Recycled Cashmere

Unlike sheep, goats destroy the grasses they eat, pulling them up by the roots rather than grazing the tops. For this reason cashmere production has been criticized for having a detrimental impact on the environment. The high demand for cashmere has caused increased herd sizes, and has resulted in the desertification of over 70% of healthy pasture land in Mongolia, which results in increased local temperature and air pollution.

Where some see waste, we see potential. By using post and pre-consumer recycled cashmere, we’re able to repurpose existing materials (whether that’s pre-consumer production offcuts or unused garments), meaning there is reduced waste generated by the industry. Plus, we are giving fibers a second life and diversifying our material sources, which helps to reduce our reliance on virgin cashmere.

For context, cashmere goats produce a double fleece that consists of a coarse outer coat, called guard hair, and a fine, soft undercoat, commonly referred to as cashmere. The fluffy undercoat keeps the animal warm over the winter and then sheds in spring. As the fine fibers loosen they are able to be removed by hand combing - a process that is neither distressing or disruptive to the animal if done correctly and responsibly.

The world’s leading fashion houses source the finest virgin cashmere from Italian mills, famed for their high-quality, premium cashmere wool. During production, leftover cashmere material is discarded, as the offcut fibers are shorter in length, and therefore harder to work with. 

With the help of our Italian mill partners, we gather this discarded cashmere, which is often destined for landfill or incinerators, and respin it into a brand new fiber.

The recycling process results in shorter fibers, which often need to be combined with virgin fibers to maintain a high quality, soft product. Through process innovation we have been able to source recycled cashmere qualities of up to 95% recycled content, and these fibers are soft and long lasting. 

For us, luxury means combining high quality materials and design that is infused with purpose—and our recycled cashmere products, from comfortable loose leg pants to cozy zip-up sweaters, represent that idea entirely.

Watch this space as we continue to find more ways to repurpose waste and diversify our materials on our journey of designing an Earth-positive future.