This week, on a warm evening in Connecticut, sweater lovers gathered to celebrate not just Naadam Cashmere’s newest line of chic and comfortable staples, but the milestones the young company has reached so far. Having established firm connections with the Mongolian farmers they source from, the company can finally begin selling their pieces at the price point they had always imagined (think 100% cashmere sweaters for under $200). The collection, displayed on a clothesline in the gardens of founder Matt Scanlan’s childhood home, included bright socks, v-necked sweaters, and cozy turtlenecks.
“We have a really beautiful story to tell people,” Scanlan told us. “That story has a lot to do with how we acquire our goods, how we work with our herders, that journey. People connect with it. And the reason we did this event here, in the home I grew up in, is because it’s always been super, super personal. We’ve always had hometown people rooting for us, we’ve always had family and friends rooting for us, so we wanted to make this [event] really, really personal, something that felt like who we were, really genuine. The neighbors were the first people that came over, and they’re like our best customers online! And they were all coming in and asking questions about the collection in more detail than anyone else ever has.”
The brand is built off of a genuine passion for ethically sourced products and affordable luxury. “The industry is changing, and we want to be on the forefront of it. And we strongly believe this is the way,” said the designer, Hadas Saar, “We all come from such a raw love for the story and the work. I had a big career, I met Matt, and I left everything. At the beginning I had my own consulting company, and I said ‘I love you guys, I want to help you.’ And the more I stayed, the more I fell in love with the mission, and I felt like, for me, this is the future of the industry, and I really want to be a part of that.”
As the company continues to grow, the founders keep their homegrown passion. Said Scanlan, “I don’t think we ever want to lose track of hanging clothing on a clothing line with clothespins.”
BY DANIELLE DULCHINOS
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- Matt Scanlan, Hadas Saar
