An Introduction to Cocowai Cashmere

Established in 1996, Cocowai Cashmere was a pioneer in bringing the luxury pashmina to the UK, and the rest is history.

After finishing studying, founder Frankie moved to London and began working at an ethnic clothing company in Brixton. With regular work in Kathmandu meeting up with all the suppliers and checking on orders, Frankie had her first introduction to Nepal.

A short break from her regular three to six month trips in Kathmandu, Frankie began studying Ethnomusicology, which is when a friend from Nepal brought over a handful of pashminas. Apparently they were selling well in America and about to be huge.

“I borrowed some money from my old boss, took a stand at Pure trade show and, after a very slow start, sold £12,000 worth on the third day (it turned out that an actress had worn a pashmina on the cover of Vogue and had described it as the most beautiful thing in the world). We launched Cocowai overnight.”

Our beautiful cashmere products are made from sumptuously soft yarn thanks to the goats across the Himalayas - Nepal, Mongolia, and Tibet. It is then hand spun and woven on traditional looms before being dyed by hand. We have worked with the same family-run factory since day one - we know all the employees, and their children!

We firmly believe in ethical practices and sustainability, and you can read more about this and how the goats live here.