The New Cashmere: Behind the Scenes of an Industry

Big news: in just a few weeks, we’ll be opening preorders for the first-ever Asphalte cashmere jumper. Yes, you read that right—our first cashmere is nearly here!

After years of honing our merino wool Perfect Jumper, this new launch has been a long time coming. Three years to be precise. And the anticipation is real—especially since you’ve been making it crystal clear for just as long that it’s top of your Asphalte wish list.

But here's the thing: cashmere isn’t just any old wool—it’s a whole different ball game. The cashmere industry is notoriously tricky to navigate, full of dark corners and questionable practices. So, our Product team has spent the last few years digging deep to find the best fibres, yarns, and partners for this project. And we’ve uncovered some pretty shocking truths along the way.

To give you the full picture, we asked our friend Lucallaccio to take you through the detail. It’s right here:

Before we dive in, let’s get to grips with what cashmere actually is. Cashmere comes from the soft undercoat of the Capra Hircus Laniger goat. It’s nature’s way of helping them stay warm during those harsh winters before the fibre is either sheared or combed from these excellent creatures. Quite a tricky operation either way.

Originally, these goats roamed the Tibetan highlands and the foothills of the Himalayas. Today, they’re mostly found in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, where the cold climate is perfect for producing top-quality cashmere.

Once upon a time, cashmere was the crème de la crème of woollens. Rare, luxurious, and seriously expensive. The white truffle of the wool world. The reason? A single cashmere goat produces only about 200 grams of usable down each year, and you need 300 to 400 grams to make just one sweater.

Compare that to merino sheep, which grows 4 to 5 kilos of wool annually, and you can see why cashmere has always been a premium product.

Add in the fact that only certain goats in specific climates can produce it, and you've got a recipe for rarity driving up the price.

But that was before.

These days, you can find cashmere jumpers going for as little as £50—a far cry from the luxury item it used to be. What happened? Well, cashmere’s popularity skyrocketed, and fast fashion jumped on the bandwagon to make a quick buck.

To meet the massive demand, breeders started expanding their herds, and massive textile facilities were built, mainly in China.

Between 1993 and 2009, the population of cashmere goats in Mongolia nearly doubled. It is four times larger today than the human population of Belgium. Most of this goes to China which now produces 95% of the world’s cashmere (that’s somewhere between 13 and 18,000 tons annually).

At first glance, it might seem like a good thing that this luxurious material is now more accessible. But here’s the kicker: the shift to mass production has had some pretty grim consequences.

1) It’s bad news for the goats. We’ll save you the distressing details, but overpopulation has resulted in poor living conditions, poor diets and brutal harvesting methods just to start with. Increased demand has pressured farmers into supplying ever-increasing quantities of cashmere by any means necessary, at a very high price for the animals involved.

2) It’s bad news for the breeders. Fast fashion’s low prices have driven down wages for those who rely on livestock farming. This is especially true in Mongolia, where a third of the population is involved in the industry.

3) It’s bad news for the environment. Unlike sheep, cashmere goats rip up grass by the roots, leading to soil erosion and contributing to the spread of the Gobi Desert. Add to that the environmental cost of processing the wool, and irresponsible practices have created an unsustainable situation.

4) It’s bad news for your wardrobe. To keep prices low, quality has been sacrificed. Cashmere is often mixed with synthetics and knitted loosely with shorter fibres, leading to garments that bobble and wear out quickly. Now you know why your cashmere jumper looks like a glorified dishcloth 6 months in.

Faced with this reality, it might feel like your only option is to give up on cashmere altogether. But there is another way—one that’s conscious, sustainable and doesn’t punish the goat who gives us the material in the first place.

To make sure you’re getting the good stuff, look for brands that:

1) Support sustainable farming practices → Rotational grazing protects the land.

2) Manage water responsibly → Another important initiative that reduces the environmental impact of cashmere production.

3) Respect the goats → Certifications that guarantee ethical treatment and animal welfare are a must.

4) Support local communities → Fair wages for farmers lead to a more sustainable and socially responsible industry.

And as luck would have it, you’re already in the right place.

In our next article, we’ll get into the details about the Asphalte Cashmere Jumper—why we’re calling it the ‘New Cashmere’ and what makes it a game-changer.

Until then,

The Asphalte Team