Why does purchasing ethically produced, high quality cashmere goods matter? 

Supporting an ethical and transparent supply chain for cashmere says that producing goods in a way that honors, values, and protects people, animal, and land matters. It means we reject fast, throw-away fashion that dominates today's clothing industry and instead, purchase items that do good and last, that we can wear and use over and over. This is how we used to manufacture goods in the world. 

Read on to learn about the ethical production of finished cashmere (and camel) goods you can purchase.

Fiber event showcasing the first colors of June Cashmere yarn

Creating a company devoted to doing good

I met our founder, Sy Belohlavek, in 2016 at one of his first yarn shows, where he debuted the initial four colors of our cashmere yarn line. Behind that modest beginning were already years of work in Kyrgyzstan—building a local team, partnering with shepherds, and creating a fair pay system to help reestablish the native cashmere goat, nearly lost through Soviet-era crossbreeding.

The founding of June Cashmere came at a time when people were becoming increasingly aware of the negative impacts of conventional cashmere—on people, animals, and the environment. Through vertical production, Sy didn't just achieve an ethically produced yarn line that addressed the issues concerning conventional cashmere production, he ensured that the resulting yarn is what cashmere should be - a high quality product that lasts a lifetime with little to no pilling, honoring all the hands involved: from shepherds and small family mills, to us, the makers and wearers. 

Combing cashmere fiber from native goat

Sourcing cashmere fiber directly from small family herders, where shepherds have on average 10 goats per family, means the cashmere comes out of the rhythm of life. Animals are sheltered in outbuildings in winter and fed well. In spring, their fiber naturally molts off for shepherds to comb, collect, and sell to the Kyrgyz team. Shepherds are paid fair market value and above for their fiber, a secondary income that comes just as life is re-awakening post winter. Farmers are readying their fields for planting and herders are planning their treks up the mountain where they will live in yurts and graze their animals. It's a symbiosis among people, land, and animals that shepherds in Kyrgyzstan have participated in for centuries. It's one that works in the harsh mountain terrain. 

Establishing a processing facility toward economic development

De-hairing equipment producing cashmere ready to spin

In 2023, Sy established a de-hairing facility in Kyrgyzstan toward further economic development in-country. This means that now, Kyrgyzstan can benefit from more of the production chain: fiber sourcing, sorting, scouring, and de-hairing - a process that removes debris and outer hair so that only the downy undercoat that is cashmere remains. This fiber is then sent to the Yorkshire region of England where it is spun in the British tradition - with a tighter spin so that it will last. It should last! A goat produces only about 4 ounces of cashmere fiber a year. It takes the fiber from 4-6 goats to yield enough for a sweater. The preciousness of this commodity is what makes cashmere expensive. 

Kickstarter finished goods

Providing ethical finished goods for purchase

As a natural extension of the current fiber-to-yarn transparent production chain, Sy is adding finished goods as a new product line. He's testing the response through a Kickstarter that began Sept 30, 2025, and runs through Oct 30, 2025. The items available are exquisite and made from the same quality fiber and yarn that our community has come to know through our June Cashmere yarn line. 

Cashmere 

The Sweater

Cashmere sweater available in Kickstarter

Using the cashmere yarn spun from our Yorkshire mill, Sy worked with a knitting factory in New York City so that the sweater and beanie hat available in the Kickstarter are made right here in the USA. 

When I saw the sweater, I gasped. The drape, the softness, the quality, the design. 

The beanie

Woven Scarves

   

Camel

Camel? Yes, camel! The establishment of the de-hairing facility means that other downy fibers can be processed in Kyrgyzstan as well. Sy sourced 100% Bactrian camel fiber from surrounding Central Asian arid countries as there aren't a lot of camels in Kyrgyzstan anymore. After processing the fiber through the Kyrgyz de-hairing facility, it goes to the same mill in England that spins our cashmere for milling. Camel fiber is similar to cashmere in that both are hollow fibers, giving them their insulating and thermo-regulating properties. They both are soft, fine downy undercoat fibers that molt off in spring. 

We just launched 100% camel yarn this spring and are discovering just how amazing the new yarn is. For the Kickstarter, Sy used a weaver in England to produce large, textured camel blankets.

I've had the opportunity to test the camel blanket for several months and I can tell you, it's divine. Even during air conditioning months, I would lay the blanket on my lap. It is holding up beautifully and is comforting. And it's large! At nearly 5 feet wide and 6 feet long, it is a blanket to cover your entire body!

Care for ethical cashmere and camel

To care for the cashmere sweater, beanie, and scarves, I hand wash in cool water with mild soap - mild shampoo works great. After a soak, I rinse in a cool water bath and then gently squeeze out the water (do not ring). You can roll the item in a bath towel to remove excess water. I then lay flat to dry, reshaping the garment. A gentle steam iron can remove any wrinkles. If you're worried about singeing while ironing, you can place a clean linen dishtowel between the item and the iron. 

To care for the blanket, if you clean it at all, I would recommend a dry cleaners that doesn't use harsh chemicals simply because the blanket is large and a bit unwieldy for hand washing. You certainly can spot wash a spill using the method described for cashmere. 

To store your items, I use a cotton zip bag to keep moths and other unwanted creatures away. You should clean your item before storage or at the very least, air the item and brush off any debris or 'unwanteds' that may have found their way on the item. The best defense against creatures is use of your item. This naturally brushes off what shouldn't be there.

Support the Kickstarter!

I have a nostalgia for shopping the way it was when I grew up in the 70s and 80s and even into the 90s. I can only imagine what it was like to purchase goods in what feels like golden era of clothing to me - the 30s and 40s. This is when you could buy well made, high quality goods that lasted. The goal was not to own a lot of clothing, but classic items you could wear over and over. It was a time when we knew where the fibers came from and where the garments were produced. 

The impact of a fast fashion world is devastating to people, animals, and land from start to finish - and even after, as so much of what we wear now is made of synthetic fibers (plastic!) that do not decompose. 

I truly am honored to be a part of Sy and team's journey in Kyrgyzstan through my role in the yarn company. This next step of creating finished goods so that more people can support their impactful work is exciting - and necessary. 

Please, tell everyone about Kyrgyz Cashmere (and June Cashmere yarn) and the good work being done. Take this opportunity to support the finished goods Kickstarter and know for yourself what owning an ethically made, high quality item feels like. I’d love to see the Kickstarter not only reach its goal, but go far beyond—giving Sy and the team in Kyrgyzstan the breathing room they need to continue their important, impactful work.

KICKSTARTER

Until next time, may you find joy in making with our yarn (and wearing your Kickstarter items).    -- Amy