Pashmina Has Holiday Buzz, And A Little Secret

Pashmina shawls, exquisitely dyed and light to the touch, are this shopping season’s must-have. Pashmina people will tell you that the fiber is the finest form of cashmere there is, and worth the high price ($500-plus for a high-end shawl) because the material is culled from the necks and bellies of Himalayan mountain goats, which live at altitudes of 12,000 to 14,000 feet. As the holiday season heats up, pashminas are everywhere, from Saks Fifth Avenue to Lands’ End. Jim Rosenheim, owner of the Tiny Jewel Box in Washington, D.C., adds to the lore: “When they originally brought it to Scotland, they couldn’t weave it on regular looms, pashmina is that fine.”

All of this is indeed fine, superfine, except for one thing–it’s not true. Pashmina, say textile experts, is actually regular old plain vanilla you-know-what. “Pashmina is just cashmere,” says Karl Spilhaus, president of Boston’s Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute. “It’s been very aggressively marketed, but there’s no difference. Pashmina is simply the Indian word for cashmere.”

There’s scientific evidence to back this up. Kenneth D. Langley, a professor of textile sciences at the University of Massachusetts, has run tests. “Underneath the microscope, it’s cashmere,” Langley says. “Cashmere fibers have a unique appearance under the microscope… and pashmina fibers look exactly like cashmere fibers.” What about that much-ballyhooed Himalayan mountain goat? And the fact that the extrafine fibers come only from the neck and the belly? Yakwash, says the professor. “They comb the fibers from the goat when they’re molting,” says Langley. “You get as much as you can, and you don’t pick a place.” Pashmina is often blended with silk, which sounds fancy. But it isn’t as good–except for business. “When they combine the cashmere with silk, it makes it lighter, but it also makes it cheaper,” says Spilhaus. “So the markup is huge.”

Does it really matter? Consumers are still getting cashmere–not exactly sackcloth–with some extra panache. Spilhaus admits that the better-made pashminas are not rip-offs at all: “A good-quality cashmere shawl is worth every dime you pay for it, and it will last you a lifetime.” Marina Rust, a contributing editor at Vogue, is more to the point: “A girl still needs a pretty-color evening shawl for the summer.” Whatever part of the goat it’s from.

Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) will soon open Common Facility Centre (CFC) at Basholi in Jammu and Kashmir. It is aimed to assist pashmina shawl weaving units that are facing tough times. These shawls are extremely popular not only in India but also in international market. In order to cater the growing demand KVIB has taken this step.

Mr R C Sharma, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), KVIB informed Fibre2fashion, “As per the guidelines of Government, the project will cost around Rs2.5 million, out of which 75 percent will be given by Govt and other implementing agencies will contribute the remaining amount. The centre will have modern looms and spinning machineries (6/8 spindle charkhas) along with other finishing equipments.”

While asserting about the facilities which the Centre will provide weavers Mr Sharma divulged, “Wages of the weavers will increase, at present they earn nearly Rs40 to Rs50 per piece but with 6/8 spindle they will get almost Rs120.

“Previously for one shawl the artisan earned Rs300 whereas now they will receive approximately Rs450. People working in product development will benefit with a rise of 50 to 60 percent. Nearly 1,200 weavers and around 3,800 spinners will be working here.”

IIT Kanpur, Under Product Development, would provide training to produce various shades. Pashmina shawl that will be manufactured at Common Facility Centre will use vegetable dyes for colouring as these are very popular in overseas market.

Fibre2fashion News desk - India