Today we celebrate our love of cashmere; its quality, its warmth, its softness and its unparalleled luxury. Our journey to discover and to bring you the very best cashmere in the world has taken us across continents and cultures to three iconic regions renowned for their exceptional cashmere.
Kashmir, Italy and Scotland. Each brings its unique heritage, craftsmanship and quality to the art of cashmere. As we source cashmere from these remarkable places our commitment to quality drives our choices and our support for artisan craftsmanship is uppermost.
Kashmir
In the breathtakingly beautiful landscape of the Kashmir valleys, the legendary Changthangi cashmere goats roam freely. The cashmere wool, known for producing the softest and most luxurious fibres, is harvested through a meticulous process that respects the traditional methods.
The fine undercoat of the goat is hand collected during the moulting season and the artisans ensure that only the finest cashmere wool makes it through to hand spinning and hand weaving. It is this highly prized soft wool that is used to make authentic pashmina shawls, or ring shawls. These are our signature hand spun, hand woven shawls.
The Pashmina Ring Shawl
The spinning is done by hand, often by women, using a Yender, a traditional spinning wheel specific to Kashmir used by Kashmiri artisans for generations. The weaving is done on a traditional hand loom.
Different weaving techniques are used to create textures and patterns; twill, diamond and bird’s eye are among the most used. The woven fabric is then washed and finished and quality checked. In one corner of each shawl is the signature of the artisan who made it.
The Hand Embroidered Shawl
A Kashmiri hand embroidered pashmina shawl is a masterpiece of craftsmanship and artistry. The intricate embroidery adorning these shawls tells a story of tradition with motifs inspired by Kashmiri culture and beauty.
The art of hand embroidery has been passed down through generations, each stitch a labour of love. The attention to detail is exceptional and the patience and concentration needed by the embroiderers are superlative as one shawl can take up to two years to embroider.
Our Support.
We have supported Kashmir artisans and their craft since the start of Black in 2006. The sale of our pashmina shawls helps provide a stable source of income for the artisans and their families thus helping to sustain the continuation of this exquisite craft.
We are proud to say ‘Made in Kashmir’
Italy
Italian chic is legendary as is its cashmere artistry. Italian craftmanship fuses exceptional textile engineering with innovative design to create timeless style with contemporary flair. The meticulous attention to detail and passion for quality ensure that every piece embodies luxury and sophistication making Italian cashmere a coveted treasure.
Italy’s reputation for outstanding cashmere quality emanates from its rigorous selection process of the raw material which principally is Mongolian. Choosing longer, finer fibres which provide matchless softness and warmth guarantees a luxurious feel and durability.
We work closely with small family owned producers with long histories in craftsmanship through many generations. They employ skilled artisans using traditional handcraft techniques and antique looms as well as advanced technologies. The relationships we have built through many years create an implicit mutual understanding and expectation of quality and service.
Whilst our Italian partners may sometimes be a little late with delivery, they never disappoint on quality or design. Many of our cashmere accessories; beanie hats, cashmere berets, cashmere snoods, cashmere ponchos and capes are knitted and woven in Italy and carry the prestige associated with Italian cashmere.
The combination of exceptional quality, artisanal craftsmanship, innovative designs, rigorous standards, sustainability, cultural heritage, and a diverse product range makes Italian cashmere one of the most sought-after fabrics in the fashion industry.
We are proud to say ‘Made in Italy’
Scotland
Experience is everything. The skills that come from a long history of experience coupled with carefully selected raw material and an environment hospitable to cashmere production combine to give Scotland its rightful reputation for excellent cashmere quality.
As far from fast fashion as you can get, the expert craftsmanship, knowledge and care inherent in Scotland’s rich history makes for pieces which are both beautiful and durable. Well cared for, a high quality cashmere scarf or hat should last and last.
Sited far away from the source of cashmere wool, and the goats from which the wool is taken, it may seem surprising that Scottish cashmere is regarded by many as the finest in the world.
There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly its long heritage in cashmere production gives it access to the best fibres. Secondly the Scottish water is very soft and abundant and the production process requires large volumes of water to avoid the fibres becoming harsh. Thirdly Scottish producers have over generations acquired the know how to ensure exquisite softness and durability in the finished article.
Over milling can cause a garment to disintegrate and under milling will not feel like cashmere. Expertise abounds in the Scottish cashmere mills.
We work with a number of Scottish cashmere companies, some of them small family businesses, others larger organisations. They are all passionate about quality and service and the knitted and woven accessories we buy from them ranging from scarves, to hats, to gloves, to socks, are all beautifully made giving our customers confidence in their choices.
