Loro Piana sets eco standard for luxury & sustainability

25 May '12

3 min read

Founded in 1812 during the height of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe the Italian luxury yarn, material and garment manufacturer, Loro Piana, will be celebrating the 200th year of its founding this year.

From its corporate headquarters in Quarona, (Valsesia) Italy set up in 1924; Loro Piana is moving beyond the boundaries of traditional cashmere textile manufacturing thanks to its vertically integrated structure – from the herdsmen to the finished product which gives it complete control over the supply chain, quality and ecological issues.

The Company has decided to boost its brand equity in the marketplace with its ethical approach. By doing so, they are able to be cost efficient and yet sell their products at the high end. This is perhaps the ultimate synergy as far as the discerning consumer is concerned – luxury combined with true sustainability and ecological consciousness. It is perfectly represented in a vertically integrated Company such as Loro Piana, where no stage of production is outsourced thus obviating any possible hiccup in the sustainability stakes.

This has meant serious investment behind the scenes. For example, everyone knows that cashmere is cultivated in Mongolia so the firm has opened a subsidiary in Ulan Bator in order to build and foster the type of long-term relationships with nomadic tribesmen. They exercise the type of quality control they seek, which implies that flocks live naturally. The techniques of animal husbandry must fall into line with a prescribed list of standards to claim to be ethical.

Traditionally, Loro Piana was unknown except in the trade. Turning itself into a luxury brand with its own identity, style, and points of sale has given the firm instant brand recognition. The color palate of its jumpers, scarves, shawls, suits and accessories speaks for itself and has 100 different colors of yarns in stock at any one time.

Cashmere has always been a luxury despite the recent trend by Chinese manufacturers of offering lower quality cashmere at “high street prices” which has rocked the market and image of cashmere from Japan to the department stores of New York. However, cashmere is not as cheap as it was just a few years ago and it was never meant to be.

Eco cashmere combined with luxury and the top of the range “baby cashmere” characterized by its unparalleled softness as defined by the Loro Piana philosophy might be beyond many people's pocket book. It is a fact of economic and commercial life that not everyone can afford a Bentley or a Rolls Royce. The same applies to cashmere fashion and quality.

This is why an international showcase of cashmere products is vital for the wholesaler, importer and distributor so as to cater for a wide range and level of consumer. A business platform supplying a comprehensive range of cashmere quality, designs and styles in a true fashion context is the order of the day so as to restock your business and discover new, even unfamiliar suppliers and manufacturers.

This is Cashmere World 2012 which will run alongside Asia's leading event for the fashion accessories industry – Fashion Access – from September 27 – 29 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Cashmere World