Loro Piana Unveils Royal Lightness Fabric for Spring/Summer 2026 Collection

Loro Piana, an Italian fashion house with origins as a wool trader in the 19th century, has introduced a new fabric called Royal Lightness for its Spring/Summer 2026 collection. The fabric is a blend of Mulberry silk and cashmere, with the cashmere component weighing 350 grams per metre. It was developed at the company's facilities in Roccapietra and Quarona, located in Italy's Piedmont region. Due to its delicate, gossamer-like nature, the material can only be handled by a limited number of specially trained artisans worldwide to prevent damage or thread breakage. The fabric features a double-sided construction where ultra-lightweight 21-denier organzino silk threads are wrapped around long-fibre cashmere, providing both a lustrous finish and strength. After weaving, it undergoes tumbling for a fluffy texture, followed by brushing and shaving. The final step involves fell-stitching by hand, a historic technique that invisibly joins fabric layers for an immaculate finish. Additionally, Loro Piana created a Royal Lightness yarn by blending Mulberry silk, which measures 21 deniers, with merino wool sourced from Australia and New Zealand, the latter being 13.5 microns and among the finest 0.05% of merino wool in production. The yarn is combed, twisted, sealed for sheen, and spun into knitwear. The collection includes items such as knitted polo shirts, sweaters, overcoats, skirts, and Caban blazers in colors ranging from beige, black, and navy to pale yellow, blue, and cherry red. Royal Lightness pieces are available on Loro Piana's website. The house has a history of sourcing natural materials globally, including cashmere from Mongolia and merino wool from New Zealand, and became a major cashmere importer in the 1940s.