I know what you’re thinking. “Cashmere made from vegetables? Wtf?!” That’s what I thought when I received an email to come check out this new line that KD New York, an athleisure brand here in the city, is in the process of launching. I was definitely skeptical. The company’s Kickstarter touts that the fabrics are super soft like cashmere, but rather than being made with the fine neck hair of special breeds of goats, it’s primarily made with soy protein spun from the pulp left over from tofu production. That means there’s no extra process needed to create and harvest the material for the product, which makes it super sustainable.

The Problem With Traditional Cashmere

Speaking of sustainability, I never knew until now that there is a huge problem with cashmere being unsustainable. The Wall Street Journal reported in May that, “The mass production of cashmere once solely a luxury good, is fueling ecological destruction.” How is that happening? Most goats bred for cashmere production are in Mongolia and China. The market there is unregulated and this along with a higher demand for cashmere has caused the goat population to surge. These goats, as cute as they may be, are causing erosion and desertification of the Mongolian grasslands. This, in turn, has led to undernourished goats and lower quality hair, which causes the herders to breed more goats to meet the increasing demand. It creates a vicious cycle.

Did It Really Feel Like Cashmere?

For the most part, yes. It was soft & cozy, and it felt luxurious. Definitely cuddle-worthy. I was surprised by this, to be honest. The owner has actually been refining the fabric knits for years to get them to this point. The kicker for me is that, unlike cashmere, the vegetable cashmere is machine washable (music to my dry cleaning budget’s ears).

Beyond the quality of the fabric, all of the pieces from the line fit beautifully. Most are dancewear inspired, and have an off duty ballerina kind of vibe that I really dug. I tried on a pair of the leggings and need them in my life ASAP. They’re the first pair that haven’t rolled down when I move, bend and twist. Their sweaters are gorgeous, too.

Where Can I Find This Vegetable Cashmere?

KD New York has six more days (!!)  to reach their goal on Kickstarter in order for them to be able to make this happen. They’re offering pieces from their line to people who back it on their page. I don’t straight up write about a lot of companies like this, but after trying the product and seeing how passionate the owner is about this creation, they come highly recommended by me. I’d love to see this line come to fruition, so if you like soft things and care about sustainability, you can donate to their Vegetable Cashmere Kickstarter here.

Photos by @fashionphotostyling

Programming by @caravannyc + @janinejust