Fashion, Design & Beauty

KD New York Launches Vegetable Cashmere

KD New York has announced a new collection of knitwear made from Vegetable Cashmere™, a plant-based cashmere-alternative created from the vision of David Lee, a former Oakland Ballet Company dancer. KD garments have been worn by some of the best athletes in the world including leading dancers in New York City Ballet.

Vegetable Cashmere is a proprietary blend developed to address the increased demand for cashmere and the associated environmental costs. Its development began with Mr. Lee collaborating with a factory experimenting with soy-based yarns. To achieve the look and feel of animal cashmere, a blend was developed using soy, and a proprietary blend of fibers.

“Cashmere is a luxury item,” says Mr. Lee, “Mass-producing cashmere at a cheap price point is terribly unsustainable and detrimental to animals and the earth. I have been working on an earth and animal-friendly alternative for over five years. We are now ready to roll out our first Vegetable Cashmere athleisure collection through a Kickstarter campaign.”

KD New York
©KD New York

The soybean fiber is made from reclaimed byproducts of the organic soy industry, which would otherwise be discarded. The chemicals used in processing are reused wherever possible, making production a mostly closed-loop process. As a naturally derived fiber, Vegetable Cashmere™ is also biodegradable — reducing environmental impact throughout each garment’s entire lifecycle.

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