Sustainability

Our Approach

Adopting the ancient cashmere tradition of Inner Mongolia, not far from where our founder grew up, we honour the legacy of cashmere while reinterpreting it for today. With the unwavering conviction that anything knitted can be crafted from cashmere, we approach the delicate fibre as an exercise in innovation – blending artisan expertise, time-honoured craftsmanship and modern production techniques into a singular exploration of cashmere. Details and finishings are largely made by hand, ensuring qualitative garments while preserving time-honoured techniques.

Design

We continuously seek out the highest sartorial expression of cashmere. The collections are designed with a timeless perspective and modern sensibility, challenging the conventions of cashmere design through new applications of time-honoured techniques. Rooted in the minimalist philosophy of buying less and better, each piece is thoughtfully curated and meticulously crafted with longevity in mind. Produced in small quantities, the focus remains on quality over quantity – creating refined, lasting pieces that transcend seasons and trends.

Production

The production is built on long-term, close-knit relationships. Our founder has weekly, direct contact with our suppliers and makes quarterly in-person visits in order to ensure a clear and responsible sourcing process and uphold our meticulous standards. This commitment extends to the very first stages of our supply chain, where raw cashmere fibres are carefully collected from the undercoat of the cashmere goats. Throughout the manufacturing process, our production is controlled by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) criteria, reinforcing our dedication to ethical and sustainable practices.

When selecting new partners, we prioritize those who share our commitment to sustainability, seeking out suppliers with established programs and clear goals for continuous improvement.

Animals

We are committed to working exclusively with the finest natural fibres of the highest quality. Our collections are crafted with cashmere sourced directly from the cashmere goats of our trusted herding community in Inner Mongolia. Each spring, as the goats naturally shed their winter coats, our herders gently hand comb the fine undercoat fibres using a specialized comb. This method, chosen by LISA YANG for its gentleness on the animals, ensures the production of longer, higher-quality fibres. Perfected over centuries, the time-honoured technique mirrors the goats' natural shedding process, causing no harm or discomfort while preserving the integrity of the hairs.

Operations

The sustainability efforts at LISA YANG extend beyond the production of our collections. We carefully select partners who share our commitment to environmental responsibility, prioritizing those with a strong sustainable stance. To reduce our carbon footprint, we opt for low-emission shipping by boat when transporting pieces from our manufacturers to the warehouse. Closer to home, our Stockholm headquarters run on renewable electricity, while all our packaging is crafted from recycled or recyclable materials.

Our Cashmere

At the heart of LISA YANG is, always, cashmere in its purest form. Our 100% cashmere composition is the starting point of each collection, and every piece in this category is crafted from organic cashmere. Our factory is certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), a universally recognised, leading standard for organic textiles including environmentally oriented, technical and social criteria, and so is the cashmere yarn and woven silk that we use in our collections.

Organic cashmere indicates that there are no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides used on the land where the goats graze; no harmful dyes involved in the production process; and that the water is carefully treated before it is released back into the environment. Additionally, there are social standards in place to ensure fair treatment of the workers in the supply chain.

To secure the highest quality and longevity in our collections, we exclusively use hand-selected, Grade A cashmere fibres – the finest, highest quality fibres that exist, measuring 36 millimetres in length and 14 micrometers in diameter. These longer, finer fibres are spun into yarns which are exceptionally soft, lightweight and durable – ensuring garments that resist pilling and maintain their structure over time. Transparency is a key priority at LISA YANG and we can proudly trace the origins of our cashmere garments back to the fibres, which are sourced directly from our herders.

The Cashmere Lab

Our Cashmere Lab is the essence of LISA YANG, where we revisit the fibre, time and time again, in search of new innovations that help us reimagine what cashmere can become. Visit the Cashmere Lab page to learn more about cashmere and our different compositions and knitting techniques.