Is Cashmere Vegan?

Cashmere might make for ultra-soft jumpers and scarves as well as luxurious blankets and even top of the range socks, but is this premium material vegan? 

What is cashmere? 

Cashmere is the cream of the crop when it comes to woollens. Its extremely soft fibres are collected from certain goat breeds’ wool and have been used to make textiles, clothing and yarn for hundreds of years. It’s usually collected from the cashmere breed of goats, but sometimes their pashmina cousins too.     

Is cashmere vegan? 

Strictly speaking, no, cashmere isn’t vegan because it’s made from goats’ wool. However, often the goats naturally shed their coats meaning that certain products can be cruelty-free depending on other factors, like living conditions.

Is there a good vegan alternative to cashmere? 

Photo credits: Faborg

An Indian startup called Faborg has designed a zero-waste, cruelty-free and 100% sustainable new fabric, Weganool. The material is made from a plant called Calotropis (which is similar to milkweed) and has been designed to replicate the luxury quality of cashmere, but without involving any animals. 

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