Kashmir is one of the most expensive and finest wools in the world. Is obtained from cashmere goats, coming from Asia. These goats produce a fleece consisting of two layers: a gentle, soft fluff hair precious and less protective. After wyczesaniu animals, followed by the difficult process of separating these two types of fibers. After his end of the wool can be dyed, and then spin. Kashmiri goats live mainly in the higher parts of the mountainous north-western provinces of China (Inner Mongolia, Tibet and others), Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and India. Indian Kashmir, from which the name of the wool, currently provides its small quantity.
Kashmiri Goats are also reared in the United States
, including in Pennsylvania.
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| Kashmiri goat from Pennsylvania |
Kashmiri Shawls
In ancient times mainly tkano cashmere scarves. The earliest written records date from the eleventh century in India. In the sixteenth century, the Mongols conquered Kashmir shawls and production has become a thriving interest. Weavers were brought from eastern Turkestan, where the weaving technique used, and then used in the manufacture of shawls. Kashmiri Shawls
discovered for Europe, the French physician Francois Bernier friend of Moliere and Cyrano de Bergerac, who in 1655 embarked on a 12-year trip to Asia, combined with medical practice. As the first European to see and described the traditional Kashmiri shawls, when he worked as a medic in the splendid court of the last emperor of the Mughal - Aurangzeb, and with him took a trip to Kashmir. The fall of the Mughal state
in the second half of the eighteenth century left many weavers unemployed. In short, just because at that time began scarves kaszmirskimi interest in Europe. and above all the royal courts and aristocracy. In 1778, Kashmiri shawls found their way from France to England. Shawl craze swept Europe after Napoleon's victorious campaign in Egypt, which he brought his wife, Josephine, one such luxury goods given to him by feed Muhammad Ali.
Josephine fell in love with scarves and reportedly attracted about 400 pieces. In those days, shawls were very expensive - costing at least 10 thousand francs - and represented the type of investments, and bequests in wills. During the Napoleonic
were popular cashmere shawls
colors: red, white, yellow or beige, with ends covered with floralnymi characteristic patterns. Such a scarf in yellow is the famous portrait of Francois Gerard - Madame Recamier - the first "fashion icon" Napoleonic times.
soon cashmere shawls miłośniczkami became Empress Eugenie and the British Queen Victoria. The latter even had its own herd of cashmere goats in Windsor Park, whose descendants today live in the wild in Llandudno Great Orme Park in Wales.
Kashmir and fashion
The 20s cashmere sweaters last century were not the subject of interest from the fashion houses. The changes came in the twenties with Patou and Chanel, but cashmere products have found their permanent place on the catwalks from the moment when Elsa Schaparelli 1927 years in November showed her sweater, "trompe d'oeil", made by the Armenian
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| Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Vera White, 1952 |
Around 1933 years the company Pringle of Scotland for the first time presented a cashmere "twins", who immediately became a big hit Hollywood. In 1937, Lana Turner started the fashion for "sweater girl".
In the 40 U.S. designers began to embellish cashmere seterki sequins, beads, applications, fur collars, etc. In the 50s sweaters have become even costumes wieczorowymi. Popular were Sleeves 3 / 4. Such trends have continued in the next decade. Fashionable were bas argyles, flowers, butterflies and other elements of nature.
the twenty-first century the total production of cashmere in the Asian regions is several thousand tonnes, of which producing about 6.5 tons of pure cashmere. In 2007, 72 percent. the entire quantity of raw cashmere produced China, 18 percent. - Mongolia, 7 percent. - Afghanistan. With Iran and other Asian countries came from 3 percent. World production of crude fiber. Although in recent years, Chinese people produce at home a lot of cashmere, this top-quality and finest cashmere yarn and garments of them come from Italy, Scotland, England and Japan.
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| All colors cashmere from the English firm Turnbull & Asser |
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| Classic men's cashmere sweater |
currently one of the main cashmere trade center is London, exporting the wool and its products to France, America, Russia and even Turkey and fulfilling orders of contemporary royal courts for special scarves embroidered with gold for special occasions.
