By Jenni Avins
nymag.com
Designers and editors were nostalgic last night at the Museum at FIT’s opening of “Impact,” an exhibition of clothing by CFDA designers from the last 50 years. There was a lot to reminisce about: a circa-1981 Ralph Lauren Navajo blanket coat, nineties-era shiny minimalist Calvin Klein, a printed grunge dress by Marc Jacobs. A more recent Michael Kors look from Spring 2011 was totally tasteful — crystal-beaded pajama pants with a cashmere sweatshirt (just for laying around) — so when we saw the designer, we asked whether he had any regrettable fashion memories.
“Leg warmers,” he said. “I wore leg warmers. I wore leg warmers when I went to FIT and I shouldn’t have.” What were they made of? “Oh, I think they were cashmere, of course! Oatmeal! Oatmeal, with a Fiorucci jean.”
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Essex Girls do it Better!
From dailymail.co.uk
She was seen breaking down in tears on Wednesday's episode of TOWIE after discovering that her boyfriend Mario had been exchanging sexy emails with 'at least 40' other women.
But nothing keeps Lucy Mecklenburgh's spirits down for long.
The 20-year-old was clearly keen to draw attention as she stepped out to film scenes for the show alongside castmate Billi Mucklow in Essex wearing a bright red fur cloak and hat.
Billi was likewise dressed for the cold in a fur-trimmed pale tan cloak, with both girls wearing jeans and black boots.
She was seen breaking down in tears on Wednesday's episode of TOWIE after discovering that her boyfriend Mario had been exchanging sexy emails with 'at least 40' other women.
But nothing keeps Lucy Mecklenburgh's spirits down for long.
The 20-year-old was clearly keen to draw attention as she stepped out to film scenes for the show alongside castmate Billi Mucklow in Essex wearing a bright red fur cloak and hat.
Billi was likewise dressed for the cold in a fur-trimmed pale tan cloak, with both girls wearing jeans and black boots.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Cashmere as the Cash Cow
From the nytimes.com
By SUZY MENKES
MILAN — Denim and cashmere for a pair of luxe jeans, shearling and cashmere for a coat or a down jacket worked with cashmere — it seems that hybrids are the height of fashion. They are appearing in almost every show as a way to enrich apparently simple clothes and to highlight Italian craftsmanship.
By SUZY MENKES
MILAN — Denim and cashmere for a pair of luxe jeans, shearling and cashmere for a coat or a down jacket worked with cashmere — it seems that hybrids are the height of fashion. They are appearing in almost every show as a way to enrich apparently simple clothes and to highlight Italian craftsmanship.
It was good to see Angela Missoni introducing high tech fabrics alongside the more traditional slouchy thick-knit cardigans at the Missoni show Sunday — especially as an airy puffa vest worn under heavy knitting. When a down jacket was worked in shaded nylon jacquard in the moss green and chestnut of a winter landscape, it brought Missoni’s poetic vision to 21st-century fabrics.
There is always a sense that the Missoni man is casual, even messy, but between the gardener’s hats and Converse Auckland Racers on the feet, the mix had a lot of charm. Were there a few too many of those bulky cardigans? Always. But they made a good basis for new ideas.
Although cashmere is the cash cow at Ermenegildo Zegna, like other Italian brands with exceptional fabric skills, the melding of materials has become an art form.
Fendi men’s wear, displayed Sunday in a dramatic presentation as a runway-long line of sculptural mannequins, also had fabric combinations that flowed like a river from wool to fur.
The scene was set at Ermenegildo Zegna for a world that encompasses more than the sartorial tailoring on which the company built its fame. Screens showing a snowy exterior and the roaring fire of a snug interior positioned the collection toward the high end, technically inventive sportswear that has been such a hit with the companion brand Z Zegna.
The inventiveness is not, therefore, in cut or shape — although the Zegna pieces were well proportioned and modern from tailored coats to thick-knit cardigans. Instead, it was the production of its own wool mill and a newly acquired silk mill that came up with the new twist.
