Cashmere 

A unique raw material

In harmony with nature’s cycles, herders harvest the fibre between March and May, when the climate is milder and the animals tend to naturally lose the soft, warm undercoat that protected them during the colder months. Given its characteristics, cashmere is a highly prized fibre with remarkable thermoregulating properties.

A long-standing cashmere heritage

For over 40 years, Loro Piana has been committed to sourcing fine Mongolian cashmere, establishing itself as the historical advocate for cashmere excellence. In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the Maison operates its only mill  outside of Italy where the first processing steps take place. It is also where the House fosters long-lasting relationships with local cooperatives and collaborates with expert local herders to ensure the transmission and preservation of their centuries-old tradition of fibre-sourcing. To strengthen the cashmere ecosystem and the fibre’s resilience as well as improve the quality of the precious raw material, the House has established three initiatives in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia: “Resilient Threads”, The Loro Piana Method, and the Cashmere of Year Award.

Resilient Threads programme

To further foster Loro Piana’s longstanding commitment to biodiversity preservation and animal welfare as well as empowering people, the Maison launched “Resilient Threads” in 2025. This programme is the result of two years of preparatory work, built upon cooperatives and local herders’ expertise, and was realised in partnership with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), SFA (Sustainable Fibre Alliance), and OCT (Odyssey Conservation Trust). This initiative is dedicated to fostering and strengthening herders’ livelihoods across five districts (also called soums) in Mongolia’s highly vulnerable Sukhbaatar Province and aims to build supply chain resilience while protecting the biodiversity of Mongolia’s Eastern Steppe region, one of the world’s last intact grassland ecosystems. 

The Loro Piana Method

Launched in 2009, this selection programme is aimed at improving the quality and fineness of the cashmere fibre while optimising quantities and helping preserve the Alashan goat. Through this initiative, the House has achieved an extraordinary fibre fineness over the years and led to new generations of goats, reflecting a legacy of mutually beneficial collaborations with local herders.

The Loro Piana Cashmere of the Year Award

The Maison’s award celebrates a shared dedication to cashmere excellence. It honours cashmere herders in Inner Mongolia who produce the finest cashmere fibres and has yielded significant improvements in fibre finesse since the award inception in 2015.

Cashmere - The Origin of a Secret

Directed by Academy Award winner Luc Jacquet, this documentary released in 2019 explores the origin of Loro Piana’s signature cashmere. From the Altai mountains to the Gobi Desert, the film captures the House’s quest to source an incredibly rare fibre from the harsh environments that the Capra hircus cashmere goats call their home. A portrait of enduring harmonies, intense severity, and sublime softness – excellences found in extremes. 

Discover the documentary