WE MADE IT, IN OUR OWN FACTORY

At Mia Fratino, we proudly manufacture all of our garments in our Australian owned and operated factory in Sri Lanka.

We are committed to promoting a happy working environment with respect for all our employees. Our factory is fully certified to SMETA, GOTS and Oekotex global standards and leaders in ethical knitwear manufacturing. 

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THE ORIGIN OF OUR CASHMERE

We are committed to delivering 100% natural, biodegradable & environmentally responsible knitwear.

At a time where the increasing need to consider our consumer footprint is ever prevalent, the fashion industry is no exception.

The fashion industry is saturated with companies who either use synthetic or synthetic blends that are harmful for the environment or prioritise the dollar over ethics and quality by sourcing cashmere without regard for its origins, or the regulation of the spinners or processes.

We refuse to do either.

We do not use synthetics in any of our garments. We proudly offer only 100% natural fibres and stand extremely firm on the ethical sourcing practices of our cashmere (and other natural fibres)

Learn more about our fibres →

FROM FARM TO FINAL GARMENT

At Mia Fratino, we take our commitment to ethically and socially responsible knitwear seriously, with highest importance on environmental protection, animal welfare and sustainability. 

We are industry leaders in responsible cashmere production ~ from pasture through to final garment. We work with our trusted spinners, who adhere to a strict monitoring and careful testing system for every step of the cashmere development process. As a result, our garments are made from the best quality and most ethical cashmere.

We use one of the most highly regarded cashmere spinners in the world. Our spinner ensures the ongoing viability of our cashmere to give you total confidence in all aspects of the creation of your garment. 

1. IMPROVING THE LIFE OF THE HERDSMAN

When it comes to our cashmere production, the well-being of the traditional herdsman in Mongolia, as well as the animals themselves, is of the utmost importance to us. 

Our spinner directly contributes to the funding of herding communities (especially during economic downturns). This ensures that bad practices such as ill-treatment, shearing of goats during the winter months or overpopulated pastures are not undertaken in an attempt to get further income. 

The goats well-being becomes the highest priority when the herders can see the financial security given by our spinner. This simple 'cause and effect' means that the animal's welfare becomes heavily incentivised, as it is paramount to ensuring a sustainable income to the herder's families. 

2. CONTROLLING THE CASHMERE FIBRE PRODUCTION

Bad practices, especially poor animal welfare or overgrazing, occur when there is no accountability between the spinner and the fibre producers. Our spinner visits and inspects all of the herding communities that supply cashmere to them. They certify all complying farms as approved suppliers. 

Our cashmere is traceable from the specific region through to the individual cone, with documentation at each step of the process, from fibre collection right through to digital inventory.

Each goat is coded and its fibre is recorded for traceability through the entire production system. This is to ensure that only approved fibre is sourced and that no 'substitution' from non-cashmere fibre occurs. Substitution is a big problem in uncontrolled production practices and results in adulterated yarn.

Our cashmere fibres are tested for purity at an independent laboratory to check for 100% cashmere DNA, so you can have full confidence of the source of your cashmere and can be ensured that no dilution has occurred.

Additionally, the spinner promotes a 'hotline' for people to report any non-compliances discovered amongst their suppliers. 

3. PROVIDING A BALANCED ENVIRONMENT OPTIMAL FOR THE GOATS

Animal welfare is our number one priority and we are committed to a clear code of practice for cashmere goat protection. 

Our spinners are proud members of The International Cooperation Committee of Animal Welfare (ICCAW), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting animal welfare concepts, implementing animal welfare-friendly farming systems and improving the life quality and safety of animals.

 Happy healthy goats = premium quality, long-filament cashmere.

The pastures inhabited by our cashmere goats can not be used for normal agricultural usage, such as crops, due to the extreme temperature and low soil quality. However, the great expanses of grasslands are optimal environments for cashmere goats. But this requires careful management strategies.

Our spinners continually insist on optimising and preserving the grassland ecological environment in four key farming regions of Inner Mongolia. To ensure that the fragile environment is not over-grazed, the goats move locations on a bi-annual basis to conserve the sustainability of their food supply. With the double rotation throughout the year, the grasslands are able to regenerate. Additionally, the spinners encourage re-seeding of pastures where damage to the soil has occurred, so that these grasslands can be protected and responsibly managed for the animals.

Furthermore, our spinner makes sure that no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used in the controlled pastures. The manure of the goats has a significant and natural effect on the land with its high nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium content and keeps the organic cycle for the grasslands intact. The result is very high quality cashmere yarn that is sustainable and ethical in its production and in harmony with the slow fashion principles of Mia Fratino.