The idea of making a tuxedo in a furry fabric — in fact, a brushed alpaca first introduced by for women in the 1970s — might sound freaky. But the effect was elegantly luxurious. The same is true of “cashco,” or cashmere corduroy, that is now a Zegna staple.
“We want to make silk the cashmere of summer,” said Gildo Zegna, the brand’s chief executive, explaining how each base fiber can be linked to other options. That even includes men’s bags and carryalls with different fabrics on either side.
The concept is of a collection that, while researched and made with impressive inventiveness, needed to be touched by human hands to be appreciated and understood.
“We have reconstructed it completely,” said Massimiliano Giornetti at Salvatore Ferragamo , referring both to the sharp cutting into soft fabrics like velvet and to a new configuration for the brand’s show Sunday that let the light shine in.
Both were symbolic of a new relevance and energy that the designer has brought to Ferragamo, attracting a young clientele like the Hollywood star Ryan Gosling and the Korean actor Yoo Ji Tae who was sitting front row.
What’s the difference? The answer is in giving classic a shot of originality, whether it was the suffused colors from rose wine to burgundy, herringbone tweed with a twist of imagination or the silvered metallic half-moon strip on every hand-painted and polished shoe. Silver? With such discreet and stylish branding touches, Ferragamo should hit gold.
“Everything is tonal,” said Silvia Venturini Fendi, referring to what seemed like a simpleFendi collection of mostly casual pieces — until you understood the workmanship behind them.
“It’s about going back to navy, but with workmanship so that the fabrics have texture, moving from wool to shearling or shaved mink.”
Jersey knitwear morphed from fine to thicker areas within a single garment and a sporty nylon jacket would, in fact, be lined with shearling or a knit would be allied with suede. The idea stretched to evening wear, with a mink tuxedo looking as streamlined as cloth.
Perhaps only Italian companies, with their exceptional fabric know-how, could either envision or create these hybrids. For, while they might be imagined as lumpy or weird, the opposite was true at Fendi.
You could not have known or even perceived the compositions until they were explained — making Ms. Fendi’s decision to stage a presentation a smart move for the company.
With stealth wealth ever more the demand of the global male, the idea of hiding the work and the fine fabrics that go into a reversible leather and knitwear jacket is on target for modern times.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Cashmere Confidential For the season of sweater buying, some tips on how to tell the good from the bad
Buying a cashmere sweater used to be a simple thing. The wool came from the bellies of goats in India or Tibet and was spun in Scotland. Cashmere goods were generally expensive, but rare, and worth the cost. "In the old days, cashmere had a certain allure, and the allure created a certain price point," said veteran cashmere salesman Jack Bain, who has represented Pringle of Scotland and a number of Scottish woolen mills. Now, chains are selling cashmere sweaters for less than $100. According to Mr. Bain, "cashmere is generic, like a jockey short."
Many manufacturers today employ cost-saving methods that impoverish the product: using fibers of varying length, spinning the wool before it's fully dried after dyeing. A salesperson is not likely to talk about these shortcuts, and they don't have a particularly noticeable effect on how a cashmere sweater looks or feels—at least, not at first. Give an inferior cashmere sweater a few wears, though, and you'll see it starts to pill much sooner than a good one.
Meanwhile, luxury labels have found ways (adding fur trim, using baby cashmere) to up the ante. In short, the difference between good and bad cashmere has never been so pronounced. The goats of Mongolia, Iran and Afghanistan are now part of the global supply chain, and even the most respected purveyors also sell lower grades of cashmere. With price and provenance telling less and less of the story, the average retail customer buys cashmere with only a dim idea of what he's paying for.
Fortunately, there are some ways for the consumer to test a garment's quality, including its pilling potential. Stretch the fabric with your hands; if it reverts immediately to its former shape, that's good. If not, it may contain cheaper fabrics or have been knit too loosely. According to Cédric Turk, executive vice president and general manager at Zilli, an upscale French cashmere brand, the density of a cashmere garment's weave is a sign of quality. "Cheaper brands knit with more space because it takes less time and cashmere," Mr. Turk noted. Hold an expensive sweater up to the light—you shouldn't be able to see through it.
