J.Crew announced that all of its cashmere sweaters and non-apparel pieces from the newly launched Spring 2021 collection and onward will be produced using The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) certified cashmere, a first-of-its-kind commitment among U.S. retailers.
The GCS was developed by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), a non-profit organization aimed at improving the welfare of cashmere goats, the lives of farmers and farming communities, and the environment in which they live. Through its partnership with GCS, J.Crew is able to guarantee a sustainable cashmere supply chain and provide full traceability for certified cashmere pieces.
J.Crew, which operates 152 stores and an e-commerce site, also said it was extending its partnership with the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA) to empower women herders in Mongolia to improve their economic and social standing. The SFA promotes the sustainable production of cashmere, minimizes environmental impact, ensures high animal welfare and safeguards herder livelihoods.
As part of its multi-year program with J.Crew, the SFA will support nearly 1,000 female herders and their households in Mongolia through education, such as training female herders on how to better negotiate trades and contracts, handle cash, make decisions and secure higher economic returns for their cooperative. SFA will also provide financial incentives to herding cooperatives that include females as their members and have a least one woman in their decision-making structure, and to those that develop social safety nets and offer collective support for vulnerable female-led families.
In addition, a fiber sorting program will create the opportunity for the herders to sell higher-quality cashmere fiber at a premium price.
The Good Cashmere Standard by AbTF is an independent standard for sustainably produced cashmere wool developed in 2019 in close collaboration with animal-welfare specialists and independent cashmere-production experts. The standard focuses on the framework conditions for cashmere production in Inner Mongolia.
The SFA works across Mongolia and China, working with herders to produce cashmere in a way that protects biodiversity and ensures the wellbeing of their animals.