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Create an accountThe Story
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL QUALITY FINE CASHMERE
FOR THE BEST PRICE
SuperCashmere: a good story
SuperCashmere is the brand for women who choose the finest quality cashmere sweaters, cardigans and scarves in beautiful state-of-the-art colours. At a great price! A certain price tag is attached to a product that is of extremely high quality. If the price is significantly lower than you would expect, there is usually a story behind it. This can be a bad story, for instance production in low-wage countries with poor working conditions, environmentally harmful production or messing about with the raw materials. But it can also be a good story, such as innovative cost savings in the production chain.
SuperCashmere is one of those products with a good story. An exceptional story. A story that we would really love to tell you.
It starts with the goat
Those who want to understand why SuperCashmere can deliver the best quality fine cashmere sweaters at a remarkably attractive price, will have to get to know our entire production process. It starts with a special goat - the capra hircus – which has a wonderful coat. This goat lives in areas that see enormous temperature differences throughout the year. To defy the harsh conditions and the windy climate, Mother Nature has invented a clever trick, hidden in the goat's coat. A fluffy undercoat with an ultrafine, soft fibre is hidden under the stiff, protective outer hair. This fibre, the cashmere wool, is exceptionally fine, nearly four times as fine as a human hair. As well as being fine, cashmere is extremely soft, very durable and has insulating properties that change according to the humidity. It keeps the goat warm in those extremely harsh winters, but cool in the summer. In addition, cashmere is hypo-allergenic and antibacterial.
Origin
Not all goats are the same. Cashmere goats - cashmere derives its name from the state of Kashmir – were originally found in the Himalayas, Inner Mongolia, Outer Mongolia, Afghanistan and Iran. Nowadays, large herds of cashmere goats are also kept in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. The best quality cashmere - with the finest fibre - comes from goats from Inner Mongolia, because of the harsher winters and the better, natural, diet the goats enjoy. SuperCashmere sweaters are made of 100% cashmere obtained from the white goats from Inner Mongolia.
Traditional knowledge
In order to obtain the best quality cashmere, it is important to remove this fibre from the goat's undercoat in the right way and at the right time. This is done by shepherds who know exactly how to comb those fine fibres out of the coat - and when. Traditionally obtained cashmere comes from the neck, belly and chin of the goat. For centuries, the art of harvesting this wool has been passed on from father to son in goatherd tribes. Timing is important here: the combing takes place in the spring, because then the undercoat, which protects the goat from the harsh winter, will naturally come loose. The combing must therefore take place at the moment that the goat is moulting, not a day earlier, not a day later. Only at this exact time, the cashmere hairs are the longest, and the longer the hair, the softer the end product and the better the quality.
Scarcity
A cashmere goat produces only about 150 grams of fibre annually. Worldwide, therefore, only a fraction of the amount of normal wool is produced: 0.5 percent. To make one SuperCashmere sweater, the combed cashmere of four goats is required.
On the banks of Loch Leven
After the goats are combed, the untreated cashmere fibre begins its journey - to Scotland in our case. For the quality of the final product, spinning and dyeing the cashmere is an essential step. The Scottish company of Todd & Duncan, which was founded in 1867, is highly regarded in the industry throughout the world and is a supplier to the most famous couture houses and fashion designers in Milan, Paris, London and New York. And also to SuperCashmere: we also aim for the highest quality when it comes to spinning and the intense colours of the yarn.
The company lies on the banks of Loch Leven in Kinross. This means that there is a constant supply of the most pure and soft Scottish water for washing and dyeing, the high quality of which is also essential for the look and feel of this cashmere. It has helped to make Todd & Duncan's cashmere yarn world famous. Loch Leven is located in the middle of a nature reserve. All the water used by Todd & Duncan returns to the Loch - completely clean, so that the brown trout, the small reed goose and the 35,000 birds that spend the winter there can continue to flourish.