A common misconception is that softer cashmere is better, but it's not that simple. A fabric's fluff could be the result of fine fibers and spinning—or of harsh artificial softeners.
Some cashmere brands, including high-end European ones, soften up their sweaters with repeated washings. Scottish traditionalists consider this gilding the lily—and point out that it reduces the garment's lifespan. Established Scottish manufacturers such as Todd & Duncan, founded in 1867 and suppliers of yarn to Brooks Brothers and Hermès, claim that the soft, pure loch water in which they wash and dye their cashmere swells the fabric more delicately than additional washing does. Even if a four-ply Scottish sweater feels slightly coarser on the shelf than its French or Italian counterpart, the argument goes, it lasts for decades, arriving at cozy perfection around the time those fancy continental sweaters might start to pill. On the other hand, there's something to be said for that "instant, tangible feel of luxury," said premium-cashmere purveyor Brunello Cucinelli.
Although most shoppers will probably never become experts on the matter, they can examine sweaters for bubbles or so-called "chicken feet," ripples and wrinkles in a weave that appear when factories knit too fast. Or, follow Mr. Turk's advice that particularly in cashmere, established brands have the edge, if only because customers have put their product's durability to the test for decades. Cashmere, after all, should be soft but rugged, have real weight but feel light as air. And by no means must it have origins in Kashmir, the mountainous region from which it takes its name. In other words, it should discreetly defy logic. As Mr. Turk said, "That's the magic of cashmere."
—Darrell Hartman
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Refurbished: Fur makeovers take center stage - Restyling and recycling old fur is a popular option this season
By John-John Williams IV, The Baltimore Sun
Doris Randall hadn't worn her brown bomber mink coat in ages. Her full-length shearling coat got even less use — she wore it about twice in the 15 years since her husband gave it to her.
She considered giving the garments to charity before discovering Seleh's De Federal Hill, a tailor and furrier specializing in remodeling leathers and furs. A few months later, Randall had a new three-quarter-length coat for herself and a contemporary-looking mink vest with black sweater sleeves that she gave to her daughter.
"It was a Iot like putting together a puzzle," the Pikesville resident said. "They made it work, and made something that we are both enjoying. I've been able to get a lot of wear throughout the winter. I saw the vest on my daughter the other day."
The days of bulky furs are over. Cost-conscious consumers, environmental concerns and changing fashion trends have made recycling and refashioning furs a popular option in recent years. As a result, a growing number of furriers, designers and boutique owners are cashing in on the trend and are catering to a new crop of customers.
Furs are prime candidates for refashioning; people typically don't throw them away because of their costs and sentimental feelings associated with the garment, according to Karen Groner, an adjunct professor specializing in leather design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Groner, who has 30 years of experience in the business, also owns Grownbeans, a small Manhattan studio that specializes in suede, leather and fur.
"We associate wearing [fur] coats with it being a special occasion," Groner said. "There's a real attraction. They are associated with happy times. … People want to hold on to that memory. But they also want to keep up with the style. Fashion changes. A coat doesn't look good with those '80s shoulder pads."
Seleh Rahman, owner of Seleh's De Federal Hill, said remodeled fur projects are up 75 percent at his shop.
"The last three seasons, it has been a big-ticket item," Rahman said from his South Charles Street workroom, where he was in the process of lengthening a mink coat. His assistant was putting the finishing touches on the fur-trim collar accents of a cashmere coat.
Rahman takes older, heavier furs and turns them into thinner, more contemporary-looking jackets and vests. He's also known for his ability to create virtually any garment from fur pieces, including handbags, decorative trim for jean jackets and bow ties.
