on handlooms. According to some sources, it has been used in local clothes for years starting from the 16th century. Nowadays, also bags, slippers, cushions, and other accessories made out of kutnu are available.
Kutnu in contemporary fashion
The Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade declared kutnu weaving as a “profession with traditional, cultural and artistic value in danger of disappearing”. Ottoman sultans used to have caftans out of kutnu. That’s why the kutnu fabric has a second name: “the Palace Fabric”. It had been a symbol of beauty and elegance. Unfortunately, this traditional fabric faced the danger of extinction. Gaziantep is not only famous for its pistachio, kebab, baklava, and beyran soup. The recent efforts have been successful to bring kutnu fabric to the economy and increase its brand value. In recent years, kutnu has attracted the attention of some fashion designers. Turkish fashion designer Serap Pollard had the opportunity to show this cultural presence to the world with her collection of AW15 Kutnu at London Fashion Week.
