Enter Qiana

Thirty years have passed since chemists at E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co. revolutionized the textile industry by introducing a man-made fiber named nylon. Since then, Du Pont has continued to mount an impressive list of synthetic firsts in textile fibers, including Orlon, Dacron and Teflon. Last week at a press preview in Manhattan's First National City Bank Building, the chemical Goliath unveiled its latest unnatural discovery: Qiana. (Pronounced kee-ah-nah.)

Boasting qualities that are superior to the most luxurious silk fabrics, Qiana gives all the appearance of silk--from the luster of its surface yarn to its light weight, drape and color. Added to this, exotic sounding Qiana--a computerized combination of random letters--is a practical drip-dry wonder that can be machine-washed and still resist wrinkles.

It took 20 years and $75 million to develop (compared with $27 million for nylon). Thus it was no wonder that the security at Du Font's Chattanooga, Tenn., pilot plant took on Pentagon proportions. To the trade, it was known simply as "Fiber Y." Even at the press preview, Du Pont took no chances of leaking the process before it hits the market at year's end. Six models wearing Qiana garments were escorted by armed guards to prevent any overanxious competitor from the common practice of snipping a sample swatch.

The versatile new fabric, which sells for about $5 to $8 per pound (versus $9.30 for silk), will be found initially only in women's fine apparel, but eventually will be used in all types of clothing. For Du Pont, whose sales and profits, after a long lag, have shown an upturn this year, costly Qiana is not expected to mean an overnight boom. It will, however, take the company into a new area--and help offset sagging textile profits caused by overproduction.

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