"It's a complicated process," said Rahman, who has operated the business for the past 36 years. "You have to be really skilled, so that the furs can match and look correct. Really, you only get one shot."
The labor and skill required to complete a fur redesign doesn't come cheap, and projects can cost several thousand dollars.
"It takes a lot of work to rework a coat," Groner said. "You have to completely take it apart and completely put it back together. And then you pray that it holds up."
A complete fur redesign project usually takes about four to six weeks. During this time, pelts are restored, oiled, and refashioned. Customers typically meet with the designer several times for fittings and to discuss pattern options.
Mano Swartz, the Green Spring Station furrier, offers a "Mano-makeover," in which the company promises to repurpose outdated furs into contemporary lightweight pieces in four to six weeks. Prices range from $450 for a pull-string caplet to $2,750 for a reversible coat.
"It's much less expensive to redo something than to buy something new," said Debbie Swartz, the designer and buyer at Mano Swartz. She noticed a significant spike in refashioned and repaired furs three years ago. "It's really nice to be able to show them the options that they didn't know existed."
The downturn in the economy has also increased business for shops that can restore coats, saving owners the cost of replacing them.
Erin Hopkins has had her eight-year-old black mink coat repaired by Rahman a couple of times in the past few years, including having the pockets repaired and the sleeves redone.
Why hasn't she given the coat away?
"I worked hard for that coat," the Federal Hill resident said with a laugh. Hopkins' husband gave it to her as a reward for attending 15 University of Texas football games with him. "It took me 19 years to get that coat."
Fur has also remained a staple in fashion, especially in the colder months, and designers have shown it some love recently. Gucci's 1970s-inspired fall and winter lines for 2011 and 2012 seem to have jump-started the latest fur resurgence, according to fashion experts. As a result, many designers scrambled to find fur to accent garments.
Swartz points to Gucci's collection when helping customers choose new ways to refashion older garments. "I try and show our customers what is going on in fashion now," she said. "Some customers really get it and love it."
Karen Garalde, a Baltimore-based designer who specializes in using eco-friendly materials, has also been following the trends and is in the process of designing several pieces using recycled fur.
"This season I knew that I wanted to play with more texture," Garalde said. "I love vintage fur. I thought it would be fun and interesting. I noticed that there has been a huge trend for fur this season."
Garalde, who has made garments from items such as coffee filters and salvaged fabrics, said she has few reservations about using vintage furs.
"Since it's not new, I feel better about it," Garalde said." I know that it is sustainable. That's what makes me more intrigued to use it."
Environmental implications played a large factor when Hampden boutique owner Linda Pfleiderer decided to carry Harricana, a Canadian-based line of recycled fur products.
"We loved the concept of recycling and giving new life to things that would be thrown away," said Pfleiderer, who co-owns In The Details, a men's and women's boutique that has been open less than a year. "We thought it was a really cool line."
Customers have responded favorably, purchasing handbags, fur accented hats, scarves, and cross-body bags. Pieces range from $26 up to $514.
Her customers "are really into the fur, and they are into the recycled aspect. It's really good for the environment," Pfleiderer said. "And they are getting really cool-looking pieces."
Above all, customers like the look of recycled fur pieces, according to merchants.
"I love when customers come in and say they never wore it, and now it is their everyday coat," Swartz said. "That makes me so happy. We can always craft a coat. There is always something we can do."
Randall, the Pikesville resident who had two of her furs redesigned, is pleased with her new garments.
"I consider him an extremely lucky find," she said of Rahman. "I was going in blind. I was extremely pleased. My friends have beaten a path to his door."
Doris Randall hadn't worn her brown bomber mink coat in ages. Her full-length shearling coat got even less use — she wore it about twice in the 15 years since her husband gave it to her.
She considered giving the garments to charity before discovering Seleh's De Federal Hill, a tailor and furrier specializing in remodeling leathers and furs. A few months later, Randall had a new three-quarter-length coat for herself and a contemporary-looking mink vest with black sweater sleeves that she gave to her daughter.
