It starts here. Tibetan nomads collecting fiber from their goat herd to create Fibre Tibet’s luxurious cashmere line. Did Keats have the secret to sustainable shopping sewn up when he wrote, “a thing of beauty is a joy for ever?”
As Earth Day nears, we can’t help but approach the task of shopping with an expanded sense of consciousness. Trying to find something with any gravitas amidst racks, search engines, and top ten must-haves is challenging; when we come across a product that is different, it’s a thrill.
When I came across Fibre Tibet’s collection of super fine, cashmere shawls, I was stopped dead in my treasure trawling tracks. While the last thing the world needs is another pashmina, Fibre Tibet’s high quality and finely woven cloth is an elemental experience in what luxury fiber production can create.
The international cashmere production market has boomed in recent years leading to widespread use of antibiotics and hormones, which has caused the loss of pastureland and degenerated cashmere quality in parts of China and Mongolia. Today, Tibet is known as the source for the most pure, fine cashmere in Asia.
Fibre Tibet cashmere, collected directly from Tibetan nomads, consists of only grade A fibers that are extremely strong and soft. In comparison, the average department store cashmere we’re used to might use grade B or C or create a mix with silk and wool, which tends to piling or breaking.
As the ultimate accessory, worn by celebrities from Richard Gere, Uma Thurman and Naomi Watts, the versatile items can be worn as a shawl, scarf, belted gilet style or used as a travel wrap. Not only does it look and feel amazing, all the profits from the line go back to the Tibetan nomads and Himalayan women weavers to support the local economies.
My favorite piece? The Ocean Waves shawl by Jill Platner. It’s normally $189 and now on sale at $108.
All Images: Fibre Tibet