Resilient Threads: How Loro Piana is helping to save an ecosystem

With ​‘Resilient Threads’, luxury cashmere label Loro Piana is launching an ambitious five-year programme dedicated to protecting people, animals and the environment – by actively assuming responsibility throughout the entire production chain.

For over 40 years, Loro Piana has been sourcing the finest Mongolian cashmere, a material considered the epitome of softness and warmth in the fashion world. The company operates its only production facility outside Italy in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. This is where the journey of many of the Maison’s luxurious garments begins – and this is precisely where Resilient Threads comes in. The focus here is on supporting Mongolian herding communities and preserving one of the last intact grassland ecosystems on Earth.

Comprehensive commitment to people, animals and the environment

The initiative aims to structurally strengthen five particularly vulnerable districts (known as ​‘sums’) in the province of Süchbaatar, a region that is increasingly suffering from the effects of climate change. The weather phenomenon known as ​‘dzud’, an extremely harsh winter, is disrupting the herders’ traditional grazing cycles. A lack of feed, limited access to water and significant livestock losses are having a dramatic impact on the livelihoods of thousands of people.

Resilient Threads was developed in close partnership with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA) and the Odyssey Conservation Trust (OCT). The programme is based on comprehensive climate-related risk analyses and close dialogue with the Mongolian government, local partners and the herding communities themselves.

One central element is the ​‘One Health’ approach, which views humans, animals and the environment as an interconnected whole. A mobile One Health Hub is set to be launched later this year. Equipped with special vehicles, it will reach even remote areas to provide medical care, vaccination campaigns, educational initiatives and preventive measures. These mobile units will complement government health programmes and establish sustainable capacity on the ground.

Biological diversity as a foundation

In addition, a centre for biological diversity is being established to protect and regenerate Mongolia’s pasturelands. A seed bank will preserve endangered and particularly resilient plant species – not only to combat soil erosion, but also as a source of medicinal ingredients, food and economical alternatives for the local population.

These measures are not only an ecological commitment, but also an economic strategy: Loro Piana sees the resilience of its supply chain as part of its quality promise. Anyone who wants to maintain the highest material standards must also protect the livelihoods of the people who make these standards possible.

A thread that connects

‘Resilient Threads’ exemplifies Loro Piana’s philosophy: authenticity, timelessness and sustainable excellence. The initiative is part of the LVMH Group’s comprehensive environmental strategy LIFE 360, which is committed to protecting biodiversity and to the responsible sourcing of raw materials. By 2030, five million hectares of natural habitat are to be restored – a goal to which all the group’s Maisons are committed.

With this new initiative, Loro Piana is sending a strong message: today, luxury is more than just fine materials – it is a commitment to a better, more responsible future. Resilient Threads weaves humanity, tradition, innovation and nature into a new understanding of beauty – subtle, profound and inspiring.

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