Lace, the most important fabric in any wedding dress. It’s the key component of classic American and European fashion. The material requires high tech and intensive labor to make; that’s why the good stuff is so stunning. Take for example the wedding dress Kate Middleton wore when she married Prince William in 2011. The lace on her long sleeves was decorated with such exquisite detail that fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld praised it as “classic.” Here’s the kicker: the dazzling, beautiful lace came from Taiwan. Deep within Neihu District, Wedtex Industrial Corp. has been hard at work transforming itself from a textile factory into the lace king of the world.

You might not know this, but lace is a piece of high-tech product that fetches a great price on the market. A yard of lace sells for twenty-five US dollars, about ten times more than other fabrics. It is rightly called the queen of textiles and may be categorized as an expensive luxury commodity.

And there lies the king of lace in Neihu, Taipei. Lebanese fashion titan Elie Saab and Spanish wedding dress brand Pronovias both use lace made by Wedtex Industrial Corp. (偉特). Even when Kate Middleton married Prince William in their royal wedding of the century in 2011, the lace on the long sleeve gown she wore came from Wedtex of Taiwan.

Born in 1959, President Jack Wang (王明祥) is the kingmaker in the “kingdom of lace.” He began his career working for the textile giant Toyobo Co. (東洋紡織) after graduating from university.

Wang saw a future in lace and started his own business in 1988. He negotiated a deal with Toyobo to produce lace under their name; at the same time, he explored ways to build his own brand.

The Chinese market was opening its doors at that time, and business was booming. In 1992, Wang set up an embroidery factory in Dongguan. Business grew by 50% every year. Before he knew it, market demand had outpaced his production capabilities.

His response was to double down. He invested in top-notch embroidery machines from Switzerland and Germany. He purchased laser cutters from Japan. He focused on producing lace in every color. In less than a decade, his business grew from sixty million Taiwan dollars to a staggering one billion.

Before the financial crisis of 2008, Wedtex had 1,100 employees in China, and the Group had a value of 1.8 billion Taiwan dollars. It was known throughout the world as the expert of lace.

From Moving West to Heading South

The problem with lace production is that it’s extremely labor-intensive. All the sequins and beads must be sewn by hand. It is a massive undertaking. Wang decided to diversify his investment and shift his center of production.

Wedtex went from China in the west to Taiwan’s neighbors in Southeast Asia. Myanmar was chosen for its lower wages. Workers made a monthly salary of around 150 USD—a quarter of what the Chinese made.

In the last ten years, Wang set up four embroidery factories in Myanmar. He concentrated his efforts on making lace, beads, veils, and other types of luxury accessories.

At the same time, he scaled back the workforce in China and moved seventy percent of his production to Myanmar.

President Jack Wang began his career in a textile factory, but he’s now the world’s king of lace.

Becoming the Industry Leader of Lace Around the Globe

Currently, Wedtex sells to over seventy countries around the world. Thirty percent of its business is in Taiwan, China, and other Asian regions. Seventy percent of its business is in Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. There are over six thousand employees in Myanmar. The Group’s revenue is over two billion Taiwan dollars. Wedtex is indisputably the industry leader of lace around the globe.

Though Wang started out as a trader, he’s thrown himself into researching the technology of producing lace. He invests heavily in the development of new kinds of machines. He actively participates in international textile exhibitions and Western fashion shows. He subscribes to multiple fashion magazines to keep his finger on the pulse of the trend. He puts lots of resources in the innovation of lace designs and tries his best to connect it with international high fashion.

With a team of thirty designers on its staff continuously improving their innovative designs, the Wedtex Group is one of the few lace companies to be invited to Premiere Vision-Paris, the Global Event For Fashion Professionals. This is a prestigious gathering of representatives of Paris textiles, accessories, and high fashion.

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Many notable European and American fashion brands have delegates at the event. Attending the show means a chance to network directly with French, Italian, and other famous Western designers. Wedtex lace has earned itself a spot on the world’s map of fashion.

Dress by famous Israeli designer Dror that uses Wedtex lace.

Currently, there are at least six or seven new design orders coming in every day, for a total of two hundred new orders every month. Design brands from Italy and France are all sending their orders to Taiwan’s Wedtex.

In addition to Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, there’s fashion titan Elie Saab’s ten-thousand-dollar suit, top Spanish wedding dress brand Pronovias, Italian high fashion and accessories brand Valentino, and the outfits worn by countless celebrities—they all use lace made by Wedtex. Through its hard work and ingenuity, Wedtex has turned Taiwanese design into an indelible element of modern fashion.

Translated by Jack C.
Edited by Sharon Tseng