“So, how can we do something that the market has not seen in cashmere? And, I think we have that opportunity more than a brand that’s been a house for a long time.”
Product versatility
The demand for cashmere has evolved in the innovation of design, end-use and storytelling, says Selfridges’s Lee. “Cashmere puffer coats from Le Kasha and cashmere ‘jeans’ from Barrie are new interpretations of cashmere garments.” God’s True Cashmere, launched by Brad Pitt exclusively with Selfridges in 2022, and supermodel Gigi Hadid launched her colourful cashmere brand Guest in Residence last September, with tracksuits and separates in a bold colour palette. Selfridges will pick it up next season, Lee says.
Extreme Cashmere has a different approach to cashmere than incumbent brands, Dijkstra says. After Dijkstra created the first sweater, a relaxed fit sweater named the crew hop, she found it fit almost every person who tried it. The brand then focused on producing everything in a single size for “everybody and every body”, she says. The crew hop continues to be a bestseller. “Our clothing is genderless and unisize meaning that we produce every item in one size, but we design for all body shapes (from tiny tops, to big sweaters and dresses).”
Extreme Cashmere’s collections are seasonless, produced as an ongoing collection that can be constructed into a wardrobe, says Dijkstra. And Extreme Cashmere never goes on sale, to maintain value in the pieces, even at wholesale. “It is quite a radical choice and makes growth slower, but we believe this is the right direction for a traditional, fashionable product,” she says. ”Garments from the beginning are no less relevant than garments from the latest launches and are frequently included in our collections,” Dijkstra says.
Naked Cashmere is primarily direct-to-consumer, with the majority of business in the US. It won market share because of quality and versatility, says Cazzato. “[In cashmere] there’s this level of unexpected wardrobing and what we call daily decadence,” she says. “Cashmere is so amazing, why not let there be cashmere in different parts of your wardrobe? It doesn’t just have to be a sweater.”
Responsibility in cashmere production
Cashmere production is highly specialised, with most sourced from Inner Mongolia and China. Naked Cashmere produces in Inner Mongolia, with end-to-end control over its supply chain. Goats are free roaming and left with an outer coat to protect their skin. Herders are paid in advance, the brand says, and all factory workers are paid fairtrade.
