Manufacturer promises that quality of Belarusian jeans will rival that of world brands
The Deputy General Director of Commercial Issues at the Orsha Linen Mill, Dmitry Muraviev, is eagerly waiting to see what jean-like fabrics will be produced at the factories. Samples of the material have already been shown to partners, including foreign manufacturers. In mid-March, the Bellegprom Concern gathered for an extended session to present the results which impressed many of them. “Applications are now being processed and dispatches are planned. The first sales will go to our trading houses in Estonia, Ukraine and Russia. They’ll send further supplies of the fabric to their sewing companies in the regions. Major world brands, including Turkish companies, have demonstrated an interest in our new material. I’m convinced that linen jeans collections will soon be sold in many countries. Foreigners appreciate this ecologically friendly product which has even better properties than cotton. Among our factories, Kalinka, Znamya Industrializatsii, Nadex, Elema, Komintern and other sewing facilities have requested the use of the fabric. In summer, jeans of different colours and styles will go on sale, in addition to coats. Everything will depend on the skill and imagination of designers and market specialists: these people decide what clothes will be popular,” Mr. Muraviev explains.
Mozyr’s Nadex factory is already supplying linen jeans, blouses and shirts to Belarusian and foreign shops. Its marketing specialist, Andrey Grigorevich, tells us that all the colours are interesting but are different from ordinary jeans fabric. The Vitebsk based Znamya Industrializatsii factory is anticipating when the Orsha plant will complete its work on the clothing and send it to the factory. The first samples of trousers are ready; these are now being studied by the factory’s artistic council to assess design, density and wear resistance and iron out any issues arising, particularly given the fact that Belarusian jeans are denser than cotton clothing. The work will be finished this month and the jeans are planned to go on sale by the summer.
Unsurprisingly, linen clothing grows in popularity in spring and summer. The shop assistants admit they rely mostly on foreigners to appreciate our natural tableware and linen, towels and clothes. They would prefer to buy linen products themselves but many Belarusians try on clothes in natural fabrics yet leave without a purchase. Unfortunately, we still view Belarus-made products as inferior. Some see linen clothing as rural and others complain of its too-simple design. There is also the opinion that linen clothes are usually too casual and fail to meet the dress code, as well as being difficult to iron. The Head of the Belarusian Linen department at a Minsk store, Yekaterina Shchuka, advises having a closer look at the designs on offer, “Linen clothes are much better quality now. There are even garments which need no ironing, even after washing, and it is available in a great variety of colours.”
According to Mr. Muraviev, this is a result of modernisation. Linen is dyed and softened in factories where it is also decorated with embroidery and all sorts of patterns. At present, five factories of the branch are in the third stage of technical modernisation and, by late 2017, the work will be complete. The range of produce will be greatly improved and, according to the factory workers, rough bed linen will be a thing of the past: owing to special tools, bed sheets are now much softer. Banya and hot sauna lovers would definitely appreciate linen bath towels: these are rougher than cotton but offer an enjoyable massage effect.
Designer Anastasia Falkovich confirms that modern linen fabrics differ considerably from those produced five years ago both in appearance and feel. Several years ago, linen fabrics would commonly shrink up to 10cm per metre. At present, this is reduced to just 3cm. Linen is better ironed now, experts advise hanging in a damp room such as a bathroom. Anastasia’s clients now seldom use expensive Italian materials for their clothing: ladies order floor-skimming dresses and skirts while men prefer trousers with ties and shirts.
By Maria Dronova
