Annotations - indigenous livelihoods

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.

We want to highlight and draw attention to the nomadic people behind the raw materials, generating cruelty-free cashmere and yak fibers, while adding the Swiss sensibility for quality in the creation of lasting, exceptional products. The Swiss design component will ensure that our garment specifications, used for manufacture in Mongolia, yield high quality, functional and sustainable luxury for you.

The imposing Helan mountains and vast deserts of the Alashan region in Inner Mongolia have been home to the herdsmen and their flocks of indigenous Capra hircus goats for hundreds of years. The goats’ long, white fleeces protect them from the extreme climate, while their soft, insulating under-fleeces, brushed out carefully by hand each spring, produce the finest cashmere fibers in the world. However, the introduction of a new, less sustainable but more productive breed threatens this isolated community’s traditional livelihood and its fragile ecosystem.

The message challenging the sustainability of more productive goat breeds is significant as it goes against the grain of the "quality versus quantity" discourse.

Naadam responsibly sources and produces luxury knitwear while preserving the nomadic way of life in Mongolia.

this is a theme that does not seem to be heavily weighted in Naadam marketing

This ancient way of life is now very much under threat. Nomads and scientists alike believe climate change is the biggest threat to pashmina production in the region.