The quiet luxury trend brought with it the ability for us regular people to dress like the 1 per cent, without the price tag. And perhaps no material is more emblematic of this fashion movement than cashmere. Over the past several decades, fast fashion’s appetite for the lush fibre has transformed what was once a cottage industry into a global one.
While some may argue that accessible cashmere is a sign of the democratisation of fashion, at whose expense is cashmere being democratised? And what does it take to sustainably produce quality cashmere today? What is the price of quality cashmere today? Credit: iStock What is cashmere, and why is it so expensive? Cashmere is a natural animal fibre, prized for its softness and insulating properties. It takes its name from the cashmere goats from which it is harvested, native to Kashmir on the Indian subcontinent. Typically, what is called cashmere comes from the soft inner part of a goat’s winter coat.
And because this can only be combed once a year – by hand – cashmere is an incredibly low yielding fibre. In fact, it takes an average of four to six goats to make a single sweater. On top of this, the grade and resulting price of cashmere is determined by a fibre’s length and diameter, with the longest and thinnest fibres being the most valuable.
The fast fashion-ification of cashmere Loading A quick browse through some popular fast fashion websites reveal pure cashmere jumpers for sale at incredibly low prices, from around.