After deciding to work with Nepalese cashmere, we quickly learned that finding the right partners would take time.
We sampled a wide range of fabrics from different workshops. Some felt good at first touch but didn’t hold their shape. Others were well made but lacked the softness or consistency we were looking for. Cashmere quality isn’t always obvious immediately — it reveals itself through wear, washing, and comparison. So we tested patiently and tried to understand how each piece was made, not just how it looked.
At the same time, communication was harder than we expected. Emails went unanswered. Phone calls felt distant and unclear. Cultural differences, language barriers, made it difficult to connect. At times, it felt like we were unwanted — like our messages were being politely ignored. More than once, we considered giving up.
It became clear that distance was the problem.
In Nepal, relationships are not built through inboxes. They are built face to face.
So we went back. We met people in person. We sat across from them, not as buyers, but as listeners. We shared tea. We talked slowly. We explained why we cared, what we had seen in the mountains, and why we believed their work deserved a wider audience.
Those moments changed everything.
Once we were sitting together — no screens, no intermediaries — people opened up. Conversations became warmer. Questions were asked on both sides. Trust began to form, not because of contracts or promises, but because we were present. Because we showed up.
We shared our idea of bringing their craft to a wider audience, without pushing for scale or compromising how things are made. We listened to their concerns and expectations in return. Those exchanges helped align us, not just commercially, but personally.
Out of these meetings, real working relationships formed. Not overnight, and not without adjustments on both sides, but based on clarity, respect, and collaboration. Knowing each other in person made communication easier going forward and set the tone for how we work today.
This experience shaped our approach. We move slowly. We value direct relationships. And we believe that taking the time to sit down together — even just for tea — makes better work possible.
