Where does the cashmere come from for our knitwear?
The cashmere we use for your knitwear comes from goats raised in Inner Mongolia which grow an exceptionally soft undercoat to survive freezing winters to produce a fibre unmatched for warmth, softness, and strength. When you wear our knitwear, you are not just experiencing luxury – you are supporting a more thoughtful way of doing business - one that values the environment, respects animals, and aids the people who make it all possible.
Where are the goats raised?
Our supplier farms cashmere goats that are raised on open grasslands. Temperatures often get to -46° C on the Mongolian Steppe, which is exposed to the cold Siberian winds from the north. To brace themselves against the harsh winters, the Mongolian goats produce a downy layer known as cashmere, which is taken to be the finest, longest, and softest yarn in the world. As it is hair and not wool, it is hollow and is finer, stronger, lighter, and approximately three times more insulating than sheep wool.
What happens to the fleece once it has been collected?
Once the raw fibre from the goats has been collected, it is washed and cleaned before 'carding' or dehairing, dying, and spinning into yarn. The fibre is then spun into 'swatches' or panels and sewn together by 'linking.' The finished garments are washed and dried before a final inspection and are ready for packing.
In recent decades, the global demand for cashmere has soared. The grasslands are stressed as more goats are raised to meet this demand. Unlike other animals, cashmere goats uproot plants when they graze, contributing to desertification if not correctly managed - we take this seriously. We partner with certified sustainable suppliers in Inner Mongolia who follow responsible grazing practices. These partnerships ensure the land is protected, the goats are treated humanely, and the local herders—stewards of this ecosystem—are supported.
Keeping to a sustainable structure means following practices to preserve the land and maintain the herders' way of life. The herders carry out rotational grazing, managing the pasture land carefully to prevent overgrazing and promote soil health while attending to the welfare of the animals.
The source yarns are all traceable, and we only work with suppliers who meet internationally recognized sustainability standards. We know where our cashmere comes from - down to the herding communities. We also support fair practice partnerships to ensure fair wages and training for herders, who rely on cashmere as their primary livelihood.
Cashmere goat farming is the primary source of livelihood in the great Gobi Desert since this arid land doesn't have much to offer. The thin vegetation is much more suitable for a nomadic way of life. Despite its massive size, the region only has a small number of Mongolians leading their traditional life. As herders for centuries, they have lived with their animals through great resilience and ingenuity, and they coexist together.
Cashmere and Factory Standards
All the materials that our supplier uses, from the raw fibre to the finished products, meet international standards and the factories undergo human right audits such as BSCI and SMETA checks.
All our cashmere complies with the following standards:
- The Good Cashmere Standard
- Traceable Cashmere - Organic Cashmere
- International Cooperation Committee on Animal Welfare (ICCAW) and Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA)
- OEXO-TEX Standard 100
Our knitwear supplier in Inner Mongolia
We have worked with our supplier, Mr Murun, since 2016 to produce our knitwear. His company is very pleasant to deal with and they help us to fulfil our aim of producing our sweaters and cardigans in the most sustainable way possible.
As an enterprise, our supplier takes part in social activities that benefit the community, and they work with partners who are equally aware of the impacts of their behaviour. In this way they are able to guarantee that the whole production process is based on a mutually agreed code of conduct and ensures that all products meet their high standards of sustainability environmental awareness and ethical practices.
All the materials that our supplier uses, from raw fibre to the finished products, meet international standards and the factories undergo human right audits such as BSCI and SMETA checks.
Traditional Mongolian Life
Mr Murun is a traditional Mongolian whose family lives in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, on the southern boundary of the great Mongolian Plateau and the foothills of the HImalayas. Although his family has lived on the land for almost a century, they were originally migrants from Outer Mongolia. Mr Murun's farm is 1,000 acres of grassland; he keep Arabas cashmere goats (one of the best cashmere goat breeds around the world) and Merino sheep. Suffolk sheep are kept as family pets.
Returning home for the cashmere harvest
Mr Murun has recently produced a short film giving an insight into the way of life on a farm in Inner Mongolia. In this he goes back to his farm to check on the shearing of his cashmere goats and to see his family, including 'the most important woman in the village'! We get a glimpse of what life is like in the vast landscape of the Ordos plateau.
The film can be seen on YouTube by clicking this link: Mongolian Life in the Gobi Desert and Cashmere Fibre Harvesting
The Misty Cashmere Knitwear
The Misty Cashmere jumpers and cardigans are knitted in a cashmere/merino mix in two mid-weights, 5-gauge and 7-gauge. The vest is pure cashmere and knitted in a more traditional finer 12-gauge weight.
Examples of our knitwear can be seen in our Men's Collection and Women's Collection.