"It was a Iot like putting together a puzzle," the Pikesville resident said. "They made it work, and made something that we are both enjoying. I've been able to get a lot of wear throughout the winter. I saw the vest on my daughter the other day."
The days of bulky furs are over. Cost-conscious consumers, environmental concerns and changing fashion trends have made recycling and refashioning furs a popular option in recent years. As a result, a growing number of furriers, designers and boutique owners are cashing in on the trend and are catering to a new crop of customers.
Furs are prime candidates for refashioning; people typically don't throw them away because of their costs and sentimental feelings associated with the garment, according to Karen Groner, an adjunct professor specializing in leather design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Groner, who has 30 years of experience in the business, also owns Grownbeans, a small Manhattan studio that specializes in suede, leather and fur.
"We associate wearing [fur] coats with it being a special occasion," Groner said. "There's a real attraction. They are associated with happy times. … People want to hold on to that memory. But they also want to keep up with the style. Fashion changes. A coat doesn't look good with those '80s shoulder pads."
Seleh Rahman, owner of Seleh's De Federal Hill, said remodeled fur projects are up 75 percent at his shop.
"The last three seasons, it has been a big-ticket item," Rahman said from his South Charles Street workroom, where he was in the process of lengthening a mink coat. His assistant was putting the finishing touches on the fur-trim collar accents of a cashmere coat.
Rahman takes older, heavier furs and turns them into thinner, more contemporary-looking jackets and vests. He's also known for his ability to create virtually any garment from fur pieces, including handbags, decorative trim for jean jackets and bow ties.
"It's a complicated process," said Rahman, who has operated the business for the past 36 years. "You have to be really skilled, so that the furs can match and look correct. Really, you only get one shot."
The labor and skill required to complete a fur redesign doesn't come cheap, and projects can cost several thousand dollars.
"It takes a lot of work to rework a coat," Groner said. "You have to completely take it apart and completely put it back together. And then you pray that it holds up."
A complete fur redesign project usually takes about four to six weeks. During this time, pelts are restored, oiled, and refashioned. Customers typically meet with the designer several times for fittings and to discuss pattern options.
Mano Swartz, the Green Spring Station furrier, offers a "Mano-makeover," in which the company promises to repurpose outdated furs into contemporary lightweight pieces in four to six weeks. Prices range from $450 for a pull-string caplet to $2,750 for a reversible coat.
"It's much less expensive to redo something than to buy something new," said Debbie Swartz, the designer and buyer at Mano Swartz. She noticed a significant spike in refashioned and repaired furs three years ago. "It's really nice to be able to show them the options that they didn't know existed."
The downturn in the economy has also increased business for shops that can restore coats, saving owners the cost of replacing them.
Erin Hopkins has had her eight-year-old black mink coat repaired by Rahman a couple of times in the past few years, including having the pockets repaired and the sleeves redone.
Why hasn't she given the coat away?
"I worked hard for that coat," the Federal Hill resident said with a laugh. Hopkins' husband gave it to her as a reward for attending 15 University of Texas football games with him. "It took me 19 years to get that coat."
Fur has also remained a staple in fashion, especially in the colder months, and designers have shown it some love recently. Gucci's 1970s-inspired fall and winter lines for 2011 and 2012 seem to have jump-started the latest fur resurgence, according to fashion experts. As a result, many designers scrambled to find fur to accent garments.
Swartz points to Gucci's collection when helping customers choose new ways to refashion older garments. "I try and show our customers what is going on in fashion now," she said. "Some customers really get it and love it."
Karen Garalde, a Baltimore-based designer who specializes in using eco-friendly materials, has also been following the trends and is in the process of designing several pieces using recycled fur.
"This season I knew that I wanted to play with more texture," Garalde said. "I love vintage fur. I thought it would be fun and interesting. I noticed that there has been a huge trend for fur this season."
Garalde, who has made garments from items such as coffee filters and salvaged fabrics, said she has few reservations about using vintage furs.
