Pashmina: Rooted in Upholding the Royalty & Warmth

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Pashmina Rooted in Upholding the Royalty Warmth
The luxurious and finest Pashmina fabrics iconic
story had begun over 500 years ago in Kashmir
valley, India. Where local Kashmiri skilled
artisans have worked with this luscious fabric
by hand for centuries to create exquisite
pashmina shawls and more elaborate hand- woven
crafted pieces from this luxurious
fabric. However, Pashmina fabric represents the
true heritage of elegance and richness. It has
always been one of the most beloved and desired
fabrics by all women around the globe. However,
its not yet clear what exactly Pashmina is. Do
you know the origin of this finest textile
fabric? To learn more about this timeless
artistry let's dive in. What does the word
Pashmina mean? The Pashmina word is derived
from the Persian word Pashm, which means soft
gold. Traditionally in Kashmir, pashmina is the
art of creating beautiful shawls, stoles, or
wearable accessories from soft cashmere wool.
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What exactly is Pashmina? A Pashmina is an art
of handcrafted luxury textile made from the soft
underfur of a Changthangi or a Pashmina goat
that lives in the Changthang area of Ladakh,
India. Changthangi and Pashmina goats are a
special breed of goats that are native to the
high- altitude regions of Nepal and India. This
finest material is used to make the well-known
Pashmina shawls. The Pashmina silk fabrics are
made from the softest animal fibers used in the
textile industry. It is delicate and warm enough
to hatch an egg. In Kashmir, the art of weaving
pashmina has been passed down from generation to
generation. For a good pashmina shawl spinning,
weaving and embroidery need to be done by an
expert.
Origin of this finest textile? It all began with
Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, a Persian saint who went on
a world tour. With 700 artists, Mir Syed Ali
Hamdani transformed Kashmir's natural beauty and
spread the gospel in the Middle East. While he
was in Changthang-Ladakh, he took a break to put
up his feet, and as a result, the saint appeared
on Changthangi Mountain. As he looked out to the
beautiful landscape, he was awed by the goats
stunning fleece. He then spun the wool into
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socks for the Sultan Zain-ul-Abideen, who was
amazed by the quality of the fabric. Seeing the
potential of pashmina wool cultivation, he
advocated establishing a business around it
"Pashm," from which the name "Pashmina" is
derived, means "soft gold." Cashmere and
Pashmina Whats the difference? A Cashmere
shawl has been made in Kashmir and Nepal for
thousands of years. Pashmina and Cashmere shawls
are both woven from mountain sheeps wool. It is
mainly the diameter of the fiber that
differentiates them. A cashmere fiber has a large
diameter and is thicker than a pashmina, which
is finer, thinner, and far more delicate. For
this reason, local Kashmiri artisans comb,
refine, spin, weave and embroider pashmina fabric
completely by hand. The Intricate Making and
the Process of the Worlds Finest Fiber- Pashmina
The intricate process of producing pashmina
begins when Changthangi goats naturally shed
their winter coats every spring, this period
locally known as the molting season. This is when
the undercoat is gathered by combing the goat
instead of shearing, which is the method
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used to collect other fine wools. In the
following step, then raw pashmina is then
exported to Kashmir. After it arrives,
highly-specialized designers, artisans, and
craftspeople use traditional techniques passed
down from generation to generation since the 15th
century to refine and transform it into a fabric
by hand. After the fabric is made, Kashmiri
artists utilize it to make luxurious, unique,
and very artistic pashmina scarves, robes,
shawls, blankets, apparel, and other items. A
guide to maintaining Pashmina fabrics Taking
proper care of cashmere products can extend the
life of the garments. The more often they are
washed, the softer and more luxurious they
become. It is recommended that this fabric
should preferably be dry-cleaned. However, a
woollen fabric detergent can be used
occasionally to gently hand wash it. Hand washing
a new Pashmina is advised to guarantee that the
natural vegetable colors do not bleed. Allow it
to dry on a level surface after washing. So,
next time you visit Kashmir, get this luxurious
heritage weave, Pashmina, as a souvenir. Shop
the wide range of poly based Pashmina Fabrics
from Symplico Prints, by selecting the designs
from 2000 artistic prints and get them imprinted
on the Pashmina fabric. Stay tuned for more
useful updates...