From Hermes and Fendi to Loewe and Celine, cashmere has long been synonymous with luxury fashion.
Woven from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats, the fibre’s exquisite silkiness, warmth and versatility makes it one of the go-to materials in high quality design.
HISTORY
The name cashmere originates from the region in which the wool was first taken and traded, the Kashmir Valley, which is now part of a larger region now controlled by India, Pakistan and China.
The breeding of cashmere goats in Mongolia and in the Kashmir region predates recorded history. References to the fabric go back as far as the 3rd century BC, and there are indications that cashmere wool production goes back much farther than that.
Cashmere’s luxurious connotations date back to Victorian times, when the British started exporting it home, to the rest of Europe and the Americas, where it became associated with the ruling classes and the aristocracy. Queen Victoria herself wore it and was annually gifted the finest cashmere from the Maharaja of Kashmir..
By the 19th century, cashmere wool production was a major industry throughout Europe.. Traditional goat herders in Central Asia still benefit from the cashmere trade, as demand remains high throughout the world.
USES
Cashmere is highly prized as a material for sweaters, scarves, and other light cold-weather gear.
While it does not provide as much insulation as other types of wool, it is much softer and finer, making it possible to weave into highly dense but thin fabrics. It is soft enough to wear directly next to the skin, so it is often used for thermal vests and underwear.
Cashmere wool is not used in any industrial applications, so the industry is dependent on the production of clothes.
PRODUCTION
Cashmere goats grow two coats: a coarse outer coat and soft, fine inner coat that acts as extra insulation during winter.
Cashmere wool (as defined by the U.S. Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939) comes from the soft inner coat, which is only a small percentage of a goat’s fleece. This inner coat is shed naturally in spring, which is when fleece is harvested. Goats can be completely shorn, but as it is difficult to separate fine and coarse fibers, high quality cashmere is usually harvested by hand using a comb to collect the fine hairs of the inner coat.
After the fine inner coat has been removed, the outer fleece is usually shorn and used for other purposes.
Around 6,500 tons of pure cashmere are produced globally each year, from a raw yield of around 15,000 to 20,000 tons (compared to the 1.1 million tons of clean raw sheep’s wool produced globally). The majority of cashmere is produced by nomadic farmers in China and Mongolia, although other producing countries include Tibet, Afghanistan and Iran. The optimal environment for cashmere is in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, and the finest fiber comes from there. Most cashmere comes from China, where there are an estimated 100 million goats.
CONTROVERSIES
As with most animal products, there are concerns about animal care. While it’s true that there are some bad actors within the cashmere wool industry, there are just as many ethical producers. It all depends on who you work with. Responsible suppliers will align with industry regulators, such as The Good Cashmere Standard and The Sustainable Fibre Alliance Animal Fibre Standard.
Otherwise, cashmere wool has minimal negative impact on the environment. Instead, it provides a vital source of income for regions that lack any other major world exports.
Unlike cotton and other plant textile crops, wool also doesn’t require pesticides or fertilizers, which makes its production highly environmentally-friendly.
The more we use fibres like cashmere wool instead of nylon, polyester, or other alternatives, the more we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and protect the environment.
THE FUTURE OF CASHMERE
There is no synthetic alternative to cashmere.
Combined with the latest standards in organic and cruelty-free manufacturing processes, cashmere is a fabric that will continue to have a lasting impact on the evolution of the textile industry. Nothing compares to the sleek and lustrous qualities of finely-woven cashmere wool, and people will continue to invest in cashmere products as long as they are on the market.
SOURCES:
https://www.luellafashion.com/the-complete-guide-to-cashmere