"Since it's not new, I feel better about it," Garalde said." I know that it is sustainable. That's what makes me more intrigued to use it."
Environmental implications played a large factor when Hampden boutique owner Linda Pfleiderer decided to carry Harricana, a Canadian-based line of recycled fur products.
"We loved the concept of recycling and giving new life to things that would be thrown away," said Pfleiderer, who co-owns In The Details, a men's and women's boutique that has been open less than a year. "We thought it was a really cool line."
Customers have responded favorably, purchasing handbags, fur accented hats, scarves, and cross-body bags. Pieces range from $26 up to $514.
Her customers "are really into the fur, and they are into the recycled aspect. It's really good for the environment," Pfleiderer said. "And they are getting really cool-looking pieces."
Above all, customers like the look of recycled fur pieces, according to merchants.
"I love when customers come in and say they never wore it, and now it is their everyday coat," Swartz said. "That makes me so happy. We can always craft a coat. There is always something we can do."
Randall, the Pikesville resident who had two of her furs redesigned, is pleased with her new garments.
"I consider him an extremely lucky find," she said of Rahman. "I was going in blind. I was extremely pleased. My friends have beaten a path to his door."
Monday, November 21, 2011
Even in hard times, soft still sells at Pur Cashmere
Leslie Deane Roth is a master of the soft sell.
Cashmere, to be precise. Many of the blankets, throws, pillow covers, scarves and other items she offers through Palm Desert-based Pur Cashmere LLC are made of fine cashmere fibers combed from Mongolian goats each spring after the animals endured hard winters.
Such culling is labor-intensive, so durable cashmere is expensive.
“Right now, people are very price-conscious,” Roth said. “People maybe can't afford to buy a new sofa, but they'll buy a throw, a new bedspread. It brightens up your life, but it's not that expensive.”
When the recession altered consumers' attitudes and prompted many to be more value-oriented, Roth helped design and create a blend of soft yarns. They're made from the heart of bamboo plants and cashmere fibers, have a similar look and feel of pure cashmere, but are less expensive.
Roth was able to engineer the yarns based on three decades of experience in the textile industry.
She started in Los Angeles, eventually becoming one of the first women to source textile materials for large companies in Asia. She worked with suppliers to import cashmere items from Mongolia even though most of them didn't speak English at the time.
In 2005, Roth decided to break out on her own. She surprised many in her family by launching Pur Cashmere with $10,000 she borrowed against equity in her Boston home.
She was confident in her vision for the company.
“It took off, and I haven't had to borrow money since,” Roth said.
“I figured either it will grow organically or I'll close shop.”
Roth moved to the desert this spring and bought a mid-century home in Palm Desert.
She has grandchildren in the San Deigo area and decided to establish her business at a warehouse suite on Joni Drive.
Pur Cashmere offers nearly 50 products billed as “refined luxury for modern lifestyles.”
Her core customers are mostly 25- to 45-year-olds from across America and beyond.
Pur Cashmere supplies several local specialty retailers, including Tuverson & Co., and Jolie Maison — both in Palm Desert.
“We just had a big buy from Amazon,” said Roth, noting online sales have been brisk at her website purcashmere.com.
Roth is planning a warehouse sale in March.
Finding inspiration
Although the small warehouse suite just off Cook Street has no company sign, Roth and three employees spend days filling customer orders.
They're surrounded by colorful stacks of shawls, wraps, driving blankets and other items.
There are honeysuckle and chocolate chiffon ribbons, plaid scarves of cocoa, gold and blue, crème ultrawool Jacquard throws.
Roth has designed many of the cashmere, bamboo and other blended items, which are made in Mongolia and shipped here.
Although the cashmere industry is comparatively small, the product has held up well despite difficulties in many key markets because it's viewed as high-quality, “extremely light, yet extraordinarily warm,” said Michael Duck, executive vice president with trade fair organizer UBM Asia Ltd., which put on the Cashmere World event in October in Beijing.
