Silk velvet asks for little, but it does ask.
When you wear it, let perfume, deodorant and body lotion dry before you dress, and never spray scent onto the velvet; over time they mark and weaken silk. Keep it out of the rain. Water can leave a tide mark on velvet that will not come out.
Never iron it. An iron, or the head of a steamer, crushes the pile, and pile that has been pressed flat may not recover. To lift creases, hang it in a steamy bathroom, or steam it from the inside, a hand’s width away, without touching the velvet.
If you spill something, don’t rub or press. Shake off what you can, let it dry and take it to a dry cleaner who knows silk; ask for steam finishing, no pressing. Never wash it.
A poncho is a straight-cut piece and is best kept flat, folded loosely in acid-free tissue, or laid over a broad padded rod rather than hung from its shoulders. Keep it in a cotton bag, never plastic, and out of daylight, which fades silk. Have it cleaned before you put it away for the season; moths go for silk that has been worn.
If the fringe tangles, separate it slowly with your fingers, strand by strand. A layer of tissue between the strands stops it tangling in storage. To travel, roll it rather than fold it, and pack it last, at the top of the case. See the ponchos