The journey of Valtierri cashmere begins not in a boutique, but on the vast, wind-swept steppes of Inner Mongolia’s Alashan region. Here, at elevations exceeding 2,000 metres, a unique breed of goat — the Capra hircus — produces an undercoat of extraordinary fineness. Surviving winters that plunge to -40°C, these animals develop fibres between 14.5 and 16 microns in diameter, creating a material that is simultaneously lighter, warmer, and softer than any wool.
Each spring, skilled herders hand-comb the goats during the natural moulting season, a process that yields only 150–200 grams of usable cashmere per animal per year — enough for roughly one-third of a single Valtierri sweater. This ritual has remained unchanged for generations; it cannot be mechanised without compromising the fibre’s integrity.
From the steppes, the raw cashmere travels to Biella, the historic textile capital of Italy. Here, in centuries-old mills where the art of worsted spinning has been refined for over 700 years, each fleece is hand-sorted by trained eyes and hands. The de-haired fibres are then spun into yarn at a precise tension — too tight and the character of the fibre is lost; too loose and the final garment lacks structure.
The yarn then makes its way to the Valtierri atelier in Marche, where our master artisans transform it into garments of lasting beauty. This complete chain — from the goat to the finished garment — is fully traceable. Every Valtierri cashmere piece carries within its threads the signature of the specific herd, season, spinner, and hand that brought it to life.