Loro Piana takes up the mission to protect cashmere

By+Shen+Da

Recently， “The Loro Piana Cashmere of the Year Award” hold by Loro Piana， the world-renowned company， was announced in Beijing. Mr Shi Yushe and Mrs Wang Zunxiang， Mr Zhan Fayu and Mrs Li Juying – who received the 2016 prize celebrating a 171，20kg lot of greasy cashmere with a fibre diameter of 13.76 microns. In order to guarantee the utmost quality of its products to consumers， Loro Piana launched the zootechnical pilot project based on the principles of bioeconomy. Thanks to the excellent results， Loro Piana became the first foreign company permitted to conduct research on Chinese territory. Following the impressive results of this study， Loro Piana has embarked on a new venture alongside and supporting the herdsmen who， since last year， have been the recipients of “The Loro Piana Cashmere of the Year Award”. Pier Luigi Loro Piana， Deputy Chairman of Loro Piana， declared： “It was only natural for us to take it upon ourselves to protect cashmere. Im proud of how conscientious the herdsmen have become in terms of protecting the area. Its thanks to this spirit of involvement that we hope to be able to contribute to raising standards throughout the entire industry.”

China and Mongoli are the largest cashmere producers in the world； in particular， Chinas annual production is estimated at 8/10 tons （out of the total annual global production of 16，000 tons）. In recent years， the boom of cashmere industry has endangered the already vulnerable territory of Inner Mon- golia， which was in the process of desertification owing to its natural characteristics， and negatively affecting the quality of the fibre. From 2009 to 2014， Loro Piana launched the zootechnical pilot project based on the principles of bioeconomy. The company organized experts and herdsmen to collaborate to choose the best goats for selective breeding. It is estimated that some 24，000 animals， and 100 herds and households are involved in this study. A comparison of the data analyzed in 2014 vs 2013 has demonstrated that this genetic selection methodology is effectively able to improve the fineness of the cashmere fibre by almost 1 micron， reduce its coefficient of variation （%） and as a result， increase the weight of the down.

In 2015 and 2016， the project was extended to other areas of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. They now favor the best animals in terms of fineness and down， thus reducing the number of less productive animals in their herds that burden the environment. This also results in a better economic outcome thanks to the sale of a fibre that is more uniform in quality.

For a timeless elegance， 110 limited edition numbered garments and accessories for women（among them a maxi carré and a cape with detachable chinchilla fur collar） and men （including a scarf and knitwear jacket with bi-colour jacquard knit interior） are exclusively available in the brands new Parisian home. Meticulously crafted from the finest cashmere， these garments reflect the research， technological innovation and sartorial excellence that are the common denominators for Loro Piana， expressed with discreet authenticity and uncompromising quality.