Journal · Notable pieces · Knitwear · Published
Cleaning an Alexander Wang Crystal Hotfix Cardigan in Singapore
An Alexander Wang cropped cardigan in champagne viscose, covered across the front, back and sleeves in small clear beads fixed by heat, came in for a routine clean. It went back with every bead in place.
This page records what happened to this cardigan, not an outcome to expect from every garment.
What came in?
The customer brought the cardigan in for a routine clean. It is a fitted, cropped cardigan with a crew neck, a button front and a ribbed collar band, cuffs and waistband. Small clear beads cover the knit across the front, the back and the sleeves, and run right up to the edges of the button placket.
What is a crystal hotfix cardigan?
Hotfix beads carry a layer of adhesive on the back that is melted with heat to fix them to the fabric. Each bead on this cardigan is held by glue, not by thread.
What has to be protected when cleaning a hotfix cardigan?
Heat
The adhesive under each bead was set with heat, and heat is what softens it again. The clean and the finish were chosen to keep heat off the beaded surface.
Friction
A glued bead can be knocked loose by rubbing, whether against another surface or against the beads beside it as the knit flexes. The cardigan was handled so the beaded surface was not rubbed.
The knit
Viscose is a weak fibre when wet, and a fitted knit carrying the weight of the beads can be pulled out of shape. The work was chosen so the knit kept its cut.
What was the result?
The cardigan went back to the customer with every bead in place.
How should you care for a hotfix cardigan at home?
- Follow the care label sewn into your own cardigan.
- Keep irons and steamers off the beaded surface, because heat softens the adhesive that holds the beads.
- Fold it rather than hang it, so the weight of the beads does not pull the shoulders out of shape.
- Watch what it rubs against: bag straps, seatbelts and rough fabrics can catch and lift the beads.
For designer and embellished pieces, see couture garment care.
About these photographs
These are working shop records, taken in the workshop after cleaning. Nothing was colour-corrected, and this page makes no claim about the colour of the knit. Our order tag on the collar has been blurred; the brand's neck label has not.
The honest note
Can every hotfix garment be cleaned without losing beads?
Not always. We do our best, but many factors will affect the outcome. The age of the adhesive, any heat it has met before, home washing and wear at the cuffs and seams all change how well the beads hold. We check during assessment and flag loose or lifting beads if we spot them, but not every weakness shows beforehand.
Case documented by Rosabelle Launderette's garment-care team. Case practitioner and technical review: Zach Lim.
Cleaned in-house at Rosabelle Launderette, Singapore, established 1998. This case records one garment in one condition and is not a guarantee of outcome.
Published and technically reviewed 30 September 2026.
Sources & further reading
Related knitwear and notable pieces
More knitwear cases
Common questions
Questions about cleaning hotfix cardigans
How do you clean an Alexander Wang crystal hotfix cardigan?
The beads on a hotfix cardigan are held by an adhesive that was set with heat, on a viscose knit that is weak when wet, so the clean has to keep heat and friction off the beads and keep the knit from being pulled out of shape. This Alexander Wang cardigan came in for a routine clean and went back with every bead in place. We follow the care label of each piece and assess the beads, the knit and the buttons before any work starts.
Will the beads come off a hotfix cardigan when it is cleaned?
Hotfix beads are glued to the fabric rather than sewn, so heat that softens the adhesive and rubbing that knocks a bead loose are what dislodge them. On this cardigan every bead stayed in place. The age of the adhesive, earlier ironing or steaming, home washing and wear at the cuffs and seams all change how well the beads hold. We check during assessment and flag loose or lifting beads if we spot them, but not every weakness shows beforehand.
What is an Alexander Wang crystal hotfix cardigan made of?
Alexander Wang lists the body of its crystal hotfix cropped cardigan as 100% viscose and the rib as 77% viscose, 21% polyamide and 2% elastane, with a clear bead hotfix finish. Hotfix beads carry a layer of adhesive on the back that is melted with heat to fix them to the knit.
Where can an embellished designer cardigan be cleaned in Singapore?
Rosabelle Launderette cleans embellished designer knitwear in-house through its couture garment care service. Each piece is assessed and the price agreed before any work starts. Garments are collected from homes anywhere in Singapore or can be dropped off at our Queenstown and Orchard shops.