Our Cashmere
We are passionate about quality cashmere and creating a linear, transparent process. Most of our cashmere garments begin their life at the Cocoa Farm in Alashan, Inner Mongolia. We also source yarns from trusted spinners and dyers.
THE COCOA FARM CASHMERE FIBRE
Most of our yarns use fibre from the Cocoa Farm, Inner Mongolia, China. Our garments are then knitted in a family-run factory before being distributed to boutiques around the world.
Behind each garment is a dedicated team of skilled workers. From the goat farmers to the sorters responsible for selecting fibre that meets our strict criteria, to the technicians and linkers at the knitwear factory. Throughout the process we pay meticulous attention to detail, relying heavily on the craftsmanship of the experienced workers.
Not all cashmere is the same standard; the quality of the fibre depends on many factors, and we take all these factors into consideration at every level. With the Cocoa Farm fibre we are proud of our linear production, and this allows us to quality control from beginning to end.
The below table shows our requirements we look for when it comes to selecting the best cashmere:
|
Cashmere Quality |
Cocoa Cashmere Fibre Requirements |
|
Fibre Diameter |
15.0 microns |
|
Fibre Length |
38 millimetres |
|
Bright Colour Purity |
Maximum of 1 dark hair strand |
Cocoa Cashmere has a long-standing relationship with the goat herders of the Cocoa Farm, a collective of more than 80 herding families, located in Alashan (also know as Alxa League), the Western-most province of Inner Mongolia. Alashan’s steppe climate is unique to producing consistently high-quality cashmere fibre.
The Cocoa Farm consists of 80+ herding families, they individually own their farms and have been herding cashmere goats for generations.
The Cocoa Farm is located in Alashan where goats are known for the whiteness of their fine fibre. Whilst they yield less fibre than most cashmere goats produced outside of this region, the Alashan goat’s white fibre means there is no need to bleach the yarn before dying. This allows us to produce our colourful garments using fewer harmful chemicals and without compromising on the softness of the fibre.
Being reared in environments such as Inner Mongolia means the cashmere goat is accustomed to the varied temperatures and grows a thick undercoat to keep warm. These fine fibres trap the air and reduce heat loss, a quality our knitwear replicates.
Each spring, as the climate gets milder, cashmere goats naturally begin shedding their thick winter undercoats. Most cashmere farmers use a traditional method of combing the goats to obtain the fibre.
Every goat is carefully combed; this is a manual, long-established, and time-consuming process. The goat can comfortably regrow its undercoat after the hot summer months in preparation for winter. Combing the goats is preferable to shearing and allows the farmers to collect much longer fibres.
Each May, Cocoa Farm herders patiently comb every goat to collect cashmere from their undercoats
The fibre is transported to a small, family-owned factory in Xi’an. Here the fibre goes through an intensive sorting process, before being washed and prepared for spinning. It takes three to five goats to make one of our standard sized jumpers.
SOURCED CASHMERE YARNS
When sourcing cashmere yarns from suppliers we request all information available on the fibre, the animal welfare practices and sustainability policies, to ensure they align with our company values.
We work with well established spinners, with a history of providing quality, certified cashmere. The fibre is mainly sourced from Inner Mongolia in China, and also from Qinghai and Tibet. As with the fibre from the Cocoa Farm, the climate in these locations is varied, and the cashmere goat grows a thick and insulating undercoat to keep warm.
The farmers have a responsibility to protect the grassland inhabited by the goats; they have a duty of care to the animals, the environment, and protecting it for the future generations and by ensuring the land isn’t over farmed. The yarn suppliers confirm the farms comply with the Governments policy on ‘Grazing Rotation’ and ‘Land Resting’.
The animal welfare documents provided by the yarn suppliers are extensive and detail the care given to the goats during different seasons, during combing/shearing, general living conditions, transport, end of life care and health care.
In Spring the fibre is combed and sheared, before being sent to the spinners and dye house in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. The dyeing and finishing auxiliaries are imported from Switzerland and Germany, and are environmentally friendly (in alignment with Government policies and the spinners environmental standards).
The spinners have a broad range of certifications that are yarn dependant and can be provided upon request. External audits are always preferable, instilling confidence in the spinner’s practises. The spinner’s certifications confirm the procedures prioritise animal welfare, workers welfare and the environmental impact, whilst also constantly working with farmers and factories to improve.
Our aim is to constantly improve our transparency, and so if you have any questions, please get in touch.