Bombyx, organic silk producer for J Crew, Madewell, bets on a rise in demand for sustainably produced garments

Producing organic and sustainable silk in China’s Sichuan province is expensive, but Bombyx founders Andrew and Hilmond Hui think it will pay off

The Hong Kong father and son hope that by adopting sustainable practices at every stage of production they can lay down a blueprint for others to follow

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Bombyx was established in 2018 by Andrew (right) and Hilmond Hui. The organic silk company invests its all in environmentally friendly silkworm farming and a sustainable factory in Sichuan “where silk began” in China. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 7:15am, 28 Jun 2021Updated: 8:02am, 29 Jun 2021

Transforming fluffy white silkworm cocoons nurtured on Chinese mulberry trees into high-fashion silk shirts, blouses, jackets and other garments is a long, multi-stage process of harvesting, washing, spinning, weaving, dying and sewing.

One privately owned Hong Kong company will soon own and manage every stage of this silk journey.

Bombyx, named after the Latin word for the silkworm, was established in 2018 by Andrew and Hilmond Hui, father-and-son entrepreneurs who have invested in the social importance and future profitability of organic silk and sustainable enterprise.

Their investment is a long-term bet on what the world needs in a time of climate change and increasing environmental sensitivity, and what the world will pay for in the decades to come.

Silkworm cocoons are processed at the Bombyx factory in China.

Bombyx, the Huis say, will forge a sustainable trail for other silk producers to follow, using the latest best practice in irrigation, with terracing and wells, in agriculture with double cropping and chemical-free nurture, and in manufacture with sustainable energy use in the factory – 90 minutes from the mulberry trees in Sichuan, southwest China.

Producing organic and sustainable silk is an expensive process, but the Huis think it will pay off in the long run.