textile comparison

Cashmere Flakes, created by the Saldarini ready-to-wear group, is a sustainable alternative to traditional down jackets. Instead of geese feathers, their outerwear is filled with inflated cashmere fibers: Through a mechanical process involving air blades, the fiber — the brand only uses 100 percent Mongolian wool — is fluffed up and adopts the shape of a flake.

In a bid to lessen the pressure from cashmere production, some designers are turning to other materials, including merino wool, which gives a very similar end product to cashmere, but has a much greater yield.

Nowadays, there is really no alternative to feathers, unless you count unsustainable artificial padding made of polyester. Cashmere costs more or less the same price as premium quality feathers; its warmth improves with use; the innovation is patented so it gives brands a concrete certification; and from a marketing point of view, you are selling 100 percent cashmere products to your customers. It’s a winning novelty.”

A typical merino sheep produces enough for eight to 10 jumpers; in comparison it would take approximately three to five cashmere goats to create a single jumper

a point mirrored by Loro Piana’s deputy chairman Pier Luigi Loro Piana. “Cashmere is not plastic,” he says. “It’s not something you can create with an engine. We are giving hope to the next generation, the cashmere we produce is probably produced with less CO2 than any fabric that is produced with oil. There is nothing more sustainable than cashmere.

textile comparison Consumers should make informed choices about textiles, which can be ranked by sustainability. Some or all sustainability measures may be relative to alternative commodities, rather than measured against absolute indicators. Substituting alternative textiles for cashmere may be desirable.