We say Mongolian cashmere, not simply cashmere. The distinction matters. Mongolia is recognised by our market as the benchmark for quality. Specifying it is not detail for its own sake. It is an honest statement of where our craft begins.
Mongolian heritage is defined by a profound relationship between people, nature and making. It is a world shaped by the open steppe, by the animals that are sustained by it, and by skills passed between generations without interruption.
Why Mongolian?
No one knows exactly when the first Capra Hircus goats appeared in Mongolia, or whether they are indigenous or came from somewhere else. Certainly, they seem made for the brutal cold of the Mongolian winter, where temperatures are often minus 45 degrees.
To survive these winters the goats have, over the centuries, developed an extraordinary coat, prized by Mongolians as a lifesaving essential for centuries.
It is gathered by hand. By people we know. A people who have done this for centuries.
The raw fleece holds both the coarse outer hair and the soft undercoat that becomes cashmere.
Gathered by hand, once a year.
This husbandry does not come easy and requires considerable skill and patience.
Each goat gives only a small amount of usable fibre a year, which is part of why cashmere is valued as it is.
The fibre can only be harvested in spring, when it moults naturally from the goat.
Given its delicacy, it can only be retrieved by combing it gently by hand.
We have worked with the same herders, in the same landscape, for over thirty years.
From fleece to finished knit.
The raw fleece still holds the coarse outer hair, dust and natural oils. From there, every stage happens in our own factory in Ulaanbaatar.
Washed
Dust and natural oils are removed from the raw fleece.
Dehaired
The coarse outer hair is separated from the soft undercoat, leaving only the fine fibre.
Spun
Fibre is spun into yarn and, for most pieces, twisted two-ply.
Knitted
The yarn is knitted in our own factory in Ulaanbaatar.
Finished
Each piece is finished in the same factory it was knitted in.
What you are buying.
Ethically sourced. Meticulously made. Mongolian cashmere. London. Every thread accounted for.
What 2-ply means.
Most of our knitwear is knitted in 2-ply cashmere. Two strands of yarn are twisted together into one, so the knit is warmer, more substantial and keeps its shape for longer than a single strand.
The shapes are plain on purpose: a crew neck or a V-neck cardigan is as wearable in its tenth winter as its first.
The most sustainable jumper is the one you are still wearing in ten years.
How to tell good cashmere.
Four things to look for.
Read the label
Every Denner piece lists its composition: 100% cashmere, or a named blend such as silk and cashmere, or merino and cashmere.
It feels soft, not slippery
A very slick handle can mean the fibre has been heavily treated.
It springs back
Stretch the cuff gently: well-made cashmere returns to shape.
It gets softer
Cared for as its label says, it softens with wear rather than wearing thin.
This is what cashmere looks like when nobody cuts corners.
Come and feel the difference between one weight and another at our London shop.