The purpose of the sale of ValCash and Layna products cannot be more different: While the production of ValCash products in the high-price country of Switzerland originates from individual motivation and can never be profitable, the sale of Layna shawls contributes to secure the fragile existence of dozens of ChangPa families in Ladakh.

Knitting yarn à 50 g: CHF 150.-

Scarf à 50 g (60 cm x 60 cm) : CHF 280.-

Shawl à 170 g (30 cm x 200 cm) : CHF 840.-

Order

True, sustainably produced cashmere products are expensive¹. Anyone who is interested in non-ordinary fabrics of high quality decides against the purchase of a cheap ordinary commodity. And this determines the price.

Valais cashmere (ValCash) fabrics are unique. ValCash is the only Swiss cashmere made from cashmere goats of Swiss (Valais) origin, namely ValCash goats - trackable from the birth of the ValCash goat to the finished shawl, scarf, or knitting yarn.

ValCash shawls and ValCash scarves

ValCash shawls and ValCash Scarves are snow white, fluffy and 100% natural fabrics of ValCash goats, which graze about 165 days completely free at 2 000 m to 3 200 m altitude and spend about 200 days in an outdoor enclosure with stable in St. Niklaus/Switzerland. The ValCash goats are combed at the end of March, and the raw cashmere (ValCash) is sent to the natural fiber mill NAFABO² in the Erzgebirge/Germany where it is cleaned, dehaired, carded and spun. The weaving of shawls and scarves is finally done either in Naters/Switzerland³ or in Sovana/Italy⁴.

Each shawl and scarf is a unique natural product that can be made to order upon request.

ValCash knitting yarn

Also the 2-ply ValCash knitting yarn is snow-white, fluffy and a 100% natural fabric of ValCash goats, which graze about 165 days completely free at 2 000 m to 3 200 m altitude and spend about 200 days in an outdoor enclosure with stable in St. Niklaus/Switzerland. The ValCash goats are combed at the end of March, and the raw cashmere (ValCash) is sent to the natural fiber mill NAFABO² in the Erzgebirge/Germany where it is cleaned, dehaired, carded and spun. ValCash knitting yarn (as balls of 50g) will be available from 2019 onwards.

Sale of Layna shawls

Layna shawls are made at different locations: in Leh/Ladakh and in Srinagar/Kashmir. In both cases, however, the Ladakhi cashmere (layna) is sourced from the Changthang Plateau/Ladakh.

Layna shawls from Leh/Ladakh

The raw layna of these shawls is bought from the Changpa semi-nomads by the All Changthangi Pashmina Growers Association of Leh/Ladakh, scoured and dehaired by machine, and then carded, handspun and handwoven by individual women. The shawls are of different size and thus vary in prize⁵.

Layna shawls from Srinagar/Kashmir

The raw layna of these shawls is also bought from the Changpa semi-nomads, but - as it was practiced in the past for centuries - by traders from Srinagar/Kashmir who contract traditional weaving families in Srinagar. These families then organize and implement the full production process - scouring, dehairing, carding, spinning and weaving - all carried out by hand by individual family members. Eventually, the finished fabrics, mainly shawls, are sold on the market. The Layna shawls are very fine and all of the same size (200cm x 60cm).

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¹ Value chain and manufacturing costs of ValCash fabrics.

² NAFABO www.naturfasermuehle.de.

³ Helga Jossen www.helgaswebstube.ch and www.rosengang.ch.

⁴ Giulia Zavattoni www.gusme.itsemplicemente.

⁵ Value chain and manufacturing costs of Layna shawls.