IMAGES: LORO PIANA“These are
amazing
creatures that
have adapted
to one of
the harshest
climates in
the world”
W
eatheris destiny—thisadagerings
particularlytruewhenyouare
traversingthesteppesanddeserts
ofMongolia.Thesevastlandscapes
lookprimordial,buttheircaptivating
beautybeliesa harshclimate.
Temperaturescansoarbeyond40°Cinthesummer,and
plungeto-50°Cduringlong,hardwinters.Rainfalltends
tobemodestandsnowfallis light,exceptwhenthereis a
dzud—thelocaltermforanintense,devastatingblizzard.
Mongolia’scenturies-oldnomadicculturewasshaped
bytheseconditions.Thelackofrainwasn’tconduciveto
farming.Instead,herdersliveintunewithnature,letting
theiranimalsgrazeinthecoolerhighlandsduringsummer,
thenmovingtolow-lyingareasinwinter.Thisseasonal
migrationgivespasturestimetoregenerate,whichis
particularlyimportantforthosewhoowngoats,voracious
eaterswhotendtopullgrassupbytherootsastheygraze.
HavingevolvedtosurviveMongolia’sextremeclimate,
thelocalcaprahircusis exceedinglyresilient.Thisgoat
speciesnotonlyhasa coarseouterfleecethatshields
themfromthesunandrain,butalsoanexceptionallysoft
undercoatthatinsulatesthemagainstbittercold.Weknow
thisfinefleecebyanothername—cashmere.
Cashmereis old-schoolluxury,literally.It derives
its name from Kashmir, the region between India andPakistanfromwhichRomanemperorsonceobtainedthis
prizedfibre.Today,ChinaandMongoliaaretheworld’s
leadingproducersofcashmere,andItalianfashionhouse,
LoroPiana,hasbeensourcingthefinestcashmerefibres
fromMongoliaandtheneighbouringInnerMongolia(an
autonomousregionwithinChina)sincethe1980s.
Tospotlightitslong-standingquestforsuchexquisite
fibres,andsupportforthecommunitiesandecosystems
thatmakethecultivationofthesematerialspossible,the
brandenlistedFrenchfilm-makerLucJacquettocreate
a three-partdocumentary.Thefirstinstalmentofthis
projectfocusesoncashmere.TitledTheOriginofa Secret,
it willpremierethismonthatMIFA1862,anartsvenuein
Shanghai.Besidesprivatescreenings,it canalsobeviewed
onLoroPiana’swebsiteandsocialmediachannels.
Monthsearlier,a selectgroupofjournalistswere
invitedtowatchJacquet’sshootinprogress.Whichis
howI foundmyselfata herder’shomeinInnerMongolia’s
TenggerDesertoneafternoon,watchingthedirector
andhiscrewfilmtheherderasshecombedcashmere
fibresfromtheunderbellyofa goatinsure,practiced
strokes.It wasthelastdayoffilmingforthecashmere-
focusedsectionofthedocumentary,andthisexclusive
behind-the-scenespeekcappeda months-longshootthat
spanneddifferentpartsof the region and various seasons
of its extreme climate.186 singapore tatler. october 2019