Slow fashion brand Sand River enters US market

Luxury cashmere brand Sand River has entered the US market and will offer complementary shipping to its US customers from its Shanghai location within four days and a local US-based return policy. The slow fashion brand currently operates eleven boutiques in Asia and has a worldwide e-commerce presence through its website sandrivercashmere.com.

Sand River counters the current fast fashion trend by guaranteeing genuine, high-quality and long-lasting cashmere products, which are sourced directly from the grasslands of the Alashan Plateau of Inner Mongolia, thus refusing to meet the demands of today's mass-produced markets with compromised quality.

"Tradition and quality will always reign over profits," states Sand River founder and CEO Juliet Guo (Guo Xiuling), an Inner Mongolian native. "We live in such a throw-away culture. If for anything, for the sake of the planet, there's a serious need to return to quality-made products that needn't be replaced after just one season. Fine cashmere comes at a price, but with proper care and attention, a garment can be worn and relished for years, potentially for decades," adds Guo.

Quality, tradition and comprehensive sustainable practices are thus imperative for the company that has been active in the international fashion scene since 2007 and has been present at major fashion shows in Tokyo and Paris.

Sand River has put together a creative team of international designers and artists that spans the globe, including world-renowned Japanese designer and multiple fashion award recipient Junko Koshino, French-Columbian artist Francesca Brenda-Mitterrand and fashion designers Antje Weidner and Qin Wanyu from Germany and China, respectively.

Harvesting incorporates goats' natural shedding process

Animal lovers can also wear Sand River's products without compromising their standards, given that all products are made of 100 percent pure and sustainably sourced cashmere: The brand's own sourcing base of 30 local herding families, some of whom operate on Guo family-owned grasslands, are treated with utmost care and respect, including the goats.

Thus, the purebred Alashan goats, an 'original' cashmere breed know for its soft downy undercoats and highest-quality, lightweight, yet incredibly insulating fibers, are hand-harvested only. This means waiting for the goats' natural shedding process for harvesting and using traditional combing methods passed through generations only. According to Sand River, "this extremely meticulous and time-consuming process causes no discomfort to the goats; if anything, it provides relief from the rapidly warming temps".

Once harvested, Sand River uses a combination of natural cashmere dyes from grass and insects found on Inner Mongolian prairies with high-grade dyeing auxiliaries made in Germany. For elasticity, comfort and peak wear performance, the brand the traditional craft of hand-nested knitting, an ancient stitch method, and hand-sewing the finest and most intricate details for select garments.

Product lines include scarves and wraps for every season, full-length coats and blankets, reversible and ready-to-wear garments and comfortable ensembles for men and women. The brand recently added a range of kidswear as well as luxury travel garments and accessories. Prices range from 100 US dollars to 3,000 US dollars and up for original designs.

Photos: Sand River Website