Cashmere 101: Democratizing a Luxury Fiber

Cashmere is touted for its exceptional quality and soft hand — but its premium price tag takes it out of reach for many consumers. The fiber’s luxury appeal makes it a long-standing fashion favorite: The global cashmere clothing market was valued at $2.66 billion in 2018, and is forecast to grow by 3.96 percent from 2019 to 2025, according to a report by Grand View Research. Cashmere wool is a fiber obtained from goats, often cashmere goats or pashmina goats. Its desirability is due to a set of conflicting characteristics: light to the touch, but stronger than similar wool types, and very fine, yet resiliently warm, making it somewhat atypical as far as fibers go. It also boasts an impressive set of performance qualities, as cashmere blends well with other materials and is lightweight, breathable, renewable, biodegradable, temperature-controlled and odor-resistant. Sustainable cashmere brands such as Naadam are working to democratize cashmere. Naadam sells cashmere items for as low as $65, and offers an array of women’s and men’s products and accessories through its direct-to-consumer web site and two brick-and-mortar stores in New York, with a third store opening soon at Hudson Yards. Interestingly, Naadam’s cofounder and chief executive officer, Matt Scanlan, stumbled into

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More...

from WWDWWD https://ift.tt/335czPO