“The majority of cashmere comes from northern China,” Duck said.
Roth finds inspiration to design her products at museums and through art. She attended graduate school in Boston and studied architecture and museum studies.
Roth said Californians tend to embrace brighter colors.
“You go into somebody's house and say, ‘What would fit in here?' You think of colors.”
Roth works with Asian suppliers to create the colors and designs, often communicating late at night because of the time difference.
Nowadays, most younger Asian managers not only speak English but are business-savvy and understand American nuances, she said.
“They're very personable,” Roth said.
“I know their families, when they're getting married, their children. They're very hard-working and resourceful, and I have a lot of respect for them.”
By Mike Perrault
Cashmere, to be precise. Many of the blankets, throws, pillow covers, scarves and other items she offers through Palm Desert-based Pur Cashmere LLC are made of fine cashmere fibers combed from Mongolian goats each spring after the animals endured hard winters.
Such culling is labor-intensive, so durable cashmere is expensive.
“Right now, people are very price-conscious,” Roth said. “People maybe can't afford to buy a new sofa, but they'll buy a throw, a new bedspread. It brightens up your life, but it's not that expensive.”
When the recession altered consumers' attitudes and prompted many to be more value-oriented, Roth helped design and create a blend of soft yarns. They're made from the heart of bamboo plants and cashmere fibers, have a similar look and feel of pure cashmere, but are less expensive.
Roth was able to engineer the yarns based on three decades of experience in the textile industry.
She started in Los Angeles, eventually becoming one of the first women to source textile materials for large companies in Asia. She worked with suppliers to import cashmere items from Mongolia even though most of them didn't speak English at the time.
In 2005, Roth decided to break out on her own. She surprised many in her family by launching Pur Cashmere with $10,000 she borrowed against equity in her Boston home.
She was confident in her vision for the company.
“It took off, and I haven't had to borrow money since,” Roth said.
“I figured either it will grow organically or I'll close shop.”
Roth moved to the desert this spring and bought a mid-century home in Palm Desert.
She has grandchildren in the San Deigo area and decided to establish her business at a warehouse suite on Joni Drive.
Pur Cashmere offers nearly 50 products billed as “refined luxury for modern lifestyles.”
Her core customers are mostly 25- to 45-year-olds from across America and beyond.
Pur Cashmere supplies several local specialty retailers, including Tuverson & Co., and Jolie Maison — both in Palm Desert.
“We just had a big buy from Amazon,” said Roth, noting online sales have been brisk at her website purcashmere.com.
Roth is planning a warehouse sale in March.
Finding inspiration
Although the small warehouse suite just off Cook Street has no company sign, Roth and three employees spend days filling customer orders.
They're surrounded by colorful stacks of shawls, wraps, driving blankets and other items.
There are honeysuckle and chocolate chiffon ribbons, plaid scarves of cocoa, gold and blue, crème ultrawool Jacquard throws.
Roth has designed many of the cashmere, bamboo and other blended items, which are made in Mongolia and shipped here.
Although the cashmere industry is comparatively small, the product has held up well despite difficulties in many key markets because it's viewed as high-quality, “extremely light, yet extraordinarily warm,” said Michael Duck, executive vice president with trade fair organizer UBM Asia Ltd., which put on the Cashmere World event in October in Beijing.
“The majority of cashmere comes from northern China,” Duck said.
Roth finds inspiration to design her products at museums and through art. She attended graduate school in Boston and studied architecture and museum studies.
Roth said Californians tend to embrace brighter colors.
“You go into somebody's house and say, ‘What would fit in here?' You think of colors.”
Roth works with Asian suppliers to create the colors and designs, often communicating late at night because of the time difference.
Nowadays, most younger Asian managers not only speak English but are business-savvy and understand American nuances, she said.
“They're very personable,” Roth said.
“I know their families, when they're getting married, their children. They're very hard-working and resourceful, and I have a lot of respect for them.”
By Mike Perrault
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