White+Warren launches reclaimed cashmere collection

White + Warren, a manufacturer and one of many high end fashion retailer of cashmere garments which have recently announced an increased commitment to sustainability through post-consumer take back plans launches ‘Reclaimed Cashmere’, a collection of recycled woolen apparel.

In the same vein as other post-consumer initiatives, cashmere which would otherwise be sent to waste is being stripped back to its natural fibres and rewoven into new apparel. The process of reclaiming cashmere involves skilled workers sorting through cashmere garments to select the highest quality fibres which are eligible for reuse.

The clothing is then deconstructed and separated into panels, transformed back into cashmere fibre through a shredding process, and stripped of their colour. The fibres are then re-dyed, re-spun into new yarn and able to be woven into new knitted garments.

Susan White Morrissey, the company’s founder, said that sustainability has always been incredibly important to her as an individual, growing up in a household where her mother would wash and reuse tinfoil, and it’s something they strive for daily as a fashion label.

In addition to developing a sustainable collection, the brand currently donates past seasons’ garments to various charitable causes, including the University Settlement House in New York, and a San Francisco-based line called ‘MODify/d’ that recycles cashmere into plush, stuffed animals for children.

White + Warren’s cashmere knits are well-known for having an exceptionally soft hand feel, the result of a special wash they developed with their factory that is only used on their knits.