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Cashmere is everywhere. But not all of it is created equal. For those seeking all the authentic hallmarks of this premium fiber – its suppleness, natural temperature regulation, and sustainable production – exceptional examples remain the preserve of a few makers.
Alongside the biggest names, such as Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana, a handful of smaller labels are becoming better known. “It’s important to remember that not all cashmere is the same, and quality can vary substantially,” says Tenzin French, the founder of Cutler, a small, London-based brand that has turned sweatsuits into luxurious, double-faced jersey objects of extreme desire. “We want our pieces to feel special, so we work with only the best materials.”
See also: The Best British Knitwear Brands To Invest In
London-based Cutler has
transformed the sweatsuit into a highly covetable luxury garment crafted from high-quality cashmere ©Cutler / George Baggaley
High-quality cashmere comes from the downy undercoat of Himalayan goats, molted in spring and then painstakingly combed to cull the finest fibers. It is scarce, labor-intensive, and precious by definition. At Cutler, French uses four times the customary amount of yarn to craft his separates, and has developed cashmere wrapped silk threads for ultimate softness – not to mention working with Savile Row tailors.
“Cashmere is an extraordinary natural product that performs far better than anything man-made,” he points out. And as for the lower-priced options suddenly available everywhere? “It’s still a hard-to-obtain yarn, so it raises questions,” he says. But with his highly restricted output of a smattering of pieces per season, and quality that can’t be bargain-priced, “you’re almost certainly going to be the only person in the room wearing Cutler.”
Amsterdam’s Extreme Cashmere brings a sense of playfulness and color to your wardrobe ©Extreme Cashmere
At Extreme Cashmere, Saskia Dijkstra flaunts a modern mastery of shape and color. There are bandana scarves, short-sleeve crop knits for spring, buttoned Henleys, oversized high-collared sweaters – enough pieces to create an entire, many-layered wardrobe, and in more than 30 fresh shades like chartreuse, orange marmalade, and latte cream.
It brings a lighthearted touch to the often staid world of high-end knitwear: Dijkstra’s Amsterdam cool translates into an uninhibited palette and a mix-and-match approach to design – men’s and women’s styles, many of them unisex and one size only. The approach is “simple,” Dijkstra has said, “but you can be very creative.”
Piacenza 1733 traces its weaving expertise back three centuries ©Piacenza 1733
Yet cashmere’s enduring appeal lies in classic staples. Piacenza 1733, a textile weaver that has been in business for three centuries, brings a commitment to timeless styles drawn from its deep heritage – sourcing its raw cashmere from Mongolia and Tibet, where the finest, longest fibers are found, resulting in softer, superior pieces. “The raw material makes all the difference,” says Vasiliy Piacenza, one of the family’s 14th-generation descendants who now lead the company. “But our expertise continues with the entire process of fine-tuning and finishing the knit, where the fiber’s qualities are exalted.”
Piacenza 1733’s process is entirely integrated – all made in-house in Biella, Italy’s capital of fine wool-milling, yielding unique quality control. The styles – button-down cardigans, double-breasted coats, functional overshirts, all with no hint of fly-by-night trends – are designed to be worn and to last for years. This quality has attracted fashion editors and other arbiters of taste in what is testament to fine Italian craftsmanship’s perennial allure.
Founded in Florence in 1972, storied brand Malo was relaunched in 2025 ©Malo
Which is why the seminal Malo brand has relaunched, after a peak in the 1980s and ’90s that made the Tuscan label sought-after worldwide. CEO Michelle Kessler-Sanders is betting customers are ready for a return, with the debut collection hitting shelves this spring. Patterns and stitches have been resurrected from the archive, yet rendered in modern new shapes. “It’s cashmere that not only feels exceptional,” she says, “but also carries the cultural DNA of Italian luxury.
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