We prefer to know where our clothes are from and where they're made and if they come with a wonderful back story, more the better. Cocowai Cashmere was started up by Frances Macaulay in 1996 and we have been proud stockists for over 10 years...
Having lived and worked in Nepal for many years developing clothes for the fashion industry, and having established some wonderful relationships whilst living there, Frankie decided to set up on her own and was a pioneer in bringing the Pashmina shawl to the western market.
Her passion for fair and ethical trade, her support for traditional craft combined with her passion for the very finest quality cashmere, has led her to be one of the most highly respected cashmere producers.
Cocowai continues to work with the same small family run factory who run a collection of traditional hand looms and dyeing workshop.
Once a garment or scarf has been made, it's time for the dyeing process. Huge vats of dyes are heated up and several pieces are worked on at once, thus keeping down the production costs and minimising the environmental impact.
The cashmere is harvested by hand mainly from the Himalayan Mountain Goat and a little from the Great Mongolian Desert, from goats who roam freely in the mountains during the daytime and rounded up by the herdsman each night. They are kept inside on the ground floor of houses whilst the family sleep upstairs, in the same tradition that goes back hundreds of years.
You will always find Cocowai's shawls, scarves and pieces of knitwear on our rails at the shop and this season is no exception. In a range of textures and weights, our scarves make perfect wraps over spring/summer tops and dresses and we currently have a gorgeous selection of colours ranging from all the neturals, to stronger, darker shades of terracotta and sea greens.
With the tide turning on the fast fashion movement, we're seeing a growing audience who appreciate the hand made, sustainable aspect to the companies we choose to work with and there's nothing better knowing the piece your buying, the item you're investing in, has been sourced carefully and made with love, care and good ethics at heart xx
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Heidi Francis
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