This Slow-Fashion Brand Is Now Selling to the U.S.

(Photo:formal dresses online)

Luxury cashmere brand Sandriver has officially entered the U.S. market. The brand currently has eleven shops in Asia and a worldwide e-commerce presence; it has been active in the international fashion scene since 2007.

Sandriver products are now available for sale online. Items are shipped directly from Shanghai to the U.S. via complimentary DHL Express within four days, and include a local U.S.-based return policy.

Sandriver sources directly from the grasslands of the Alashan Plateau in Inner Mongolia, home to 70 percent of the world's cashmere. Founder and CEO Juliet Guo (Guo Xiuling) is an Inner Mongolian native, and has built the brand's own sourcing base of 30 local herding families, some of whom operate on Guo family-owned grasslands.

Setting itself apart from global fashion giants, Sandriver proudly hones its niche role in the industry by merging the traditional sophistication of cashmere with the innovation of modern fashion.

Its creative team comprises a dynamic group of international designers and artists, including world-renowned Japanese designer and multiple fashion award recipient Junko Koshino, French-Columbian artist Francesca Brenda-Mitterrand, and German and Chinese fashion designers Antje Weidner and Qin Wanyu.

The brand continues to attract attention on an international scale and has been presented at major fashion shows in both Tokyo and Paris.

Sandriver's collections are carefully studied to meet the needs of women and men of all lifestyles, and suit a variety of budgets and tastes with prices ranging from approximately $100 to $3,000+ for original designs.

Product lines include, among others, scarves and wraps for every season, full-length coats and blankets, reversible and ready-to-wear garments and comfortable ensembles. Recent additions include kids wear and luxury travel garments and accessories.

Following and delivering "slow fashion"

The Sandriver teams share one common goal and passion: bringing the world together with the luxury of 100 percent pure and sustainably sourced cashmere.

As a completely self-owned and operated entity, Sandriver controls every point of the production process - from pasture to production line to its click-and-mortar storefronts.

As a firm believer of 'Slow Fashion', Sandriver refuses to meet the demands of today's mass-produced markets by compromising quality, and guarantees genuine, high-quality and long-lasting cashmere products. This is achieved by comprehensive sustainable practices, together with a firm grip on tradition.

"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," says Guo.

Embracing tradition

"Tradition and quality will always reign over profits." -- Juliet Guo

Sandriver prides itself on multiple traditional practices starting with its goat herds. Sandriver goats are considered family members as much as "unofficial employees" and are treated with the utmost care and respect. A detailed and stringent set of standards, paired with time-honored pastoral care, ensure the herds' health and comfort year-round.

All Sandriver products are directly sourced from its own line of purebred Alashan goats, an original cashmere breed with soft downy undercoats that have evolved to survive centuries of long and harsh winters. The goat down is renowned for its highest quality and lightweight, yet incredibly insulating fibers.

Each spring, as part of the natural shedding process, these undercoats are humanely hand-harvested using traditional combing methods passed through generations. This extremely meticulous and time-consuming process causes no discomfort to the goats; if anything, it provides relief from the rapidly warming temps.

Sandriver only uses cashmere from this first down of the season, with a length of 36-plus mm and a fineness, or fiber diameter, of 14-15 microns. Only 30 percent of its annually harvested raw material is approved for use in products.

Sandriver uses a combination of natural cashmere dyes from grass and insects found on Inner Mongolian prairies with high-grade dyeing auxiliaries made in Germany.

The brand also embraces the traditional craft of hand-nested knitting, an ancient stitch method which provides products with a large range of elasticity, ensuring increased comfort and peak wear performance. For select garments, it has also retained the art of hand-sewing for its finest and most intricate details.

"Zero (defects) means zero"

Sandriver's zero-defect policy and performance are a brand standard.

Every step of the production process - from harvesting and cleaning, to dyeing and yarn spinning (a Sandriver-exclusive technique), is carefully controlled via rigorous testing by highly-trained quality control personnel. The products' final knitting stage involves a full range of Germany's cutting-edge Stoll textile machinery, a necessity for some of its most intricate designs.

Before entering the market, every new product developed by Sandriver receives a final quality control review and approval from the CEO herself, a crucial and final step that has not changed in more than 10 years.Read more at:long formal dresses