Annotations - hand weaving

For decades, Mongolian Nomads have herded livestock on the Mongolian plateau, passing their craft from one generation to the next, in harmony with nature and the changing seasons. Nomads rely on their flocks for livelihood, and as a result have been instilled with an instinctive respect for their animals. The process of harvesting the cashmere and yak wool is gentle in nature, and has been meticulously practiced for centuries, culminating in the collection of each fibre, hand-combed in the spring. We have the Nomads and their ancestral teachings to thank for the innate luxury and durability of each garment.

"Hand-combing" parallel to

t all begins with Nomads like Batmunkh and Dorj, who tirelessly tend to their yaks and goats through the blazing summers and harsh winters on the Mongolian plateau. Both Batmunkh and Dorj migrate throughout the year to protect and provide for their animals, and when spring arrives, they carefully remove the finest fibres from their goats and yaks by hand. The efforts of Nomads like these two men are what bring our luxurious cashmere and yak wool pieces to life. Our garments are interwoven with innate longevity, and with a promise of prosperity for the Nomads and the lands they have roamed for centuries.

Cardigan 100% cashmere by EDELZIEGE. The brand insists on sustainability of  the chosen resources and an intentional dissociation from mass manufacturing.

(small-run production)

Take, for instance Loro Piana – the family founded, LVMH-owned cashmere brand that has made its name selling £1,500 sweaters to the world’s most tasteful plutocrats. Not only is the label’s output incredibly small, due to the rarefied nature of its fondle-friendly sweaters, shirt jackets and knitted polos, but the way in which the cashmere fibres are sourced from Mongolia’s hulking, be-horned capra hircus goats is as carbon neutral as it’s possible to get. Very little machinery is used in the process, the land required is minimal and the number of said goats that even exist minute.

Homeware brand makes the cosiest throws and blankets, all of which are produced in four ply cashmere, which is super luxurious. “Our pure cashmere is sourced from the Upper Mustang region of Nepal where the mountain goats are few in numbers and live at high altitude,” says Rachel Bates, the brand’s CEO and founder. Because temperatures there drop so low, the goats grow warmer and softer coats. After collecting the fibres in the warmest months, they are washed and spun into yarn. That yarn is then dyed, hand woven, and finished. “Beautiful borders are then added by our highly skilled craftsmen and woman amidst the beautiful, lush foothills of the Himalayas using traditional methods,” Rachel adds. She also says customers sometimes inquire about the price of her cashmere pieces. She explains that because its sustainably and ethically sourced, and the incredible softness the process produces, people quickly come to understand.

(price premium)

Haendle recommends that if you want 100 percent authentic, hand-spun cashmere goods, your best bet would be to buy them from a fiber festival (she runs one in New York state every summer), or to buy online from sites run by local farmers.

Nestled in the heart of Shropshire the Turtle Doves team specialises in turning pre-loved cashmere jumpers into practical and gorgeously soft new accessories for you, your loved ones and your home.

The signature product is fingerless gloves, but other products include hats, wraps, scarves, neckwarmers, and throws.

It takes several months to a year for highly skilled artisans to work their magic on wooden looms and weave a masterpiece, which will be exported around the world and sold for up to $2,000 (£1,500) by luxury retailers

See the accompanying illustrations. "Changpa women, who have given up the nomadic herding life, spend much of their time weaving." This is distinct from the Mongolian and Inner Mongolian context, in which production is entirely industrialized.