Second hand cashmere brand outgrows first shop and moves to sustainable building
The Editor
Nearly New Cashmere Co is a sustainable cashmere clothing and accessories brand based in Masham, North Yorkshire. They restore and recycle discarded 100% cashmere pieces - transforming them into a collection of luxurious cashmere clothing and accessories which they hand-finish to an impeccable, like-new standard. Since the business was founded in 2015, they have saved tens of thousands of cashmere pieces from going to waste, by continuously finding innovative ways to reuse discarded cashmere.
Ali Orr established the brand in 2015 from her home and sold her cashmere at stalls and fairs. In 2019, Nearly New Cashmere Co opened their shop in Ali’s hometown, Masham, and launched their website, where they have gained an ever-growing eCommerce presence, selling products to customers across the world. Fast forward to 2023, the sustainable fashion brand saved 20,000 cashmere items this year and were bursting at the seams with cashmere! They were in desperate need for new premises but really keen to stay in their hometown, when Swinton Estate came to their rescue and renovated old estate buildings into state-of-the-art sustainably built premises where the brand can continue to grow.
Ali is dedicated to employing women from the local community wherever possible and has built a small but highly skilled team to support her. Celebrating the move to their new building, the firm are hosting a grand opening where the team will meet with local customers, press and influencers. Founder, Ali Orr says, “It’s important to me that we are an advocate for rural enterprise and growth. A significant part of our growth so far can be attributed to our investment in local people. We’re excited to celebrate the next step with our immediate team and our community.”
The building itself is the perfect match for this sustainable family-owned brand. Just some of the features include:
- Natural lime plaster walls
- Highly insulated with natural fibres
- Infrared heating
- An abundance of natural lighting and triple glazed windows
- Automatic lighting
From this new premises, Ali and her small but highly-skilled team are working meticulously to ensure that no cashmere goes to waste. As well as restoring 100% cashmere pieces to their like-new standard, the team skillfully transform unwanted jumpers into items such as fingerless gloves and snoods. They also run a cashmere repair service for customers who want to extend the life of cashmere items they already own, encouraging more people to continue to wear their items for longer and ultimately reduce their impact on the environment.
Nearly New Cashmere Co has become the go-to destination for cashmere lovers who can treat themselves to luxurious cashmere at affordable prices, all the while knowing they are helping the environment by shopping second hand.
