Loro Piana: the new sustainable and inclusive capsule

In a new step toward sustainability and conscious fashion, Loro Piana today unveiled its latest initiative for the FW23 season: the LORO capsule collection. This collection is a continuous, sustainable line of clothing and accessories made with recycled cashmere from the maison's leftover knitwear. The LORO capsule is committed to breathing new life into cashmere and countering the waste of these precious fibers. Named 'LORO' as a sign of its inclusiveness, the capsule is designed to go beyond trends, generations and genders by distilling that quality of timeless luxury of which Loro Piana is perhaps the best symbol in the fashion industry. To signal its inclusive vocation, the collection was produced in a wide range of sizes, appealing to all ages and body types. Preserving the brand's distinctive quality, functionality and performance, the LORO capsule represents luxury par excellence and showcases Loro Piana's exceptional expertise in transforming the noblest fibers into unmistakably textured fabrics while also reflecting the brand's commitment to renewing and enhancing these materials for the future.

Diverging from the resource exploitation approach, Loro Piana's dedication to sustainability has always been rooted in the company's ethos. Thanks to their vertically integrated production process, every step from raw material to finished product is monitored in-house, with a focus on the environment, biodiversity and local communities. This basis has given rise to the LORO capsule for which the fine yarn of its surplus knits has been completely reinvented, revisiting the construction and production of cashmere fibers. These fibers are carefully processed, eliminating seams and zippers, and then divided into color groups. The knits are washed, opened and reduced to spinning by-products. These byproducts are then blended with virgin, undyed cashmere to create a blend of quality and value equivalent to new cashmere. Creating a single piece of knitwear from this precious capsule takes about three days, resulting in truly unique items that showcase the house's expertise in working different fibers into extraordinarily tactile fabrics.

The protagonists of the LORO capsule are four styles of knitwear (sweet waist, crew neck and V-neck), along with a scarf and a hat, characterized by clean, contemporary lines. These pieces play with an exclusive palette of mélanges, neutral tones capable of elevating any everyday outfit by recalling the natural settings where that very cashmere was originally produced: Grain Brown, Pure Dunes, Rain Clouds, Dusk Sky and Red Sand. In addition, the collection includes the 360 Flexy Walk sneakers, which weigh only 360 grams and combine a technical, flexible, slip-resistant sole with cashmere cushioning.

Where does Loro Piana's cashmere come from?

Cashmere, a rare and valuable fiber, is obtained exclusively from the undercoat of the Hircus goat, or cashmere goat. These goats come from the mountainous regions of Asia, mainly Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, where the environment is predominantly arid and inhospitable. These areas have a poor water and food supply, with scorching summers and freezing winters. To survive in these harsh conditions, these resilient animals have developed an extra layer under their rougher outer coat. This undercoat is composed of incredibly fine fibers that trap air, creating effective insulation from the cold and maintaining a constant body temperature. It is from this soft undercoat that cashmere is made.

Respecting local wildlife and harmonizing with nature's cycles, herders harvest the fiber between March and May. This period coincides with milder climates, when animals naturally lose their undercoat, producing soft, warm cashmere that protected them during the colder months. The average diameter of cashmere fibers is around 15 microns: considering that 1 micron is equivalent to one millionth of a meter, cashmere is one of the finest and most valuable fibers in the world, with extraordinary temperature-regulating properties.