Why Mongolian Cashmere Is the World’s Finest?

Inner Mongolia

I got contacted by some people in Mongolia who said that Mongolian cashmere is the best in the world. Big claim. I’ve worked in ‘luxury’ fashion for years and people always say stuff like that, and with nothing AT ALL to back it up.

Cue curled lip.

But they insisted, the people from Mongolia. They said it’s not only the best cashmere, but also the process of creating it is environmentally-protective.  They said it’s responsibly-sourced, equitably-manufactured, and kind to goats.

Sure, I said.

They said the goats in Inner Mongolia get played spa-style music because goats are notoriously neurotic. It calms them down and makes for the world’s best cashmere.

There they go again.

I went for a visit.

Turns out there are two Mongolias.

To be perfectly honest, I’d not even heard of Inner Mongolia. Outer Mongolia, yes, but only from my mum in the context of... “Milton Keynes? May as well go Outer Mongolia,” that kind of thing, used interchangeably with Darkest Peru and Timbuktu.

Inner Mongolia, the EVEN MORE obscure ‘other’ Mongolia, well, who knew?

Turns out it’s an autonomous state of China, right next door to its ‘Outer’ cousin. It’s sandwiched between the two and seems to have equal parts of both cultures. The people living in Inner Mongolia are called Chinese, whatever their heritage, and observe Chinese laws, while at the same time respecting Mongol traditions. I don’t know enough about either to understand the nuances, suffice to say that it was all rather jolly and NOTHING like I expected.

Perhaps you’re more educated than me or better travelled, but the Inner Mongolia I expected had open fires, yurts, camp beds, a marked lack of sanitation, miles and miles of empty scrublands and a diet of rice and possibly beans.

We arrived at night, so I was none the wiser. But something twigged when we rolled up at a really nice hotel. Vast polished floors, a Starbucks style coffee shop, a selection of pastries, a mega big bed, an amazing bathroom, a pool, a spa. And did I mention room service? There was an R2D2-esque robot plugged in at reception that was activated by a phone app and would scoot across the foyer, slide into the elevator, show up at your bedroom door, drop a trapdoor and voila, there’s your Crunchie Bar, or whatever is the Inner Mongolian equivalent.

No open fires. A lot of rather fabulous sanitation. No immediate need for a suitcase stuffed with energy bars. 😬

Next morning, the picture windows revealed Baotou, a city of skinny silver high-rises, surrounded by endless flat green pastures. The breakfast buffet was similarly endless.

Our destination, day 1, was an Eco Ranch set in the vast empty grasslands of Ordos. It’s government-owned, so no pictures, but it’s a thoroughly modern S-shaped building, honestly in the middle of  nowhere, and an homage to all thing cashmere, with engineers, veterinary doctors, environmental scientists all researching initiatives to maintain the fragile balance of the prairie as well as ensure goats’ welfare. Everyone has a vested interest in this, hence the smart HQ and government secrecy. Cashmere is very valuable to the Chinese. The healthier the goat, the higher quality the cashmere. Healthy goats need cold winters, lush grass and exercise – something traditional herders already know a lot about. But add in the science bods, dealing with the overarching effects of climate change, and the herders can have a greater understanding of the welfare of their goats as well as ensure the longevity of the Rangelands.

Over the next week, we met countless goats, generations of herders, (who always invited us in for the customary shared lunch - many meaty bones – not ideal for vegetarians), and meandered through miles of organic grassy plains, sprinkled with herds of snowy goats. I searched but honestly, I couldn’t find any bullshit.

However, no responsible business can stop at raw materials.

Inner Mongolia is also home to some of the world’s biggest yarn spinning and knitting manufacture. You actually can’t move in Ordos for cashmere factories, and entire generations have devoted themselves to the expert production of yarn and garments.

The largest one in town knows we are visiting – cue the best crockery. There’s another coffee shop in another marble foyer and a store showcasing the highest quality brand they knit for. Although the styles are more aligned with Eastern cultures, the cashmere is dreamy. It’s like cashmere used to be. Like touching a cloud.

There wasn’t any best crockery. And you can’t build a recreational facility overnight just to impress a cynical visitor. I mean you could. But it wouldn’t be full of people playing ping pong in their lunch breaks. And you wouldn’t be able to lay on an all-singing, all-dancing canteen, not just for show. And you also couldn’t ‘set up’ workers eating their soup at their work stations, chatting to their mates on We Chat or gossiping across the factory floor.

I’ve been in sweatshops. This wasn’t one.

Someone said ‘dormitory’. My BS radar got an alert. Forced labour, unreasonable hours, child labour? Turns out some workers like to go for a nap after lunch. I quite want to work there.

At the factory we discussed never including synthetics in any of our products; using recycled, recyclable packaging and cornstarch plastic bags; we discussed labels and tags and zippers and buttons – insisted they were all recycled (zips) or natural (nut kernel buttons). Sewing up cashmere sweaters with polyester is a norm, but easily swapped for super-spun cashmere thread that’s just as strong. Including elastane in cuffs and ribbing is also common practice – taking it out is a faff because you need to up the tension or the trousers fall down, and we don’t want that, do we?

Everyone we met was incredibly understanding. They probably thought we were slightly mad – because cashmere is cheaper if it’s sewn up with polyester, but frankly not by much, and elastane is the obvious way of not losing your trousers. But with a little explanation, about how important it is to create 100% natural garments so they can be easily recycled, they understood and accommodated the lunatics from the UK.

And then we came home, armed with our samples, and a new love for iced coffee.

Inner Mongolia is run efficiently in order to maximise the output of Grade A cashmere. Of course, that’s what you would do if you were incredibly well-organised and recognised the value of your production. The process of creating the cashmere is environmentally-protective – the rangelands are cared for as much as the goats. It is planned to the last blade of organic grass. And it’s kind to goats and people. We made sure.

So guess what? We now agree. Mongolia does produce the world’s best cashmere.