Most beautiful colours
White cashmere, from white goats, absorbs colours best. That is why Todd & Duncan only uses this - more expensive - cashmere. But even then, dyeing the cashmere remains a delicate and sophisticated process. Todd & Duncan is known for the huge colour palette of cashmere yarns. The company has more than 180 colours in stock.
Italian tradition
In the complicated production process of cashmere clothing, the word tradition is a constantly recurring one at SuperCashmere: nowhere more so than at the place where the sweaters are finally made: in Perugia, Italy, the mecca of cashmere clothing producers. The Italian production house is now being run by grandmother, mother and daughter, and the new generation is already eagerly knocking on the door. It is a dynamic and at the same time artisanal company that has been working at the highest level for decades. Our Italian friends take care of that important final production step towards the end result: your beautiful cashmere sweater from SuperCashmere.
Trade secrets
We like to talk about the production process of the SuperCashmere sweaters, but this chapter is remarkably short. Why? You can consider the Italian production house as 'trade secret' of SuperCashmere. We are extremely proud that they are knitting our sweaters, that we can tell you!
No concession in terms of quality
SuperCashmere does not make any concessions when it comes to quality. The very best goats - and then only the white ones - the Scottish spinners and dyers Todd & Duncan who are respected by everyone in the industry, the traditional Italian production house in Italy: they are all chapters of a good story. They do not explain the relatively low price however, far from it. That part comes from the final chapters of SuperCashmere: the distribution to the customer. From Italy, the sweaters are sent directly to our logistical friends at Active Ants. They fulfil the 'e-commerce fulfilment services' for SuperCashmere. Actually, the only thing you need to remember is that they do everything that has to do with shipping. So that your order is delivered to you quickly and safely.
No intermediaries to drive up the price
That is another great chapter in the SuperCashmere story: there are no intermediaries who make the end product more expensive. No purchasing organisations, no wholesalers, no sales offices, no retailers. The SuperCashmere sweaters come directly to you from Italy via our shipping house.
No discount prices
SuperCashmere delivers the best quality cashmere for a great price. Anyone reading the product story of cashmere immediately understands that if you go for the best quality, as SuperCashmere does, it is impossible to deliver the end product at discount prices. Those who can find cashmere clothing at very low prices, can probably assume that something is wrong: it usually isn’t pure cashmere. With cashmere one thing always applies: you get what you pay for!
The price-increasing intermediaries, such as wholesalers and retailers, have been omitted from SuperCashmere. This way you can still wear the highest quality - from that great goat from Inner Mongolia, the yarn from Todd & Duncan and the knitting arts from Italy - at a great price.
Sustainability
Sustainability and corporate social responsibility: this is firmly anchored in the corporate culture of SuperCashmere. We are fortunate that we work with a sustainable raw material - with the right treatment, SuperCashmere's cashmere products will last for at least a decade.
The origin of cashmere, animal welfare, sustainability: these are all ethical benchmarks for SuperCashmere and for the producers with whom we work. Our cashmere comes from afar: that is necessary for the best quality. But after that, the entire production process of SuperCashmere takes place in Europe and not, for example, in the Far East, to contribute as little as possible to CO2 emissions.
At our 'spinners' Todd & Duncan, who are situated in the middle of a nature reserve, sustainability and the environment are deeply rooted in the values of the company and their working methods. In our production process, sustainability already starts with the shepherds. Todd & Duncan encourages the sustainable care and pasturing of the animals, places high demands on animal welfare and actively contributes to protecting the traditional way of life of the nomadic communities in Inner Mongolia. They also ensure that farmers receive a fair price; something we find very important at SuperCashmere. The water used by the mills at Todd & Duncan comes from Loch Leven and is recycled. Completely clean, it flows back into the lake every time. At our Scottish supplier, very responsible production methods are used, with respect for the environment.
The production of SuperCashmere sweaters takes place in Perugia, Italy. Good working conditions apply here, in accordance with Western European standards. Again a big advantage over production in the low-wage countries!
Sustainability right up to your door
SuperCashmere delivers sustainability to your home whenever possible. For instance, in The Netherlands we offer to deliver your order by bike courier!
