Cold Comfort!
Posted by Myriam
Cold Comfort!
My last two blogs on cashmere seemed to strike a chord with people all over, and so in wanting to keep everyone updated, I share some very interesting information that came my way quite recently from a friend who lives across the pond, in London. It concerns, I am sorry to say, the rising cost of cashmere!
A London-based, high-end retailer in knitwear was chatting with Dug, their Scottish cashmere supplier. Based in Mongolia where they produce some of the world’s best cashmere, Dug mentioned that this past winter had been one of the harshest in living memory. Hearing this from a hardy Scotsman would certainly make one take note!
The temperature in this land of steppes and mountains literally plunges to minus 35 degrees Celsius, or minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Factor in the wind chill and the temperature is a mind-numbing minus 60 degrees Celsius, or minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Just mentioning these minuses chills me to the bone! In these temperatures, waiting for the bus would be an exercise in survival!
A severe winter season, preceded by an abnormally dry and short summer caused the death of some 2 million livestock, including many of the goats that produce the cashmere. The tragedy, of course, is twofold; as an animal lover I am sorrowful that so many animals suffered. And secondly, the price of this world renowned yarn will certainly go up by exorbitant amounts, making cashmere an even more precious woolen fiber.
Making already tight supply matters worse is that the Chinese are buying up huge quantities of the high quality Mongolian long-haired cashmere and blending it with shorter-haired cashmere to create a slightly less luxurious fabric.
Fortunately, the prices of both the Pashmere and Nicola Luccarini lines are unlikely to change this season, however, we cannot guarantee the same prices in the future!
I leave you with the thought, cold comfort as it may be, that cashmere comes from other parts of the world not least of which is Kashmir, another leading producer. Learn more from my previous blogs about the origins of cashmere and how the Scots and the Italians differ on how cashmere should be to the touch!
Myriam
