For some years now, enormous sand storms have occurred every spring in Mongolia and northern China, affecting crops and, sometimes, cause deaths. The average temperature has risen around two degrees in the region and rainfall has decreased considerably but, beyond that, the problem is the desertification of the environment; More than 53% of the land has been degraded in the last decade due to cashmerethat exclusive fabric, until very recently only suitable for pockets that can afford to pay high sums of money for a garment and which, for some time now, has become something in high demand at any price, literally and figuratively.
In 2022, the cashmere market will be valued at €3.5 billion, but it is expected that in six years, that is, in 2030, it will reach 5,000. This precious fabric comes from the cashmere goat, which grows in extreme climate zones and, therefore, develops a layer of wool inside its coat to protect itself from the cold. “Fibers are obtained from this wool and their length and fineness are crucial factors. The longer and finer the fibers are, the softer, the greater durability and the better resistance the fabric will have,” says Lola Sagarra Tejada, brand manager of Stone, an artisanal cashmere brand that has just signed a capsule of garments with the Spanish brand Mint. & Rose. “The way cashmere is processed and woven also affects its quality. Good cashmere is produced with techniques that preserve the softness and integrity of the fibers. The use of traditional and artisanal techniques instead of industrial methods is often associated with high quality cashmere products. Manufacturers who pay attention to every detail in the manufacturing process contribute to the creation of garments that are not only soft, but also durable and wear-resistant,” she explains. If this raw material has been 'democratized' at high speed, reaching different price ranges, it is precisely because the length, fineness and, of course, the techniques for processing the thread are not the same as always. Also, of course, because garments that are not 100% cashmere proliferate on the market. “In some products, this raw material represents only 5% and is mixed with polyester, but even so the law approves that it can be labeled as 'cashmere blend',” he said. a report from the Business of fashion website about why today you can buy cashmere sweaters at a low price.
In any case, the growing demand has meant that only in Mongolia (that is, not counting other regions in China, the second largest exporter of this wool) There are currently 27 million cashmere goats, almost eight for each inhabitant. There is not enough land to raise and feed them in a dignified manner and the soil has already degraded. In 2018, the United Nations development program was forced to launch a 'platform for sustainable cashmere' in Mongolia, a kind of action plan in which producers and the government legislate their production and which is still in the process of implementation. Because it is not only about the increasingly dangerous environmental conditions of the area, but also about the survival of its inhabitants.
More than 10% of Mongolia's population is nomadic, about 300,000 shepherds who live by raising cashmere goats. “Cashmere production is rooted in that culture, which has existed for centuries. By supporting this way of life, cashmere contributes to preserving traditions and cultural practices of local communities. The sale of what is obtained is the main income of many of these families,” explains Lola Sagarra, who affirms that little by little Chinese industries “are monopolizing their production, distorting the value chain.”
The truth is that there has been a monopoly on cashmere for a long time. Erdos, the company led by Chinese businesswoman Jane Wang, nicknamed the cashmere princess, It is perhaps the largest cashmere exporter in the world. It used to supply all the luxury brands until almost a decade ago when it decided to focus on its own brand, 14-36 (its name refers to the fineness and length of the wool), which already has more than three hundred stores in Asia. Gobi operates in Mongolia, which in 1981 became one of the country's main suppliers by creating a large factory for processing raw materials. Four decades later, they have also become one of the main guarantors of the survival of nomadic communities, transforming their company into traceable ones (that is, the final consumer can know the entire process) and betting on tradition: “nomadic communities do not “They mistreat the goats with harmful practices because they work with historical processes in the area, such as hand-combing the wool,” the brand states.
But if there is a brand linked to cashmere, it is Loro Piana, the epitome of what they call silent luxury today (a trend that has skyrocketed the demand for this raw material) and whose garments sometimes reach four figures. In 2013 the family firm was bought by the great holding company of luxury, LVMH, and in 2018 they became the first company to detail, through QR codes, the origin of each cashmere garment in your inventory. These two facts are not isolated: the volume of quality cashmere production they needed was threatened by Chinese monopolization and the increasingly scarce traditional resources to meet demand. The financial muscle of holding company of Bernard Arnault managed to find new suppliers that guaranteed the very exclusive quality of the product. It is also no coincidence that the traditional centers of artisanal spinning of Mongolian cashmere, mostly in Scotland and Italy, are disappearing in favor of textile workshops in Southeast Asia where basically anything is produced. Therefore, continuing with the 'monopolization', it is also no coincidence that Chanel has bought the Scottish brand Barrier and has joined forces with the other epitome of silent luxury, Brunello Cuccinelli, to take over Cariaggi Lanificio, one of the historical manufacturers of this type. of tissue.
While a third of the population of Mongolia sees their way of life in danger and the country faces the desertification of its environment, the consumer, obviously, lives in an absolute state of misinformation fostered by the interest of companies in selling them luxury products. at affordable price. Cashmere created under unfair conditions, for goats and workers, is still soft, but it is not durable because it does not follow the traditional maintenance protocol. “Most people do not know what authentic cashmere is and the variations in quality on the market, because some brands may use lower quality blends or fibers and label them as cashmere,” explains Pere Autonell, co-founder and Commercial Director of the family-based company. in Spain Mirror in the Sky, which works in certain areas of Nepal with suppliers and pastors. “Information is what gives the appreciation of authenticity and quality in this industry,” he says. In their case, they work by employing women from rura
l communities, teaching them traditional techniques, both in raising cashmere goats and in spinning.
It is strange and surprising to realize that a raw material can be a source of social and human development and, at the same time, destroy the ecosystem of a country. The paradoxes of fashion, which manages to make something unique homogeneous and achieve it at any price. In a panorama made up of large monopolies holdings (if in the first years of the century LVMH and Kering starred in the so-called 'luxury handbag war' today they could well star in the cashmere war), destructive mass productions and projects with conscience, without a break in continuity, there is an alternative; There is recycled cashmere, as long as it is soft, durable and not mixed with other raw materials (as happens with cheap cashmere). It is used by brands such as Reformation, Patagonia or Ralph Lauren, but it is obviously more expensive than cashmere, which sells for double figures, because it involves a different process and quality. And, above all, there are other options that are as soft and durable, as camel or yak hair, an alternative that both activists and scientists have put on the table. But, once again, the average consumer does not know, because today 'it is not interesting'.
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